The History of Gulf Coast Dance Theater
Gulf Coast Dance Theater is a non-profit 501(c)3 Dance Company serving Pinellas County, Florida, and the Greater Tampa Bay Area. Founded in 2011 by Anne Carollo, GCDT has brought excerpts and full-length productions to audiences all over Tampa Bay for more than a decade. GCDT was organized for the primary purpose of providing a community forum for dancers and to provide a comprehensive artistic education, that encourages excellence in the art of dance, while instilling a true love and passion for the art form.
The Company started with a handful of dancers who came together, under the direction of Mrs. Carollo, to put on a production of Alice in Wonderland at Dunedin Middle School. Slowly and surely the company started to grow. In the 2016-2017 season GCDT added more instructors and choreographers to their roster, including Nicole Stuart, Amy DiBongrazio, Lyla Menkhaus, and Cathy Scavelli. In 2018 the Spring Gala was added to our theater performances, and with that came excerpts of many famous ballets including, Swan Lake, Cinderella, and La Bayadere to name a few. The Gala also allowed for more choreographic liberties including original choreography from the new artistic staff.
Over the years GCDT has made it our mission to give back to our community in any way we can. We have performed for families at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, Regency Oaks Retirement Community, Ronald Mcdonald House, Artists United to Save the Arts, the Botanical Garden in Largo, FL; we have attended Honor Flights for Veterans, made thank you bags for the ER staff at Morton Plant hospital during Covid, and sent hand-made Christmas cards to those in need.
The 2022-23 season was a landmark year for GCDT. The season opened with a brand new original show "Clara's New York City Nutcracker" and closed with our 10th year anniversary and retirement of "Alice in Wonderland." The future is bright for GCDT, and we look forward to seeing you at an upcoming show!
The Company started with a handful of dancers who came together, under the direction of Mrs. Carollo, to put on a production of Alice in Wonderland at Dunedin Middle School. Slowly and surely the company started to grow. In the 2016-2017 season GCDT added more instructors and choreographers to their roster, including Nicole Stuart, Amy DiBongrazio, Lyla Menkhaus, and Cathy Scavelli. In 2018 the Spring Gala was added to our theater performances, and with that came excerpts of many famous ballets including, Swan Lake, Cinderella, and La Bayadere to name a few. The Gala also allowed for more choreographic liberties including original choreography from the new artistic staff.
Over the years GCDT has made it our mission to give back to our community in any way we can. We have performed for families at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, Regency Oaks Retirement Community, Ronald Mcdonald House, Artists United to Save the Arts, the Botanical Garden in Largo, FL; we have attended Honor Flights for Veterans, made thank you bags for the ER staff at Morton Plant hospital during Covid, and sent hand-made Christmas cards to those in need.
The 2022-23 season was a landmark year for GCDT. The season opened with a brand new original show "Clara's New York City Nutcracker" and closed with our 10th year anniversary and retirement of "Alice in Wonderland." The future is bright for GCDT, and we look forward to seeing you at an upcoming show!
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Our GoalThe goal of GCDT is to provide opportunities for dancers to perform in professional venues, to present their skills in performance art to the community, and to make dance accessible and affordable for everyone.
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The Mission of Gulf Coast Dance Theater
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Dancers who train with Gulf Coast Dance Theater will learn to love dance while building confidence, work ethic, and discipline. If desired, dancers can use these skills and experience to pursue a career, or attend college program in dance. In addition, the dancers will make lifelong friends, have endless amounts of performance opportunities, and receive excellent mentorship from our instructors. We believe it is important to create strong professional relationships with our students, and once they graduate or move on, we continue to nurture and promote growth.
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From the Director |
Anne Carollo |
" Wow, I can’t believe that this is our 12th year of productions for Gulf Coast Dance Theater! I am so thankful for the dancers’ hard work and dedication to all of our shows. In addition, it is very important to thank my staff and board members for all their hard work this past season. I could not have accomplished as much without their help. I would also like to thank you, the parents, for being there to support your dancer’s desire to be part of Gulf Coast Dance Theater. "
