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The Atlantic City Ballet is a non-profit organization that has been at the forefront of dance in much of southern New Jersey and is widely considered the premier ballet company in its area. Artistic Director Phyllis Papa established the Company in 1982 as the Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Theatre. It later became the Atlantic City Ballet (ACB). ACB serves as a prime artistic resource to the people of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Mercer Counties in New Jersey. It currently performs in neighboring Pennsylvania and New York and elsewhere in the tri-state area. The mission of the Atlantic City Ballet is to present the highest quality of classical and contemporary dance to audiences of all ages and cultures. This is accomplished through the presentation of professional performances, community outreach, educational programs suitable for all, as well as creative programming and initiatives. At various times in its history, the ACB has been the resident dance company at Atlantic Cape Community College and Richard Stockton College in New Jersey, and the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania. In September, 2007, in cooperation with the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, ACB found a new home as the resident dance company in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. At present, this facility is used for rehearsal and public viewings. The Company is comprised of a culturally diverse corps of 12 versatile dancers from around the world and 10 apprentices. These exceptional dancers have earned national acclaim for their technical expertise and clarity, exuberant stage presence, and the required force, delicacy and energy necessary to interpret various musical scores and ultimately deliver performances of exceptional quality. They hail from four continents-North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. ACB presents a season of four productions and presents approximately 35 performances annually. For more than 20 years, the Company's season has been anchored by a winter holiday spectacular. The repertoire of original works also includes such classics as A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. The most recent and exciting challenge for the company has been the successful production of Bram Stoker's Dracula, containing the most striking choreography to reach area theatres in recent years. The Company's theatrical performance schedule is complemented by educational and outreach initiatives designed to broaden, deepen and diversify participation in the ballet. Venues for these initiatives include area schools, libraries, community organizations and-- most recently-- the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk Our philosophy is to be totally involved in the workings of Atlantic City and its civic and cultural organizations. Since its inception, the Atlantic City Ballet has truly served as one of the cultural treasures of southern New Jersey. |
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The mission of the Atlantic City Ballet is to present the highest quality of classical and contemporary dance to audiences of all ages and cultures. This is accomplished through the presentation of professional performances, community outreach, educational programs suitable for all, as well as creative programming and initiatives. As set forth in the organization's long-range plan, this mission incorporates the following components:
These are core ingredients which empower the ACB to stretch its own artistic boundaries while continuing to satisfy its primary mission - - exhibiting the finest in dance. |
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At the age of thirteen Miss Papa became a charter member of the Princeton Regional Ballet Company. As their ballerina she danced principle roles including Nutcracker, Les Sylphide, Nelle Fisher's Mozart, and Pas de Quatre. During her career she returned to Princeton with nummerous guest performances. Her international career began when she became a member and principal dancer of the Harkness Youth Ballet in New York City. Harkness Ballet did a summer season in Central Park where Miss Papa danced the lead in Les Patinuers and Donald Saddler's "Tennis Anyone". After Miss Papa joined the Amercain Ballet Theatre, Harkness Ballet asked Miss Papa if she would dance at the White House as a guest performer for President Johnson during an Official Dinner for the Shah of Iran, dancing a ballet choreographed especially for her by Donald Saddler. Miss Papa was asked to do guest performances with the Myra Kinch Modern dance Company and the Andre' Eglevsky Ballet Company. American Ballet Theatre invited Miss Papa to join their company. She toured extensively with ABT. Her favorite solo roles were Pillar of Fire, Giselle, Coppelia, Billy the Kid and Swan Lake. Miss Papa was invited to audition for the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen, Denmark, becoming the first American ever accepted into the company. She was also the only foreigner ever to be offered a life long contract. She became well known for her work as the bride in the Flemmng Flindt's Ballet "Triumph of Death". One fo her favorite fans was the late King Frederick IX of Denmark.
In June 1998, Miss Papa received the 1998 Brazilian Gold Medal of Honor. Diplomats from Brazil, England, Italy, China, Japan and the United States presented this honor to her in Philadelphia for her work with the Children of the world. Miss Papa founded and presently directs the Atlantic City Ballet. She has choreographed over thirty ballets for Atlantic City Ballet including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Vision From Around the World & Visions II. She is the receipent of two fellowship grants from the NEA & New Jersey State Council on the Arts for her ballets Concerto Vivaldi and Clear Water both in the repertoire of the ACB. Atlantic City Ballet has performed Miss Papa's Nutcracker Ballet to sold out houses for the past twenty five years. Her latest work, Dracula, was hailed by critics as "Sumptuous, exciting, impressive...". Miss Papa has also directed and choreographed three Shakespearean plays done as a multicultural media. Incorporating original music, live musicians, voice & dance. The plays include A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest & Hamlet. In 1999, Miss Papa founded the ACBT Performing Arts Academy, the official school of Atlantic City Ballet. The Academy houses the professional company, the International Performing Arts Camp and the ACBT Academic program. She is on the faculty of the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and can issue high school students up to 12 college credits in Ballet in the summer intensive at the ACBT International Performing Arts Academy. Miss Papa has been justly acclaimed "One of the finest dancers and teachers on the American scene today." The Company
Gerald Pines Ryosuke Ogura Sara Lonngren Tsubasa Nozaki
Joo Won Jun Soo Yeon Ha Tatsuyuki Yoshimura Kristaps Kikulis Ariel de Ment
Roger Mouawad Nic Gili Christa Henry
Apprentices
Jenna Weaver Saori Handa
Anna Lejava Caitlin McElroy Pamela Intveld Gal Mahzari |
Phyllis Papa, the founding director of Atlantic City Ballet, began her training at the Royal Ballet Academy under the direction of her mother Mary Papa.
