History of the North Country Ballet Ensemble

Situated on the shores of Lake Champlain and in the foothills of the Adirondacks, the NCBE was founded in 1983 and incorporated in 1986 as Plattsburgh's first non-profit ballet company. Since its inception, the Ballet Ensemble has become a regional ballet company, encompassing the geographical areas of Plattsburgh, Lake Placid, Keene, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. The organization was designed to develop a community of young people from the North Country, and to provide performing experience for student dancers in the art of ballet. The North Country Ballet Ensemble offers live concert dance in the North Country so that ballet is understood and appreciated as an art form. At the same time it is the intent of the organization to provide a background in the classics and more contemporary ballets for young dancers to enhance their dance education. The NCBE's mission includes educational outreach to underserved communities and populations, which might otherwise not see live dance performance.

Both contemporary and classical ballets have been performed over the past twenty-four years in an effort to entertain and educate the general public.