Would it surprise you to learn that Lorain County has a professional dance company located right here in Oberlin?  Now in its 20th year, Ohio Dance Theatre is a ballet-based contemporary dance company located in the New Union Center for the Arts.  Ohio Dance Theatre performs the Nutcracker ballet annually at the Stocker Fine Arts Center and conducts additional performances throughout the county.  But, in addition to these professional performances, Ohio Dance Theatre offers a variety of lessons in dance, recreational and fitness movement classes for toddlers to adults through its School and coordinates outreach through the Kids in Motion program which engages students through high-energy dance to promote classroom activities in local schools.

The Community Foundation has been proud to support Ohio Dance Theatre since its inception with grants totaling nearly $300,000, including a grant to Lorain City Schools that provided the Kids in Motion program.  Most recently, the Foundation awarded a grant of $10,000 in July of 2011 for general operating support of the agency.