American Ballet Theatre

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a US classical ballet company established in 1939 by dancer Lucia Chase (1897—1986) and Hollywood agent Richard Pleasant (1909—1961) and based at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York as a principal venue. Initially known as Ballet Theatre, the company changed its name in 1957. Chase served as ABT's artistic co-director for the first 40 years, alongside producer and set designer Oliver Smith (1918—1994), who joined in 1945; Mikhail Baryshnikov replaced them in 1980.