The Carolina Ballet is a company of professional ballet dancers that is situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company has been recognized as one of the top companies in the world of ballet, even making it to the top 10 companies in the country. Founded in 1984, the companyís mission is to hone dancers that perform world-class ballet in Raleigh as well as in other areas. The company was started by Ann Vorus, as the Raleigh Dance Theatre, Inc. Robert Weiss, a former principal ballet dancer of the New York City Ballet, was tapped to be the first artistic director of the company.
Since its founding, the company has performed many seasons, taking on various ballets such as the Robert Weissí Romeo and Juliet, Balanchineís Square Dance, and even The Kreutzer Sonata. As of the 2010-2011 season, the company was able to stage 75 performances in 15 ballets. These ballets included the premiere of Bram Stokerís ìDraculaî as well as Pinocchio. Other ballets performed by the company include Cinderella, La Sylphide, Carmen, Firebird, A Midsummer Nightís Dream, and Nine By Twelve.