The Hilton Head Dance School and Theatre was established by husband and wife, John Carlyle and Karena Brock-Carlyle. Karena is a past Principal Dancer of the American Ballet. She has worked all over the world and has been partnered with Rudolf Nureyev. John Carlyle, born in England, has danced many lead roles with the City Center Dance Theatre, Tampa Ballet and The Savannah Ballet. The School opened in 1985 with only 17 students, and now regularly caters for over 200 dancers. It's situated at the south end of Hilton Island and has three studios with sprung dance floors. The School provides high quality tuition and training in ballet, tap, hip hop and jazz. There are weekly programs for kindergarten-age children to enjoy moving to music, through to beginners and advanced classes for older children and adults.
The Hilton Head Dance Theatre puts on regular performances - past favorites have included the ballet classics 'The Nutcracker' and 'Sleeping Beauty'. A popular fundraising event, running for over 15 years, is the Kitchen Performance tour. For one day a year the Theater tours local houses and performs for residents. Chefs from nearby restaurants cook up samples from their menu in the kitchen. The event raises money for the Theater's production costs such as stage sets and costumes, and the scholarship program for dancers.
The Dance School and Theatre offer a range of membership and corporate sponsorship programs that include various benefits such as advanced booking facilities, complimentary tickets and advertising in programs, and invitations to opening night celebrations. The boutique stocks t-shirts and collectibles such as Nutcracker ornaments, hand-made by the Theater's volunteers.
