History & Mission
Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre has been known for dance excellence in Metro Atlanta for over fifty years.
History
Since 1956, the Company has consistently produced some of the region’s best trained dancers. Former students have danced, professionally, with The Boston Ballet, The Houston Ballet, The Louisville Ballet, Koresh Dance Company, Martha Graham, and on the grand stages of Broadway.
Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre was founded by Atlanta dance pioneer, Ruth Mitchell, and is one of Georgia’s oldest non-profit arts organizations. Through Ms. Mitchell’s leadership and creativity, Ruth Mitchell Dance became well known, and widely admired, as a leading provider of quality dance performance in the Southeast.
Lisa A. Toups became the Theatre’s Artistic Director in 1999. Under Ms. Toups’ direction, the company has broadened its original focus of classical ballet to also include jazz, modern, and contemporary ballet. Local, regional, and nationally known choreographers are routinely commissioned to set technically challenging, yet entertaining, works that provide its dancers and audiences a wide range of high quality and unique programming. New collaborations with other performing groups, including musicians and singers have been, and will continue to be, a hallmark of the Theatre’s focus.
In 2006, Shelley S. Grames became RMDT’s Assistant Artistic Director. Miss Grames has been with the company since 1997 as a performer and choreographer. As Assistant Artistic Director, Ms. Grames now also coordinates the company’s SERBA participation, coordinates its Young Audiences programs, and adds valuable input on the company’s direction.
Housed in the studios of Georgia Dance Conservatory on the historic Marietta Square, Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre produces three major productions a year. Its Fall Concert showcases cutting edge works from both in-house and outside choreographers.
Presented each year over Thanksgiving weekend, the company’s wildly popular production of The Nutcracker has come to mark the unofficial start of the holiday season in Metro Atlanta. Its Spring Ballet, usually a family-oriented ballet, has recently included perennial favorites, such as Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland.
RMDT holds the distinction of Honor Company by the South East Ballet Association (SERBA). The Theatre had the privilege of performing in the first annual Heroes Awards presented by the Grammy’s National Academy of Recording Artists. The company also performed in the Atlanta Symphony’s educational video for the Metro Atlanta school system, and in numerous festivals including the Inman Park Festival, Spoleto, Art in the Park, and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame summer series. Most recently, RMDT performed in Cobb County’s 175th Anniversary Celebration at the new Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center.
Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre will continue its tradition of providing high quality dance in Metro Atlanta but will also strive to explore and expand into new areas in which it can positively impact the community.
Mission
Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre is committed to the presentation of professional quality, varied dance programs, with specific goals of providing local dancers and choreographers with a showcase for their work, as well as pre-professional dancers with performing opportunities. We strive to balance entertainment with educational concepts, while reaching a broad audience.
