Community Ballet Association

Brief History of Community Ballet Association:

The Community Ballet Association was incorporated February 17, 1964 as a non-profit organization and became a member of the Huntsville Arts Council, Inc. In April 1964, Loyd B. Tygett was hired as Artistic Director of Community Ballet School and the Huntsville Civic Ballet Company. Before coming to Huntsville, Mr. Tygett danced professionally with the Chicago Opera Ballet, American Festival Ballet and London Ballet.

He was well-known as a choreographer and as an artist and painted over 60 backdrops for the ballet organization. He served as Artistic Director of the Ballet Company until his retirement in 1997. The School and Company have occupied five locations and now have a wonderful, newly refurbished building with four studios.

The Artistic Director, Clinton Rothwell has been joined by the new Ballet Mistress, Carrie Rothwell, a new School Director, Vicki Butler and sixteen additional highly qualified teachers. Community Ballet Association, with the assistance of the Alabama State Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, has brought numerous prestigious dance companies to Huntsville.

Past touring companies have included the San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Chicago Opera Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Joffrey II, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance, Stars of the New York City Ballet, Russian National Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, Trinity Irish Dance Company, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, among others.