At New Classics Ballet Theatre, we believe the next
great ballet stories are yet to be told.
As a professional ballet company, NCBT creates new classics through original, full-length story ballets that honor the beauty of classical ballet and classical music while inviting audiences into fresh, imaginative worlds. Working with accomplished dancers alongside up-and-coming musicians and composers, we develop new classical works that are whimsical, family-friendly, relevant to today’s world, and more accessible to both dancers and audiences.
Rooted in Southern California’s vibrant arts community, we collaborate with artists across the region to reimagine what ballet can be. Through performances, regional tours, school partnerships, and a commitment to inclusion and body positivity, we prove that ballet is not a relic of the past, but a living art form ready to capture hearts in fresh ways.
New Classics Ballet Theatre was founded by four UC Irvine graduates: Katie, Lauren, Gabriella, and Sterling, who all share a lifelong passion for ballet and a belief in the power of art to change the world.
As young artists, we fell in love with the beauty, discipline, and tradition of classical ballet. Yet, as we looked around, we saw how the ballet world was changing. The great classics, while timeless and beautiful, were being performed in the same way, year after year. Meanwhile, the ballet world was becoming increasingly defined by competition: dancers measured not by their artistry, but by the number of turns they could perform, or how high they could lift their legs.
This shift created a culture where students pushed themselves to extremes, believing their worth depended only on technical feats or having the “perfect” ballet body type. Too often, the joy and storytelling that make ballet the art form it truly is were being lost. Dancers were becoming more like machines. They were incredible athletes, but disconnected from the deep, emotional artistry that has moved audiences for centuries.
We knew there had to be a different path.
New Classics Ballet Theatre was born from that vision: to revive the timeless love and artistry of classical ballet, to honor its traditions while opening space for new stories, and to remind audiences why ballet has endured through the ages. We believe ballet is more than a competition, but rather a living art form that can inspire, spread joy, and connect us all.