COLUMBUS DANCE THEATRE (CDT) is a unique voice for dance in Columbus with work born out of a rich background in ballet, contemporary and modern dance, music and theatre. As a professional arts organization, CDT produces high-quality work in an intimate environment. CDT prides itself on creating collaborations with new and upcoming artists of all art mediums and has collaborated with many visual and musical artists local to the city. The work of the company is new, fresh, and innovative, offering central Ohio audiences a cutting edge performance experience.

our history

Columbus Dance Theatre was founded in 1998. The organization opened with one performance in its inaugural year. In its third year, Matchgirl, a beloved holiday classic ballet was born, based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen. Both the ballet company and the School of Columbus Dance Theatre grew in tandem over the years, adding performances, increasing the student base, and breaking ground as a new creative force in the community.

CDT met an exciting goal in 2004 by moving into a new facility at 592 E Main St in the Market Exchange District. This move dramatically changed the company’s ability to perform as it now had its own on site 100 seat theater specifically designed for dance. In 2020, longtime patron, Nancy Marzella, endowed CDT’s performance space naming it the J. Nick Marzella theater in support of the new leadership. In 2007, the School of Columbus Dance Theater added a location in Bexley, Ohio.

In 2019, CDT embarked on its 21st season, headed by a new generation of leadership. Seth Wilson, a long time dancer and Managing Director took the reins of Artistic Director and long time dancer and co-managing director, Jaime Kotrba Wilson, moved into the role of Executive Director.

In 2020, Artistic and Executive Directors premiered a new holiday ballet, taking place of the long running ballet, Matchgirl. Wonderment, based on the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Snow Queen, premiered with live music by Converging Arts Columbus, at the Riffe Davidson Theater with a cast of over 100 company members and students. It premiered new sets and costumes designed by CDT’s former costume designer, Brenda Shapiro.

CDT’s professional, contemporary ballet company and its affiliated school are integral parts of the central Ohio performing arts community. It has grown into a major venue for dance and art making in the city and continues to emphasize new work and dynamic partnerships with artists across a range of disciplines.

As BIPOC individuals, CDT’s new leadership employs professional dancers, artists and contractors of many backgrounds and has board members, collaborators and volunteers of many genres, ages and ethnicities.

At Columbus Dance Theatre, we value all our employees, students, families, and job candidates as unique individuals.  We welcome the variety of experiences that everyone brings to our organization and we are committed to building and maintaining a organization that reflects human diversity and equal opportunities. Columbus Dance Theatre does not discriminate against any employee, student, family, or job candidate based on age, race, disability, gender identification, sexual orientation, ancestry, ethnicity, marital status, citizenship, pregnancy, or any other characteristic for other discriminatory reasons.