Description
Roxey Ballet is a non-profit, American and contemporary ballet company founded in 1994 by Mark and Melissa Roxey. Although the company tours the US and abroad, Roxey Ballet is based in Lambertville, New Jersey. The company's mission is to advance and preserve the art of dance through public and private performances, new and original choreography, community outreach, dance education, and special programs for children at risk, the disabled and the elderly. The company presents a variety of professional performances each year, including "Dracula," "Carmen", "Peter and the Wolf," "Carnival of the Animals," "The Nutcracker," "Evening of Romantic Dance", "Wheels and Bodies in Motion", "Othello" and "Emerging Choreographic Showcase". Roxey Ballet has established itself as a premiere contemporary dance company, as well as a tremendous arts resource for communities of all sizes. Roxey Ballet's works commonly are referred to as "Ballet for the People." People who normally have never been to the ballet or thought ballet wasn't for them love Roxey Ballet's unique approach to the art of dance.
In 1994, after having distinguished careers with American ballet companies, the Roxeys returned to Mrs. Roxey's hometown in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, to establish a world-class dance company and training facility for tomorrow's artists. That year, Hunterdon County Youth Ballet was founded at Prallsville Mills in Stockton, New Jersey. In 1999, the company changed its name to Roxey Ballet to reflect its founders' unique vision. Since its inception, the company has experienced tremendous growth regionally and Nationally and currently resides in its state-of-the-art, American Dance Association-compliant facility in Lambertville, New Jersey. The artists of Roxey Ballet come from around the world.
The company's multi-tiered structure includes professional guest artists, Pre-professional student apprentices, and student dancers from across the tri-state area. The company seeks to provide growth opportunities to New Jersey and Pennsylvania artist, as well as a training ground for talented dancers to cultivate and fine-tune their creative expression. The company serves to prepare young dancers for advancement into the main company and assist in launching their careers into professional companies, universities and schools around the country. All company dancers receive counseling, personalized coaching, career guidance and mentoring in all areas of the performing arts. In partnership with the Matheny School and Hospital's Arts Access Program, Roxey Ballet also brings disabled and able-bodied dancers together. This critically acclaimed and ground-breaking dance program is designed to help people living with disabilities to create and perform in choreographic works.
Roxey Ballet is dedicated to bringing the world of dance, as well as arts literacy, to a wide audience through lectures, demonstrations, seminars, residencies and curriculum integration, affirming the relationship between the arts and education. In addition to providing educational programs, the company continues its efforts to expand its outreach to area groups and organizations that would not ordinarily have the opportunity to experience dance.
As artistic director, Mark Roxey has remained focused on the goal of offering opportunities for education and advancement to its dancers, in addition to bringing the excitement and accessibility of high quality, affordable performances to audiences throughout the country. Roxey Ballet looks forward to educating and entertaining future generations throughout the country and beyond on the value and power of the arts.
