For over four decades, Dance St. Louis has been one of the strongest champions of the art of dance in the Midwest.  It began in 1966 as a small group of dance enthusiasts, headed by Annelise Mertz (professor of dance at Washington University), meeting informally at each other’s homes, brainstorming how to develop more opportunities for modern dance in St. Louis.  From these humble beginnings and an initial operating budget of only $11,000, Dance St. Louis has come to present many of the world’s premiere dance organizations, including Martha Graham, Bill T. Jones, Kirov and Joffrey Ballets, Riverdance, STOMP, and many others.

Currently the season for Dance St. Louis is presented at three St. Louis venues: the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, Fox Theatre, and Washington University’s Edison Theatre, the last in collaboration with its OVATIONS! Series.  Dance St. Louis also offers a number of educational programs to its community; each performance is prefaced by an informal talk (as part of the “Speaking of Dance” series) with featured dancers, choreographers and artistic directors, and many featured artists present masterclasses for local dancers and students.