Connecticut Ballet, the state’s only remaining year-round professional ballet company, will celebrate its 25th-anniversary season with performances throughout the state and a new, full-length production of the popular ballet Cinderella on October 28 – 29 at the Palace Theatre, Stamford Center for the Arts, in downtown Stamford.

Founded in 1981 by choreographers Brett Raphael and Luk de Layress, Connecticut Ballet has produced professional ballet performances and statewide educational programs from its inception. The company debuted at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Lee, MA, and made its first local Connecticut appearance at the Hartman Theatre, which has since become Stamford Center for the Arts. From the beginning, the company’s mission has been community outreach and building a regional professional ballet company.

The company’s history has been marked by many exciting artistic milestones, including the commissioning of new works by Lila York, Joel Schnee, Joseph Locarro and Brett Raphael’s own full-length works, Romeo and Juliet and La Belle Otero, and three Men in Dance galas featuring some of the world’s greatest male dancers. Connecticut Ballet’s total repertoire includes more than 55 ballets.

Connecticut Ballet’s annual seasons at Stamford Center for the Arts are mixed with regional tour dates and statewide in-school assembly programs. Its contemporary ensemble, Zig Zag Ballet, became the resident dance company of Stamford Center for the Arts in 1999. Zig Zag Ballet, which presents at least one new-works program per season, made its New York debut in May 2003 at the Kaye Playhouse.

The company’s commitment to outreach and service is longstanding and unstinting. Students in need receive financial aid, and tuition-free instructional services are provided via satellite classes in area public schools, community centers and juvenile detention facilities. Each year, the entire student body – scholarship and paying students alike – present an end-of-year performance at Stamford Center for the Arts. Complimentary tickets are available for interested families in the community. This “Dance Exposure Project” is wholly supported by corporate, foundation and individual grants.

Looking ahead to its 25th-anniversary season, the organization is focused on putting in place the girders for another quarter century. Fundraising, marketing, staff development and educational outreach initiatives are underway to ensure a fiscally stable and artistically vibrant future for the ballet company.