The Big Muddy Dance Company

History

Dance St. Louis has been bringing the great dance of the world to St. Louis for 56 years. In 1966, a small group of dance enthusiasts, headed by Washington University Professor of Dance Annelise Mertz, began meeting in each other's living rooms to figure out how to enable St. Louisans to enjoy more modern dance performances. From these informal gatherings and an operating budget of just $11,000, Dance St. Louis has burgeoned into one of the cultural treasures of St. Louis. Dance St. Louis is committed to bringing audiences the full spectrum of dance, from classical ballet, contemporary ballet, and modern dance to ethnic, ballroom, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and cutting-edge artists of every sort. Over the years, major companies have been presented at the Fox Theatre, Touhill Performing Arts Center, in collaboration with Washington University's former Edison Theatre OVATIONS! series and most recently at the newly renovated, historic Grandel Theatre in the Grand Center Arts District.

Specialties

Dance St. Louis brings world-class dance that wouldn't otherwise be presented to the St. Louis region, makes this dance accessible to a widely diverse audience, nurtures local dancers and dance companies, and offers unique and transformative dance education outreach.