NOBA is the Central Gulf region's premiere presenting and service organization dedicated solely to dance. Incorporated in 1969, NOBA has been serving and helping to advance the dance field for more than 40 years with a mission to cultivate understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of dance through performance, education, and community service. The structure of the organization divides into two programming elements:
1. Main Stage, a dynamic season of dance featuring a variety of world-class companies;
2. Education Programs, nationally recognized comprehensive dance programs that educate, train, and nurture.
Originally founded in 1969 as the New Orleans Ballet, the organization was a civic ballet company. In 1983, the organization received national exposure when it became the New Orleans City Ballet and entered an innovative partnership with Cincinnati Ballet. The two organizations maintained separate boards and staff, but shared artists and repertoire. This allowed both cities to afford a higher artistic product in the 50 professional AGMA Union dancers and an internationally renowned artistic director in Ivan Nagy. However, over time, the shared-city concept resulted in an accumulated debt and in 1991, the partnership was officially terminated.
Being an organization known for creative approaches and solutions, a new name, the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), was adopted to reflect the new image and mission as a presenter of dance from around the world and as a service organization to the community. By 1993, new records were set in earned revenues and programming excellence, and in 1995, the accumulated debt was fully retired.
In 2004, out of 800+ applicants, NOBA was selected as 1 of 8 pilot programs for the highly competitive National Endowment for Arts Summer Schools in the Arts award. Due to the success of the program, the NEA presented NOBA/NORD as the model program for Summer School in the Arts on the US Senate floor in 2005.
In 2002, NOBA received the prestigious Coming Up Taller Award from the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
NOBA programs have been honored by the 2001 Selection as ONE OF TWENTY pilot sites for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Creative Communities Program.
1. Main Stage, a dynamic season of dance featuring a variety of world-class companies;
2. Education Programs, nationally recognized comprehensive dance programs that educate, train, and nurture.
Originally founded in 1969 as the New Orleans Ballet, the organization was a civic ballet company. In 1983, the organization received national exposure when it became the New Orleans City Ballet and entered an innovative partnership with Cincinnati Ballet. The two organizations maintained separate boards and staff, but shared artists and repertoire. This allowed both cities to afford a higher artistic product in the 50 professional AGMA Union dancers and an internationally renowned artistic director in Ivan Nagy. However, over time, the shared-city concept resulted in an accumulated debt and in 1991, the partnership was officially terminated.
Being an organization known for creative approaches and solutions, a new name, the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), was adopted to reflect the new image and mission as a presenter of dance from around the world and as a service organization to the community. By 1993, new records were set in earned revenues and programming excellence, and in 1995, the accumulated debt was fully retired.
In 2004, out of 800+ applicants, NOBA was selected as 1 of 8 pilot programs for the highly competitive National Endowment for Arts Summer Schools in the Arts award. Due to the success of the program, the NEA presented NOBA/NORD as the model program for Summer School in the Arts on the US Senate floor in 2005.
In 2002, NOBA received the prestigious Coming Up Taller Award from the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
NOBA programs have been honored by the 2001 Selection as ONE OF TWENTY pilot sites for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Creative Communities Program.
