About us
Abilene Ballet Theatre was founded in 1985, and it is the only regional ballet company in Abilene's history. The company, under the artistic direction of Nancy Gore and Mary Milstead, holds open auditions each fall to select dancers for the season, to be performed in the historic Paramount Theatre.

In 1987, ABT was selected by audition for membership in the prestigious Regional Dance America/Southwest, a seven-state organization of 22 select ballet companies.

Bringing excellent ballet training and performances to West Texas, ABT is a non-profit organization dedicated to:

-Encouraging and developing young talent in the area
-Educating and entertaining young audiences
-Promoting and developing a love for the art of ballet in the community
-Promoting education and employment opportunities for company dancers
-Providing scholarship assistance for continuing education and training

ABT shares its talent with other community organizations such as the Abilene Opera Association, the Abilene Philharmonic Guild, the Junior League Christmas Carousel, the Abilene Community Band, Abilene Christian University, Hardin-Simmons University and the Classical Chorus of Abilene. In addition to public performances, ABT performs The Nutcracker for 2,400 AISD and area school children.