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Wayne Burritt, Ballet Master

Wayne began training at age 12 in Miami, Florida as a ballroom dancer and eventually earned a scholarship to Southern Ballet Theatre (SBT) in Orlando, Florida. For SBT he danced a variety of classical and modern roles as well as serving as company manager and financial controller.  In 1985 he married his wife Debi and enrolled in the School of San Francisco Ballet, continuing his studies with some of the finest teachers in the country. Wayne also took time to earn his MBA in Arts Management in 1987. He moved to Naples, Florida shortly thereafter and joined Naples Ballet Theatre, where Artistic Director Kim Salgat created a number of roles for him in contemporary and classical works. In 1991, Wayne joined the critically acclaimed Demetrius Klein Dance Company and rose to the position of Assistant Artistic Director before retiring from the stage in 1993.

In 1994 Wayne formed Florida Dance Conservatory (FDC), where he served as Artistic Director, resident choreographer, and general manager.  From 1994 to 1996, FDC provided an opportunity for numerous choreographers and dancers to flourish. During his tenure, Wayne choreographed 15 ballets, managed a professional school and company, and guided gifted young artists in their pre-professional careers.

In the spring of 1997 his work Water was presented at the 1997 Florida Dance Festival and was critically acclaimed. Also in 1997, he joined Dance 10 studio as Ballet Department chair and Director of the Pre-professional Ballet Program. During his tenure with Dance 10, he directed and choreographed Coppelia, Giselle, and The Nutcracker. In 1998, Wayne was appointed Ballet Master and Artistic Director for Vero Beach Ballet, where he was responsible for the entire school’s curriculum and classes, as well as choreographing his first Sleeping Beauty. 

In 1998 Florida Dance Theatre of Lakeland, Florida commissioned Paradise, a contemporary ballet made to the music of Shirley Horn.  Also in 1998, Wayne helped found Millennium Dance Syndicate (MDS), a professional modern dance company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The company performed extensively at some of the most visible dance venues throughout Florida, including Bailey Concert Hall, Fort Lauderdale; New World School of the Arts, Miami; the Willow Theatre, Boca Raton; and the University Center for the Performing Arts, Davie.  For MDS, Wayne premiered numerous new works including Illumination, a 2003 multimedia work for which Wayne provided the dances, lighting design, costume design, and film direction and editing.  In addition, Wayne also managed all financial aspects of MDS operations until 2005.

In 2005, Wayne joined the faculty of the Asheville Ballet of Asheville, North Carolina where he taught and coached pre-professional and professional ballet dancers.  In 2007, he formed Wayne Burritt Dance -- a cutting-edge contemporary ballet company in Asheville, North Carolina -- and produced a series of concerts at the Diana Wortham Theatre, one of the most celebrated dance venues in the U.S.

From 2007 to 2009, Wayne was appointed Ballet Master for Angie’s Dance Academy and Director of the Mountain Ballet Company (MBC), a pre-professional training company and program in Clyde, North Carolina.  Wayne also staged his second Sleeping Beauty for MBC in 2009.

In 2009, Wayne joined forces with Angie Lynn and helped found Ballet Conservatory of Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina.  Wayne’s serves as the school’s Ballet Master and co-directs the pre-professional training program and company with Angie Lynn.  He also choreographs for the school’s productions.

Wayne is a dedicated ballet teacher with a keen sense of what makes a dancer successful.  His students have been placed in many of the most prestigious ballet schools and academies in the U.S., including American Ballet Theatre School, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School, North Carolina School of the Arts, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Paul Taylor School, San Francisco Ballet, and School of American Ballet. 

In addition, Wayne’s students have been accepted to top-ranked University dance programs, including Adelphi University, Florida State University, Harvard University, Indiana University, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, University of the Arts Philadelphia, University of Florida, and University of North Carolina Greensboro.

Wayne’s students have also gone on to dance for highly regarded professional companies, including Alabama Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Tech, La La La Human Steps, Miami City Ballet, and Nashville Ballet as well as on Broadway and Walt Disney World.

Wayne has successfully completed the two-year Professional Ballet Teacher Training with nationally acclaimed pedagogue Ruth C. Petrinovic -- “the ballet teacher’s teacher.” He is also a certified ballet teacher by Florida Dance Masters and holds an MBA in Arts Management from Golden Gate University and a BA in English and Philosophy from Indiana University. 

Wayne makes his home in Candler, North Carolina with his wife Debi, and their cats Bear Bear and Simba.