The Louisville Ballet Youth Ensemble was founded in 1952 as the Louisville Ballet Civic Company. Now in its sixty-fifth year, the Youth Ensemble is proud to be a founding member of SERBA (Southeastern Regional Ballet Association).  The Youth Ensemble also performs at the annual RDA/Southeast Festival hosted by Regional Dance America.  The Youth Ensemble is the performing division of The Louisville Ballet School’s Pre-Professional Program and serves as a nurturing and professional platform for aspiring young dancers and choreographers. 

Youth Ensemble dancers train at the Louisville Ballet School – the official school of the Louisville Ballet and premiere center for training and educating dancers of all ages. Students study with an outstanding international faculty in a comprehensive curriculum which supports both the serious student who aspires to achieve professional goals and those who elect to dance for enjoyment, recreation, and exercise. In addition to their own performances, the Youth Ensemble dancers have the opportunity perform with the professional company in a number of major productions each season.

We are proud of our alumni who have gone on to dance professionally with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, American Ballet Theatre, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Ballet Magnificat!, Barcelona Ballet (formerly Corella Ballet), Boston Ballet II, Colorado Ballet, Ft. Wayne Ballet, Houston Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Missouri Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Peridance and Sarasota Ballet, and those who have continued their dance education at NYU, Fordham (Ailey), Butler University, Florida State, University of Arizona, Ohio State University, Point Park University and Southern Methodist University. Many have received awards for their choreography and outstanding technique as well as scholarships to study with professional training programs including Boston Ballet, Harid Conservatory, Next Generation Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and the School of American Ballet.