Collin County Ballet Theatre

Collin County Ballet Theatre, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, was founded in the Fall of 2001 by Artistic Directors, Kirt & Linda Hathaway, Original charter members of Dallas Ballet. They established the Hathaway Academy of Ballet, the official academy of Collin County Ballet Theatre in the summer of the same year. The Hathaway’s professional experience include Dallas Ballet, Houston Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet de Santiago, Cincinnati Ballet and as directors of Lexington Ballet and Ballet Arkansas. Their thirty years of professional experience bring to Collin County Ballet Theatre the highest level of professional standards in the art of dance. Collin County Ballet Theatre produces three major productions each year including Nutcracker and features guest artists, North Texas area professional dancers and the Collin County Ballet Theatre Youth Ensemble.

Collin County Ballet Theatre Guild was formed in October of 2001 with a mission to support the company by raising funds for producing quality ballet productions. The membership of the guild is comprised of volunteers from the CollinCounty community who believe in the mission of Collin County Ballet Theatre, Inc. The annual fundraising activities include, the “Sugar Plum Fairy Tea” and an annual “Gala fundraiser”.

During the premier 2001—2002 season, the organization co-produced a successful production of “Nutcracker” with New World Ballet of Richardson. In March of 2002 the Collin County Ballet Theatre Guild sponsored the company’s premier solo concert, “A Classic Beginning”, at the GarlandCenter for Performing Arts featuring a repertoire mixture of classical ballet, contemporary works and popular jazz dance.

The 2002—2003 season was the initiation of the Collin County Ballet Theatre Youth Ensemble a performing youth ensemble for serous young dancers in training. The season opened with the annual production of Nutcracker with several performances throughout Collin County. In the Spring of 2003 the season ended with a Spring Spectacular performance presented at the Bob Hope Theatre on the SMU campus, with a world premier of “Celebration Song” set to the music of the Kronos Quartet as well as Act III of Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty”. The program featured special guest artists from the nationally recognized Ballet West.

The 2003—2004 season included the premier of “Peter and the Wolf“, and the addition of the Plano Symphony Orchestra for the annual production of the “Nutcracker” at the elegant Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts. The Spring 2004 season ended with the Spring finale “Spirit of Dance”.

In Fall 2004 the company was invited to be a featured organization performing in the Frisco Association for the Arts Gala which further developed their community arts funding. CCBT received funding from the association for presenting performances in the City of Frisco. The annual Spring Gala fundraiser was held in the McKinney Heard-Craig Hall raising over $10,000.  In recognition one of Dallas’ prominent dance figures, the late Lorraine Cranford, the company performed in her honor in the Dance Councils “Dance for the Planets. In the spring of 2005 the company presented the exciting production of “Cinderella” with two sold out performances. 

The 2005—2006 season included “Nutcracker”, a “Winter Works Concert” partially funded by a grant from the City of McKinney presented at McKinney NorthHigh School. Collin County Ballet Theatre was the first outside arts group to use the newly renovated McKinney Performing Arts Center presenting their annual Spring Gala. The season closed with the ever popular full length ballet “Coppelia”. Collin County Ballet Theatre Youth Ensemble was accepted as an Intern Company in the Regional Dance America, Southwest Association and attended the spring festival in Houston.

The 2006-2007 performance season included Nutcracker, a winter repertoire concert “Romance & Revelry” that includes, with permission by the Balanchine Trust the “Rubies” pas de deux from his ballet “Jewels” The world Premiere of “Songs of the Heart” by Jason Coosner. Members of the Collin County Ballet Theatre Youth Ensemble attended the Regional Dance America 2007 National Festival in Pittsburg, PA.

 The 2007-2008 season brought about a new home for the company in the heart of Collin County just a few miles from the site for the new Collin County Arts Center. This complemented by a grant from the Frisco Association for the Arts for the annual production of Nutcracker in Frisco. The company will be attending the Regional Dance America, Southwest Festival to be held in April 2008 held here in the metroplex. The season will closed in the spring with an exciting concert “Dancing Through Time” at the Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in the spring of 2008.