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AbouT BALLET DES MOINES
Organization
The company was founded in 2002 as the Ballet Theatre of Iowa. The inaugural season included The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Divertimento. In 2005, the company renamed itself Ballet Des Moines. Ballet Des Moines launched its first company of resident dancers in 2012. Today, Ballet Des Moines is focused on enriching lives in the greater Des Moines area through inspiring dance performances, inclusive education and outreach programs, and innovative community partnerships.
Ballet Des Moines performs a season of main-stage productions as well as outreach events and regional touring. Regular venues include the beautifully restored 1,252 seat Hoyt Sherman Place Theater and the Des Moines Civic Center which accommodates an audience of 2,744 and is regarded as one of the nation’s leading theater venues. The company is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors, led by Bridget Penick, Board President and Michaela Carhoff, Vice President.
Ballet Des Moines enters 2023 in a historic position of strength, having been honored with the Bravo Greater Des Moines Spotlight Award in February and recently receiving the Governor's Arts Award for Arts Learning, a state-wide recognition. The company recently performed its first work by George Balanchine, set new records for attendance at The Nutcracker, and sold-out a two-week run of Tom Mattingly's world premiere ballet, Salem. In addition to creating extraordinary performances, the Ballet Des Moines team is proud to be purpose-driven and passionate about making participation in arts programming a habit for all people in Iowa: a right, not a privilege.
Community
State capital, business hub, and Midwestern hometown, Des Moines prides itself on its friendly communities, short commutes, affordable living, and world-class amenities. Recently named by The Wall Street Journal as one of the breakout cities on the forefront of America’s Economic Recovery, the city also ranks fifth best place to live in the U.S. and one of the top ten cities for living the American Dream. Employers include corporate leaders such as The Principal Financial Group and Meredith Corporation, more than 60 insurance companies, science and health organizations including five area hospitals, and the agencies headquartered in the State Capitol complex.
Greater Des Moines has witnessed rapid development in recent years, with a revitalized downtown, changing demographics, and multi-billion-dollar investments from Microsoft and Facebook, all made possible by a forward-looking community that embraces new ideas. These developments have also been reflected in the region’s arts and culture environment through new initiatives such as Mainframe Studios, the largest nonprofit arts space in the country; and Bravo Greater Des Moines, a grant-awarding arts agency jointly funded by 17 local governments through a portion of their hotel/motel tax revenues – a unique example of visionary partnership and approach to government investment in the arts.
Greater Des Moines is also home to a number of signature events, including the Iowa State Fair, the Des Moines Arts Festival, and the World Food and Music Festival. Arts, cultural, heritage, and recreational opportunities abound. The Principal Riverwalk includes landscaped public spaces, world-class public art, and unique pedestrian bridges and pathways that connect 300 miles of Central Iowa trails. The 4.4-acre John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines features artwork of the world’s most celebrated artists.
Ballet Des Moines does not believe in nor discriminate on the basis of: race; color; national, social or ethnic origin; age; religion or belief; gender; sexual orientation; gender identity; marital, civil union, domestic partner or family status; disability; genetic information; Veteran status; or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. We expect and require the cooperation of all employees in maintaining a discrimination and harassment-free workplace.