Florida's pioneer past and sophisticated present come together in a variety of dance styles and companies around the state. From professional ballet companies to folk dance groups, travelers will find a range of styles all over the state.
Folk Dance
Across Florida, many folk dances are still popular. Gainesville is home to the Oldtime Dance Society, which organizes dance events from Tampa to Tallahassee. The Florida Folk Dance Council, with members across the state, promotes folk dancing in the best venues in cities all over Florida. Folk festivals throughout the year also often highlight folk music and dance. Attend any of these, and you're liable to see cloggers.
The Jacksonville Country Dance and Song Society is a resource for those interested in folk dances that include square, contra, English and Scottish country dances, waltz, and others. The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society has three clubs in Florida, and organizes dances, workshops, performances, and more around the region. Every region in the state has a core of folk dancers and clubs, such as the Mountain Dew Cloggers in Tallahassee; Israeli Folk Dancers in Gainesville; the New Smyrna Beach Scottish Country Dancers; the Greek Kefi Hellenic Dancers in Daytona Beach; the Contra Dance Cassadaga in Lake Helen; and the Everglades Old Time Dance, to name just a few.
Classical Companies
For ballet lovers, there are many well respected dance companies from which to choose in Florida. In the panhandle, Ballet Pensacola is a performing group and school which presents several shows each season, including The Nutcracker. The Northwest Florida Ballet, operating in the Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach area, is comprised of a performing company and an academy of dance.
The Tallahassee Ballet combines local talent with professional guest dancers for a full season. In Jacksonville, the Florida Ballet is the premier professional dance company, performing both classical and contemporary ballet. The Gainesville Ballet Theatre, a regional resident company, also performs classical and contemporary ballet. Also headquartered in Gainesville, the professional Dance Alive National Ballet Company performs both locally and on tour around the U.S. and Latin America.
In the Daytona Beach area, visitors can attend performances by the Civic Ballet of Volusia County. Orlando boasts several companies, including the Central Florida Ballet, a professional company with a teaching arm. Orlando also features The Southern Ballet Theatre, with a professional and pre-professional ensemble; the Orlando Ballet, a professional group with an eight month long season; and the Russian Ballet of Orlando, a pre-professional company performing traditional Russian method ballet. Lakeland is home to the Florida Dance Theatre, a school and professional company.
Further south, the number of performing arts organizations intensifies. Miami, for example, is home to the relatively young Arts Ballet Theatre, a professional company founded by the Russian born Ballet Master Vladimir Issaev; the Ballet Concerto Company; the Isadora Duncan Dance Ensemble; the Miami City Ballet, whose 50 dancers make it one of the largest ballet companies in the country; and the Miami Hispanic Ballet.
Miami's surrounding metro areas such as Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Boca Raton also feature many dance companies. Some of these include Ballet Florida, a professional resident dance company in Palm Beach; the Boca Ballet, which pairs young dancers with professionals; the Jubilee Dance Theatre in Fort Lauderdale, which performs ballet, modern, and more; and the Fort Lauderdale Children's Ballet Theatre.
On the Gulf side, dance companies include the Brandon Center Ballet Guild and the Florida Ballet Theatre in Tampa; the West Florida Ballet in Safety Harbor; and the Sarasota Ballet, Florida's only professional company on the west coast.
Modern and Ethnic Dance
In addition to folk and classical ballet, several alternative genres of dance thrive in Florida. Tallahassee's dance scene includes the African Caribbean Dance Theatre, along with places like the In-Step Studio, which specializes in Belly dance, Flamenco, Hawaiian, and Tahitian. In central Florida, Orlando Bellydance offers classes, while its associated dance group, Orlando Dance Theatre, performs at local restaurants. Soulplay Modern Dance and the Innovations Dance Company in Maitland are among the Orlando area's other dance groups.
On the Gulf coast, Tampa boasts Moving Current, one of Florida's top modern dance companies. St. Petersburg's Movement Gallery specializes in the use of dance and movement for therapeutic purposes. Precision Contemporary Dance, located in Rockledge, combines creative performances of modern and traditional styles with a school. The American Belly Dance Club and the Africa Sanke Dance and Drum Company both call Palm Bay home.
Again, southeast Florida hosts the highest concentration of dance companies. Dance companies in this area include: The Tango Times Dance Company in North Miami Beach; the Next Step Dance Company, a modern dance company in Bay Harbor Islands; the Momentum Dance Company in Coconut Grove, which is dedicated to producing non-traditional dance, especially by Florida artists; the Middle Eastern Dance Exchange in Miami Beach; the Miami Contemporary Dance Company; the IFE-ILE Afro-Cuban Dance and Music Organization; Freddick Bratcher and Company Contemporary Dance Company; the Dance Now! Ensemble, a modern company in Miami; Ballet Flamenco la Rosa, a company dedicated to the flamenco dance; and many others.
With its large and varied dance community throughout the state, Florida is a great place to experience dance. North Florida continues to preserve folk dance styles, as well as appreciating the classics. Thanks in part to a larger general population, numerous retirees, and enthusiastic arts supporters, south Florida has an exceptionally large number of dance companies, ranging from classical ballet to modern to ethnic styles. Wherever dance lovers visit in Florida, a variety of performances and classes will keep you on your toes.