The Mendocino Ballet was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1984 under the direction of Founder, Mary Knight Morris, with the focus to provide the highest quality professional dance and performance opportunities in Mendocino County and the surrounding areas. After her retirement, Trudy McCreanor, a former professional dancer and Founder/Director of Colorado West Ballet & Dance Theatre, was hired in July of 2001 as the new Artistic Director of the Mendocino Ballet where she designed a professional quality dance program with Classical Ballet as the foundation for the dance art forms. The focus of the newly formed school is to offer a high quality, professional dance program in a positive, non-competitive learning environment with an age-appropriate curriculum. Performance opportunities abound for students as well as the community and Mendocino Ballet Company members. Our instructors bring years of training, education and professional experience to the classroom. With year-round classes for all ages from 3 to 93, we have a class for everyone.

The area's ONLY Civic Ballet Company with performance opportunities for the advanced and professional dancer in a "Season of Dance" featuring Classical and Contemporary Ballet as well as children's story ballets. "The Nutcracker" is performed each December in Fort Bragg and Ukiah and showcases local children and adult performers alongside members of the Mendocino Ballet Company. An active Outreach Program introduces dance history and the many benefits of movement to the community and schools.

Offering a Comprehensive, Professional Classical Ballet Program with an emphasis on the Vagonova and Cecchetti methods. Our dancers have been accepted at the San Francisco Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Houston Ballet, the University of Utah, the Julliard School and the School of American Ballet in NYC, Ballet Met, "The Rock" School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet West, Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet, Festival Ballet, Colorado Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theater, Kim Robards Dance, NYU-Dance Program, Vail International Summer Dance, Pacific Northwest Ballet Summer Dance, to name a few. Classes in other dance styles are offered to give the student an eclectic dance education. See Class Descriptions.

Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1984, the Mendocino Ballet is dedicated to providing the highest quality professional dance instruction and performance opportunities in Mendocino County and the surrounding areas. With Classical Ballet as the foundation for all dance art forms, we offer a safe, non-competitive learning environment, limited class sizes for individual instruction and an age-appropriate curriculum for dancers of all ages and levels. Dance builds self-esteem, increases strength, flexibility, grace and balance as it teaches children to respect their bodies and their dreams. Simply put, we provide the most comprehensive, professional Dance Program in the area with an emphasis on a positive learning experience for YOU and YOUR child!