Saint Louis Ballet

25 Years of Saint Louis Ballet 
under the leadership of Gen Horiuchi

This year marks a milestone worth celebrating: 25 years since Gen Horiuchi came to St. Louis and transformed the city’s ballet landscape.

A former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, trained under the legendary George Balanchine, and a Broadway performer in CATS in both New York and London, Gen brought to St. Louis a rare blend of classical mastery and theatrical brilliance. Along with his artistry came a deep network of personal connections to some of the most celebrated names in ballet and Broadway like George Balanchine, Susan Stroman, Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Peter Martins, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Christopher d'Amboise and so many more. 

Gen’s legacy is one of transformation. His vision has not only shaped Saint Louis Ballet into a company of extraordinary talent, but has also deepened the city’s connection to the performing arts—making St. Louis a true destination for dance, creativity, and cultural excellence.

Thank you to the Mann Family Foundation for their Matching Gift of $15,000!  Every donation today is matched up to $15,000!

A Tribute Video for the last 25 years with Gen Horiuchi

A Performance Sample of Work from the last few seasons - seasons crafted by Gen Horiuchi

Gen's tribute ballet to St. Louis, "ST. LOUIS BLUES", with jazz singer Denise Thime

With Gen's connection to Broadway, he was able to bring Susan Stroman to St. Louis and premiere in St. Louis her ballet TAKE FIVE to music by David Brubeck! Ms. Stroman graciously spoke with audiences at a post-performance Q&A hosted by Gen at the Touhill.

ABOUT SAINT LOUIS BALLET

Saint Louis Ballet Company impacts the lives of tens of thousands of people through inspiring productions, world-class choreography, community outreach and arts education programs. Established in 1989, the company presents an annual season of 25-30 performances featuring classical, modern and contemporary ballet in the beautiful 1,600-seat, state-of-the art Touhill Performing Arts Center, Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, and at the intimate Grandel Theatre in Grand Center. Under the direction of former New York City principal ballet dancer Gen Horiuchi, Saint Louis Ballet is comprised of 27 professional dancers.

By producing classics such as "Swan Lake," "Coppelia," "Cinderella," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Giselle," "Romeo & Juliet," and "The Nutcracker," the company preserves the best of traditional classical ballet. In addition, Saint Louis Ballet is firmly committed to the future of the art form, and to that end, we regularly commission new works by established and emerging choreographers. We also produce and exclusively represent the works of modern choreographic masters George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Amy Seiwert, Christopher d'Amboise, Peter Martins, Brian Enos, Tom Gold, and Gerald Arpino for St. Louis audiences. We are excited for the 24-25 season to bring Justin Peck, Jerome Robbins and Christopher Wheeldon!

Saint Louis Ballet's commitment to arts education and cultural literacy is embodied in a number of programs, including Ballet Resources For Teachers, which provides online resources and free access to SLB online performance sand, and Pointe to Succeed, our free ticketing program which brings Title 1 schools to the Touhill for free access to live ballet performances. This past December we welcomed over 500 Title 1 students. We are committed to providing access and promoting participation in this beautiful and inspiring art form.