Austin is a culturally rich city, boasting a fair number of highbrow performance groups. One of the most long-lived and praised is Ballet Austin, which has been putting on impressive performances for over 50 years. Under the direction of Stephen Mills, the company encompasses 20 professional dancers recruited from a nationwide talent search, staging five productions yearly, including an extremely popular presentation of The Nutcracker. The productions are uniformly elegant and sensual, with talented dancers and engrossing choreography. Regulars rave about the avant-garde spin that Mills and company put on staid classics. In addition to their professional performances, Ballet Austin hosts a number of educational programs which draw locals in droves. The classes are held on a drop-in basis at The Butler Center, ranging from traditional ballet and tap to more unique offerings like hip-hop, Pilates and “Broadway Fit.” Prices are reasonable and the instructors are top notch. It’s a great resource for anybody interested in dance.

Ballet Austin
501 W. 3rd Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-9151
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ballet-austin-austin