First Place: The Richmond Ballet

407 E. Canal St.
344-0906
richmondballet.com

Second Place: Richmond Urban Dance

Third Place: Starr Foster Dance Project

When it’s not dazzling local audiences, the Richmond Ballet is wowing crowds in China, London and New York. The company wins fans in myriad ways: with such stunning main stage productions as “Romeo and Juliet,” and the ever-popular Christmas gem, “The Nutcracker,” the edgier Studio Series — which often features world premieres of new works commissioned specifically for the company — and its outreach education program for children, Minds in Motion. Richmond Urban Dance seeks to bring the street into the studio, teaching formal instruction in hip-hop and street dancing as a way to elevate the art form, and the talented modern dance company Starr Foster Dance Project has a history of delivering reliably polished and energetic performances in a variety of venues across town.