The Louisville Ballet is a ballet school and professional ballet company based in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the official state ballet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Ballet was established in 1952 and currently employs 25 professional dancers. As of 2025, the company is led by new Artistic Director Anthony Krutzkamp and CEO Leslie Smart.
History
The Louisville Ballet held its first audition for dancers in 1952, making it the fifth oldest ballet company in the United States. The company achieved professional status (previously a civic company), admitted its first students, and moved locations in 1975. A few years later, Mikhail Baryshnikov served as an artist in residence with the Louisville Ballet. The Ballet has world premiered 70 pieces and has 150 pieces in its collection.
In 2015, Robert Curran was the head of Louisville Ballet. He was formerly with the Australian Ballet as a principal dancer and the Bangarra Dance Theatre as a rehearsal director. Australian dancer and choreographer Daniel Riley spent two weeks choreographing a more contemporary dance form, Sacred Shifts, for the Ballet which premiered in March 2015.
Like other ballet companies, the Louisville Ballet struggled after the 2020 pandemic due to cancellations, adaptive programming, and continuing to pay dancer salaries. In 2023, they were trying to raise $3.1 million. The ballet received many donations including $50,000 from Jack Harlow, who is from Louisville. The company tried to prioritize local programming and connections during this time. The 2023–2024 season did not have the usual accompaniment by the Louisville Orchestra for the annual Nutcracker productions due to these financial hardships.
As of 2026, the company is led by CEO Leslie Smart and artistic director Anthony Krutzkamp.
Description and school
The company presents full-length ballets each year, which have included Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Giselle and Don Quixote.
As of 2025, the professional company is made up of 25 dancers and has a $5.5 million yearly budget. Additionally, many lower level programs as well as options for adults are offered within the school. The school also offers summer intensive programming. The school provides training to over 900 students.
The Louisville Ballet can be found on East Main Street housed in a $2.2 million building that contains both studios and offices. The American Institute of Architects gave this building the Honor Award for Excellence in Architectural Design. The Ballet's building was also featured in Architecture.