About the Company

"Ariel Dance Theatre exhibits fine technique...with strong production values and polished performances."
Jaime Smith, Austin American-Statesman

"Driven. Compulsive. Sophisticated. Refined. Beautiful to watch."
John Job, Austin Chronicle

"Few artists combine as many disciplines and as many inspirations as Ariel-and to such canny effect."
Michael Barnes, Austin-American Statesman

Over the last ten years, Ariel Dance Theatre has presented bold and energetic performances celebrating the spirit of human nature. The company's work grows from asking timely questions about our experiences in contemporary society, using themes that are accessible and entertaining while exploring new artistic boundaries. Andrea Ariel, Artistic Director, founded Ariel Dance Theatre in 1993 to develop and promote her artistic projects and to cultivate an inter-relationship between artistic creation and community projects. Based in Austin, Texas the company has presented over 40 new works, hosted countless community projects and educational programs with youth and adults, and has provided innumerable opportunities for the development and presentation of hundreds of artists from diverse disciplines.

Praised as exhilarating, sophisticated, and beautiful to watch, Ariel Dance Theatre exhibits a distinct movement style that brings together the raw and refined techniques of contemporary modern dance with a unique theatrical sensibility. Driven by a passion to synthesize compelling movement with other artistic disciplines, the company engages in collaborative projects of the highest caliber involving composers, visual artists, actors, videographers, filmmakers, computer wizards, sculptors, writers, and singers.

Since the company's inception, Ariel Dance Theatre has gained renown for large-scale, thematic works that are brought to life in specially tailored environments sculpted by light, video/film, set, costume and sound designs. On-site locations that have been transformed into performance environments include an abandoned warehouse, a former car-dealership showroom, a city park, and several houses (empty and occupied).

Four times voted "Best Choreographer/Dancer" by the Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll, Andrea Ariel and the company's dancers and collaborators have been honored with two awards and seven nominations by the Austin Critics Table and two nominations by the B. Iden Payne Awards.

In tandem with creating new works, Ariel Dance Theatre is dedicated to taking an active role in the community that the company is working, and to reach out to communities through the company's Interactive Arts Community Projects and ARTSPLUS program, which were created to inspire creativity in people's lives and provide access to the arts.