Savannah Danse Theatre is the largest, not-for-profit

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 dance company in Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

. The company is the brain-child of Suzanne Braddy. Sue founded the Islands Dance Academy on Wilmington Island, and has been teaching kids from three years old to adult since 1988. Ten years later she started the Savannah Danse Theatre. The new company's first show was a full-length production of The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...

. In addition to The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...

, the company has performed Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...

, Swan Lake

Swan Lake

Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...

, as well as the widely popular The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

The Nutcracker has since become known as The Nutcracker in Savannah. Every year the show features a special guest. Guests such as Paula Deen

Paula Deen

Paula Deen American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality.Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates...

, Mary and Stratton Leopold

Stratton Leopold

Stratton Leopold is an American film producer. Leopold is currently Executive Vice President of Production at Paramount Pictures.Leopold was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of Marika and Peter Louis Leopold. He owns an ice cream shop in Savannah, which has been in his family for generations...

, and Bobby Deen

Bobby Deen

Bobby Deen is a television cook, TV personality, and restaurant manager He is best known as one of the sons of Paula Deen, and together with his brother, Jamie, runs her restaurant, The Lady & Sons, in Savannah, Georgia. He also frequently appears on her shows, Paula's Home Cooking and Paula's...

have been in the show.

Dancers such as Caroline Bragg-Brennan, Amber Amick, Colleen McCarthy, Abigail Braddy, Maggie de la Sierra, and Megan Foster have come out of Savannah Danse Theatre. Most members go on to dance in college and some have received dance degrees. Abigail Braddy has since choreographed several pieces on the company.

Auditions are held in the fall for the company and company members are offered the best dance classes in the city.