Columbia City Ballet
A New Era of Ballet
in Maryland
Dedicated to artistic excellence, innovation, and cultural leadership — building a lasting institution for professional ballet.
Our Story
Founded on
Classical Excellence
Columbia City Ballet is a nonprofit professional ballet company based in Columbia, Maryland, dedicated to artistic excellence, innovation, and cultural leadership.
Founded by internationally acclaimed artists Ahmed N. Khalil and Alice De Nardi, the company was established to elevate the standard of ballet performance in the region while cultivating the next generation of dancers.
Rooted in classical tradition and guided by contemporary vision, Columbia City Ballet presents refined performances that honor the heritage of ballet while embracing artistic evolution.
What Defines Us
Classical Integrity
Preserving the grand ballet tradition with technical precision and artistic depth.
Contemporary Vision
Advancing new voices with purpose, discipline, and creative ambition.
Cultural Impact
Building a lasting institution that transforms communities through the power of dance.
Artistic Development
Nurturing the next generation through rigorous training in partnership with Columbia Youth Ballet.
Our Mission
Advancing the Art of Ballet
Columbia City Ballet advances the art of ballet through professional productions of the highest artistic caliber, rigorous training in partnership with Columbia Youth Ballet, meaningful community engagement and educational outreach, and opportunities for emerging and established artists.
As a nonprofit organization, we are committed to making ballet accessible, inclusive, and transformative for audiences and artists alike.
Our Vision
A Leading American Ballet Company
To be a leading American ballet company recognized for artistic distinction, cultural impact, and its commitment to nurturing the next generation of ballet artists.
We envision a Maryland where world-class ballet is part of the cultural fabric — inspiring, educating, and uniting communities through the power of dance.
Artistic Leadership
Founding Directors
Founding Artistic Director — Columbia City Ballet
Artistic Director — Columbia Youth Ballet
Ahmed N. Khalil
Ahmed N. Khalil is an internationally accomplished ballet artist, director, and choreographer whose career spans principal performance and institutional leadership across three continents.
As a former Principal Dancer with the Cairo Opera Ballet Company and recipient of the 2024 Kathleen S. Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence, Khalil brings disciplined classical integrity and global perspective to the founding vision of Columbia City Ballet.
Founding Executive Director — Columbia City Ballet
Artistic Director — Columbia Youth Ballet
Alice De Nardi
Alice De Nardi is an internationally trained Italian ballet artist and executive leader whose formation traces a lineage through Teatro alla Scala, The Royal Ballet School, and the Ukrainian Academy of Ballet.
A former First Soloist with the Cairo Opera House, she serves as Founding Executive Director of Columbia City Ballet and Artistic Director of Columbia Youth Ballet — shaping the institutional and artistic identity of both organizations.
Under Their Direction
Artistic Leadership
Under the direction of Ahmed N. Khalil and Alice De Nardi, Columbia City Ballet is shaped by decades of international experience in performance, choreography, and arts education.
Their artistic leadership reflects discipline, cultural depth, and a dedication to excellence — both on stage and in the studio. Through thoughtful programming and strong mentorship, they are building a company defined by integrity, refinement, and vision.