Charleston Ballet Center for Dance

About Us:

Since the inception of the professional company in 1987, one of the primary artistic goals of the directors, Don and Patricia Cantwell, and resident choreographer Jill Eathorne Bahr, has been to develop a distinctive repertory offering a mix of works by great contemporary choreographers, such as Balanchine and Limon. These works provide dancers with the challenge of interpreting great works of art, which in turn helps them to develop and expand their artistry. At the same time, the audience is given the opportunity to broaden its understanding of dance by seeing a wide range of dance styles.Charleston Ballet Theatre is not your run-of-the-mill ballet company steeped in white tutus and old Russian classics.

It is a company of artists committed to the excellence of artistic quality who have retained their own distinctive characteristics, even as they meld together to achieve a uniform style. That style can best be described as an ease in performing, the ability to effortlessly convey the electric modern movement of Jill Eathorne Bahr, the pure classicism of Romeo and Juliet and everything in between.Every day Charleston Ballet Theatre carves out its unique spot on the national artistic map. And now, as we improve upon our flourishing history, the Ballet is poised to launch onto an even more energetic course. Charleston Ballet Theatre offers exciting and innovative dance performances, educational and outreach projects, and productions on tour. The Company has achieved remarkable artistic success in just a few years of performance history, capturing enthusiastic public response, substantial critical acclaim, and international recognition.

The freshness and vitality of the superb dancers and choreographers coupled with the highest degree of technical excellence and a dynamic, original repertoire continue to captivate audiences of all ages.Charleston Ballet Theatre nurtures the growth and artistic excellence of hundreds of businesses and artists in every corner of the Low country, preserving and enhancing our City’s diverse cultural heritage and making the performing, visual, literary, media and dramatic arts available to hundreds. CBT has toured throughout the eastern coast from Caribou, Maine to Miami Beach. CBT is an honorary lifetime member of Regional Dance America and a member of DanceUSA, the national service organization for non-profit professional dance companies.