Kimi Nikaidoh, a former dancer and current student at Columbia, leads a rehearsal of the Columbia Ballet Collaborative in Streng Studio at Barnard College, photo by Andrea Mohin

In the fall of 2007, several former professional dancers studying at Columbia University founded the Columbia Ballet Collaborative, a group that provides performing opportunities to ballet dancers on campus and choreographic opportunities to individuals in and outside of the college community. I attended their first informal showing in December 2007, held in one of Barnard College’s dance studios, and their second showing the following spring, and was impressed by the group’s professionalism, artistry, and organization. Since the majority of performance opportunities for Barnard and Columbia students are based in modern dance, CBC is a much-needed addition to campus. Fortunately, the Collaborative is expanding and will be performing at Miller Theatre in April 2009. Gia Kourlas followed the success of the group and spoke with some of the founders in a recent NY Times article. You can also watch a short Times video about the company.