Established in 1982 by Jerre James and Bette Joachimi to promote and perpetuate the art of dance, Ballet Arts Ensemble (BAE) remains the oldest, largest youth ballet company in Kalamazoo. With the retirement of Jerre James in 2001, Ballet Mistress Cathleen Huling became BAE’s Artistic Director. In the fall of 2014, the increasing responsibilities involved with productions necessitated hiring a Ballet Mistress to assist Ms. Huling with rehearsals and other details. Erin Rafferty, a former BAE member, was selected for and served in this position through June 2021 when she resigned. Lauren Wertz, also a former BAE member, was then appointed Artistic Assistant. At the end of the 2023 season, Artistic Director Cathleen Huling retired, and the responsibilities of Interim Artistic Director were assumed by Betty Kondo, who was subsequently appointed Artistic Director in 2024.

Chosen in open auditions each May, a group of 14-20 dancers of middle through high school age is selected for membership in this exceptional dance group. Ensemble members must take two classical ballet classes a week in addition to the weekly 4-hour Ensemble class and rehearsal block. They also benefit from outstanding instruction by a variety of guest artists and visiting teachers from such organizations as American Ballet Theatre, American Repertory Ballet, Ballet Quad Cities, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Boston Ballet, DanceWorks Chicago, Education for the Arts, Grand Rapids Ballet, Hubbard Street 2, Royal Ballet (London), Rutgers University, Tokyo Ballet, Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, and Western Michigan University. Frequently, guest choreographers set new works for mixed repertory concerts on BAE members.

Each year our Artistic Director and Board of Directors create a family-oriented concert season that includes full-length ballets; mixed repertoire works; and collaborative events with area dancers, musicians, singers, and celebrities in various Southwest Michigan venues. Community outreach is an important component of our mission, and BAE performs at schools, hospitals, and senior residences whenever invited.