Our Story
The origins of Boulder Ballet began with the Ballet Arts Studios, founded in Denver and Boulder by former American Ballet Theatre dancer Larry Boyette in the 1970s. In 1981 the Boulder studio was purchased by Barbara Demaree and Wanda Tierney. The next year they started the first performing company, originally known as Boulder City Ballet. In 1995, the company and school became known as Boulder Ballet.
Our rich history includes bringing classical, contemporary, and uniquely theatrical ballet to venues that range from Estes Park to Highlands Ranch. Boulder Ballet currently performs in Macky Auditorium, Chautauqua Auditorium, Vance Brand Auditorium, the Dairy ARTS Center, the Stanley Hotel, Lakewood Cultural Center, Littleton Town Hall, and outdoor amphitheaters in the Denver metro area for our summertime events.
Since its founding, the professional company has been led by several notable former dancers, including Miljenko Banovic (Zagreb Ballet), Robin Haig (Royal Ballet), John Prinz (American Ballet Theatre), Peter Davison, Ana Claire, and Lance Hardin. With the 2022–23 season, we are thrilled to welcome our new artistic director, Ben Needham-Wood.
Learn more about Boulder Ballet’s Guiding Principles and DEI Statement here.
Barbara Demaree, Co-founder
Barbara Demaree is a co-founder of the Boulder Ballet. She was born in Britain and trained at the Bush Davies Ballet School. Barbara taught, coached, directed and choreographed for the Boulder Ballet company and school until her retirement. She was the winner of the Pacesetter Award for the Arts in 1996 and has been honored by the Arts and Humanities Assembly of Boulder and the Boulder Arts Commission for her contributions to dance in Boulder. In 2014, she was selected as one of the first honorees of the Dairy Center Honors awards for her achievements in the arts.
