Our History
Organization history & mission
Dedicated to artistic excellence and education and reflecting Brooklyn's diverse communities, Brooklyn Ballet is a professional not-for-profit organization comprised of a dance company and school in downtown Brooklyn as well as our public school outreach program, Elevate.
The company was founded in February 2002 by Artistic Director Lynn Parkerson, the first of its kind in Brooklyn in more than 40 years. Brooklyn Ballet brings a contemporary vision to the treasured art form of ballet, with repertory and programs that revitalize and reimagine the classical form. Our mission is three-fold: to commit to artistic accomplishment, to educate, and to engage with the community.
The Ballet presents its company in an annual performance season in Brooklyn and has a professional dance school located in downtown Brooklyn. We also serve the community through educational outreach projects such as Take Ballet to the Streets (our outdoor performance series), and our in-school dance residencies Elevate, and Brooklyn Ballet in the Houses, and by providing low-cost space rentals and performance opportunities to New York City dance artists.
Brooklyn Ballet’s dedication to the community is wide-ranging.
In 2009, Brooklyn Ballet opened the doors to its first permanent home at The Schermerhorn, a residential development in downtown Brooklyn. Built and managed by Breaking Ground and the Entertainment Community Fund, the Schermerhorn provides supportive housing for artists of all disciplines. Our ground-level space provides Brooklyn Ballet with our own storefront dance studio, access to a 99 seat black box theatre, the Mark O’Donnell Theater dressing rooms, and administrative space.