The history of Greensboro Ballet begins with the regional dance movement of the 1960’s. Prior to that, ballet training was primarily available in New York and San Francisco. But, when many Ballet Russe-era dancers relocated to communities across the United States, the regional dance movement was born.

Out of this movement came Greensboro Civic Ballet in 1967, led in part by the illustrious Elissa Minet Fuchs, wife of Peter Paul Fuchs, who at that time was the Conductor of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra. Initially, the organization was informal. There was no official school, but rather a focus on providing local dancers an annual performance. The school came later in the 1970s as former dancers in our community identified a need to provide consistent, structured training, and renamed the organization Civic Ballet Theatre (CBT). Organizers approached the United Arts Council of Greensboro for membership, funding, and space.

In 1980, Maryhelen Mayfield, an alumnus of Kansas City Ballet, was hired. Enrollment in the school grew rapidly and quickly surpassed over 120 students enrolled in classes. Within 30 days of opening its doors, the Ballet performed at the city of Greensboro's first annual City Stage arts festival (hosted by the United Arts Council). Later that year, CBT first performed The Nutcracker with North Carolina Dance Theatre. Rapid growth in school enrollment followed — overseen by John Dennis, who eventually became School Director — as well as membership in Southeast Regional Ballet Association (SERBA). CBT quickly became the first SERBA Honor Company (the highest level of membership) from North Carolina.

The organization’s evolution brought further changes: New names, Greensboro Ballet, and the associated School of Greensboro Ballet, and the addition of professional dancers in 1995. Although the financial downturn of 2003 was a difficult time for the Ballet, the company forged ahead and made decisions that put the organization on a better financial footing. A dedicated group of staff and volunteers have been central to continuing Greensboro Ballet’s mission.

In 2019, the Ballet's Board of Directors made a change in leadership, hiring a trio of directors to lead the Greensboro Ballet into a bright and vibrant future including:  Executive Director - Jennifer Savage Gentry, Artistic Director - Jessica McAlister, and School Director - Nina Bass Munda. These three women helped to successfully lead the Ballet through the challenges caused by the recent COVID pandemic, not only surviving, but also moving out of debt and keeping it's dancers performing throughout the season at a time when many ballet companies shut down.

It's 2020 production of The Nutcracker received national attention by the CBS Morning News because Greensboro Ballet safely filmed its full-length holiday production at the Carolina Theatre and then presented this film in a Nutcracker Drive-In in the parking lot of the Greensboro Coliseum.  This not only allowed its dancers the opportunity to perform, but supported other local businesses including the Carolina Theatre, Greensboro Coliseum, and filmmaker, Paul Byun.

That season, the Ballet also created a virtual production called A Benefit for Healthcare Heroes, offering a link to this performance of ballets and other works by local dance groups, at no cost, to the over 100,000 Cone Health employees. A simple but earnest way to say Thank You!

Greensboro Ballet remains not only a vibrant member of the local arts community, having trained, entertained, and served the citizens of its city and the surrounding Triad area for almost 60 years, but it also continues to stand among its peers in regional dance.