Our History
Huntington Ballet Theatre was founded over 30 years ago years ago by Jan Hanniford Goetz & Sondra Forsyth, who envisioned a chamber sized ballet company comprised of professional dancers and students dancers capable of dancing with noted professionals.
Ms. Goetz & Ms. Forsyth created the company’s first production -The Nutcracker which was heralded by Newsday as one of the best in the area and which the company still performs to this day.
In recent years the company has been led by various ballet professionals including, Anthony Jones (a protege of Ms. Goetz), Angela Whitehill (founder of Burklyn Ballet Theatre) and Christopher Fleming, formerly of New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theater, now a sought after choreographer and founder of BalletFleming in Philadelphia,PA. Mr. Fleming, like his teacher and mentor George Balanchine,Has been creating original work for LIBT for the past four years that includes modern, contemporary and classical styles.In 2012 David Fernandez joined LIBT as ballet master and choreographer in residence. In 2013 Sayako Harada began creating contemporary, modern & ballet works that have been performed with the LI Dance Consortium.
During the past decade the company’s repetoire has grown to include classical productions of Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and in 2008 a new Nutcracker. It has also performed original, contemporary work at the Long Island Dance Consortium’s Festival of Dance, Huntington Arts Council’s Summer Arts Festival and The Long Island Ballet Competition. In 2009 LIBT presented an original Halloween Ballet – Tales from the Crypt choreographed by Christopher Fleming and in 2010 presented an original version of Alice in Wonderland.
From white mice to soloist is the path that most dancers hope to follow as they mature and grow as dancers and performers. This production and company is responsible for giving so many young children their first taste of professional dance and ballet through their involvement in The Nutcracker.
Through the years LIBT has brought the finest professional dancers, choreographers and artists to Long Island audiences.
LIBT has performed at Heckscher Park for the past 7 years in the Huntington Arts Council’s Summer Festival as a member of the Long Island Dance Consortium.