Kansas City Ballet - Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity

Kansas City Ballet is one of the longest-established professional ballet companies in the United States, founded in 1957 by Tatiana Dokoudovska with the goal of establishing a regular presence for ballet in the city. Under the current direction of Artistic Director Devon Carney and Executive Director David Gray, the 30+ member professional company is a resident company at the world-class Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City. The company presents an eclectic repertory of traditional classics and contemporary works each season, ranging from timeless productions like The Nutcracker (premiered by the company in 1972) to contemporary pieces like Septime Webre's The Wizard of Oz, Devon Carney's Romeo & Juliet, and world premieres such as Caili Quan's A Home Away.

The Kansas City Ballet School offers professional dance training across two locations: the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity in downtown Kansas City at 500 W Pershing Rd, and the South Campus at Meadowbrook in Prairie Village, Kansas. The school serves over 2,000 students each year through its Academy programme and Open Division classes for teens and adults. Under School Director Oliver Till, the faculty comprises over 50 instructors delivering a complete, professional curriculum.

Beyond the main company and school, Kansas City Ballet reaches more than 20,000 students and adults annually through community partnerships and education programmes. These include Creative Aging classes for older adults (including Dance for PD® classes for people living with Parkinson's or dementia), Adaptive Dance programmes for children and adults with disabilities, dance camps in communities, and the Dance in Schools (R.O.A.D.) initiative. The company also presents Sensory-Friendly Nutcracker performances and runs special events like the Sugar Plum Fairy Children's Ball.

Performances take place at the Muriel Kauffman Theatre at the Kauffman Center, with additional performances at the Michael and Ginger Frost Studio Theater in the Todd Bolender Center. The 2026–2027 season includes New Dance Partners, The Wizard of Oz, The Nutcracker, New Moves, Pinocchio, Romeo & Juliet, and PULSE. The company has performed over 400 works in its history. Student rush tickets are available for $24 plus fees for high school and higher education students, and subscribers receive 25% off single ticket prices, with three-show packages starting at $87.

Professional ballet performances at an intimate theatre designed specifically for dance, with ideal sight lines and acoustics. The Kauffman Center includes a well-lit, secure parking garage, a Grand Lobby with city views, and concierge service. Open Division classes at the Todd Bolender Center offer flexible, drop-in instruction for teens and adults with any level of experience.

The school maintains a faculty of over 50 instructors under School Director Oliver Till, delivering professional ballet instruction. The current Artistic Director is Devon Carney, a former New York City Ballet dancer and international choreographer who has led the company since 2013.

Open Division classes welcome teens and adults with little or no dance experience in a supportive setting; drop-in classes meet weekly and you can attend as many as your schedule allows.