Ballet Renaissance was founded in June of 1997 by 
Brianna Furnish, inspired by her work with Detroit 
Public School Dancers. The program was adopted 
by the Maggie Allesee Department of Dance in August 
of 1998, where it remained through the end of December 
2003. After that time, Ballet Renaissance was housed at 
the Holy Redeemer Cultural Center (2004-2005) and 
later at the Boll Family YMCA Downtown (2006-2007). 
The program currently works out of the St. Columba 
Parish Hall, on the eastside of Detroit, near the Grosse 
Pointe Border, and in partnership with area schools 
and community centers. Throughout its history Ballet 
Renaissance has remained faithful to its original 
mission to bring quality affordable ballet and performance 
opportunities into the city. The program has been supported 
by a number of professional artists, volunteers and 
contributors and remains a strong example of what 
individuals can do when they join together in a collective 
vision.