About Us

Robert Ivey

Artistic Director
Robert Ivey studied ballet at the American Ballet Theatre School and Ballet Arts School in Carnegie Hall. Mr. Ivey's professional credits include major roles on Broadway and in Europe, and his work has earned him numerous grants and awards. He was a member of the Swedish State Theatre and Royal Norwegian Ballet for seven years. He has studied dance in Russia and pantomime in Poland on a state grant. His European tours include performing with E. G. Marshall, Sada Thompson, Ester Rolle, and Liv Ulman.

In addition to his duties as artistic director of the Robert Ivey Ballet, he is director at the Charleston Dance Studio. He has served as dancer and choreographer in residence for Brevard Music Center, and for Spoleto USA; past president of the Charleston Area Arts Council, and is currently a professor of dance in the Fine Arts and PE Departments at the College of Charleston. Mr. Ivey has received the prestigious Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award (Governor's Award) from the South Carolina Arts Commission for excellence in the Arts. He directs and choreographs for College of Charleston's Center Stage. Most recently he directed “Cabaret,” “A Cheever Evening,” “Oklahoma!,” "Starting Here, Starting Now," "Six Degrees of Separation," and "Brigadoon." He has directed and choreographed original Norwegian productions and also performed in the New York and London productions of "West Side Story." He has directed "West Side Story" for the Charleston Opera Company, Center Stage, and Footlight Players Theatre.

In January of 1986, Mr. Ivey directed the American premiere of a Harold Pinter play which was performed at the Queen Street Playhouse. Mr. Ivey has directed many highly successful musicals as part of Piccolo Spoleto Theatre Fringe - "The Fantasticks" in 1985, "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off" in 1986, "I Do, I Do" in 1987, "Celebration" in 1988, "Noel, Cole, and We" in 1990, "Nunsense II" in 1994, "Closer Than Ever" in 1995, "Side By Side By Sondheim" in 1996, "A Grand Night for Singing" in 1997, "Company" in 1999, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" in 2000, "Tintypes" in 2001, "Falsettoland" in 2002, “Six Women with Brain Death, or Expiring Minds Want to Know“ in 2003, “My Way” in 2005 and “Noel, Cole, & We” in 2006. He also is coordinator for the Piccolo Spoleto Dance Series featuring the Dance at Noon Series and Dance Festival.

His work entitled "Flight" won first place in the Panoply Choreographer's Competition in Huntsville, Alabama on May 10, 1986 and "Angel Adagio" won first place in 1995. Mr. Ivey traveled to Colombia, South America in October of 1986 to act as the dance consultant for Incolballet, the National Dance Company. This was sponsored by Partners of the Americas in Washington, DC. Mr. Ivey is formerly Artistic Director of the East Cooper Theatre and directed "Fifth of July" and "Cabaret" for their 1987-1988 season. Mr. Ivey has directed "West Side Story," "The King and I," "Nunsense," "Oklahoma!," and "Hamlet" for the Robert Ivey Theatre Series. He has directed "The Foreigner," "A Chorus Line," "Bedfull of Foreigners," "Present Laughter," "Company," “Tintypes,” “My Way,” “Nuncrackers,” and “Once Upon a Mattress” for the Footlight Players. Mr. Ivey is currently director for the Front and Center Players at the Jewish Community Center where he has produced "Fiddler on the Roof," "The Fantasticks," "I Do, I Do," "The Sound of Music," and "Cabaret."

In 1995 and 1998, Mr. Ivey was invited to choreograph and stage productions for the New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida. In January of 1995, he directed Franklin Ashley's "The Delta Dancer" for Premiere Theatre. He is the National Artistic Director for Don Davis Impresario Europe Tours.

Mr. Ivey is the Artistic Director of the South of Broadway Theatre Company - a new professional theatre company in Charleston. He has assisted with The Good Time Variety Hour productions. He choreographed "Bat Boy" for Charleston Stage Company last October. He directed and choreographed “Many Moons” the first opera to be performed at the College of Charleston as well as “Trial By Jury”.

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