Charlottesville Ballet (CB) is a professional ballet company, dance academy, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by Co-Directors Sara Clayborne and Emily Hartka with a unique focus on wellness. Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Ballet is a cultural institution with a $1.4M operating budget that reaches approximately 17,000 people annually across Central Virginia.
CB has three pillars: The professional company of dancers from across the United States and abroad presents live events throughout the region. Charlottesville Ballet Academy (CBA), the official training school of CB, offers education in all dance genres for over 700 students ages 2-adult. CB Moves community engagement includes five FREEprograms: “Chance To Dance (C2D)” for underserved children grades K-6; “Adaptive Dance” for people with physical/intellectual disabilities; “Silver Swans” for seniors; “Movement For Parkinson's” for people with movement disorders and their care partners; and “Once Upon A Ballet” lecture-demonstrations for schools, libraries, and community centers. Providing these programs at no cost is key to our mission to promote wellness and access to dance for everyBODY in our community.
