History of Ballet Arlington

Ballet Arlington was founded as a semi-professional school based company in 1997 by Russian born, Svetlana Stanova and Nikolai Semikov.  Originally the name of the company was Ballet Art Arlington; in 1998, the name was changed to Ballet Arlington.  Since its inception, the Company has evolved into a fully professional ballet company, now regarded as one of the most successful ballet companies in Texas. Ms. Stanova served as artistic director of Ballet Arlington until early 2002.  Today, the Company is under the co-artistic directorship of Paul Mejia and Alexander Vetrov.

Committed to upholding the highest possible dance standards, Ballet Arlington brings the art of classical ballet to virtually all socioeconomic levels. The Company has captured an enthusiastic response from the public and gained substantial critical acclaim as a world-class company. It is valued not only for its original repertoire, but also for the great technique and strong artistic personalities of its dancers.

Each season, from September through June, the Company presents five productions, including the full-length production of The Nutcracker. In addition to traditional ballet classics, Ballet Arlington's unique repertory includes works of some of the world’s most respected choreographers, including George Balanchine.

Performances are held at two venues; Texas Hall, on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington, and the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. Performances are accompanied by the Texas Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Ballet Arlington's music director, Ron Spigelman.

Special school performances of The Nutcracker are presented annually at Texas Hall to over 9,000 Arlington ISD students. This year, the Company became part of the Performing Arts Fort Worth education program and presented Paul Mejia’s Romeo and Juliet at the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall to Ft. Worth ISD students.  

The Company operates an official school, the Ballet Arlington Academy. Staffed by professionals who have trained at some of the world's finest dance schools, the Academy offers a curriculum designed to take students from their first introduction to the art of ballet through a full course of study, building upon the rich traditions of Russian classical ballet.