Consistently listed as one of the top five collegiate ballet programs in the nation, the Department of Dance provides a rich, nourishing environment for the professional development of the highest caliber of dancers.
Students converge on the Department of Dance from all over the country and the world, bringing with them a myriad of experiences, cultures, and beliefs. Paired with learning from our supportive and nurturing faculty who have outstanding professional credentials, our students become not only better dancers, but empathetic people ready to collaborate and lift up others.
ButlerBallet, the performance component of the program, offers extensive pre-professional opportunities, including full-length classical productions of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, Cinderella, and Giselle; all performed to live orchestra. Students are provided additional enrichment opportunities through master classes and workshops with internationally acclaimed guest artists who expose our students to current trends in artistic practice and explore new styles of movement.
Opportunities for support:
McAlister Pointe Shoe Fund Challenge
This year, 20 gifts to any Department of Dance gift fund will unlock $20,000 toward the Susanne McAlister Endowed Fund for Pointe Shoes thanks to the generosity of Butler Board of Trustees member Susanne McAlister. This fund provides critical support for graduating seniors in Butler Ballet. Depending on variables like a dancer’s foot shape and the hours of rehearsal in a week, a pair of pointe shoes may last less than 2-4 weeks. Averaging around $120 a pair, this can create a serious financial burden for students.
Butler Ballet Gift Fund
There are seemingly infinite moving parts that take a production from studio to stage. Your gifts help support costumes, lighting equipment, special effects used on stage, guest choreographer fees, and more for our three annual flagship productions.
| Rank | State | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IN | 10 |
| 2 | IL | 8 |
| 3 | MA | 1 |
