Mission

To present ballet boldly to Delaware

To enrich our community with live professional performances

To inspire and educate dancers and audiences of the future

To connect local youth with a creative, inclusive movement experience

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

First State Ballet Theatre is an inclusive performing arts organization dedicated to the idea that diversity strengthens our community. We welcome everyone regardless of age, ethnicity, race, faith, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We are stronger when everyone has the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive.

First State Ballet Theatre—A Brief History

First State Ballet Theatre—Delaware’s professional ballet company—has written an unparalleled chapter of artistic, educational and financial achievement in Delaware dance history and presents a statewide season with regular performances in theaters and schools in all three counties from Wilmington to the Beach.

In November 1999, shortly after opening the Russian Ballet Centre in Newport, Pasha and Kristina Kambalov asked longtime ballet supporters and friends to serve as the Board of Directors for a new 501 (c)(3) ballet school, with Robert Grenfell as Board President.

They chose the name First State Ballet Theatre to signal their intention to be a ballet company for the entire state, and they adopted a family-friendly pricing policy so that audiences could enjoy the beauty and excitement of ballet.

In early 2003, the company was invited to relocate to Wilmington’s Grand Opera House. With funding from the City of Wilmington, the Longwood and Welfare Foundations, and individuals, they designed and built beautiful, state-of-the-art studios.

In September 2008, FSBT launched Delaware's only professional ballet company. They began the 2008-09 season with ten dancers, and have grown the roster every year to the current 20 dancers.

FSBT’s first performance was Coppélia at the University of Delaware’s Mitchell Hall in May 2000. Now, FSBT’s Delaware premieres include Giselle, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty. World premieres include full-length ballets by Viktor Plotnikov, including Dracula and Romeo and Juliet.

First State Ballet Theatre is proud of its artistic, educational and financial achievements and looks forward to bringing the beauty and excitement of this extraordinary art form to future generations of Delawareans.