Stuart Carroll

Stuart Carroll is a Continuing Lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of California, Davis, a position he has held since January 25, 2013. He is also the Artistic Director of the Sacramento-based Capitol Ballet Company, where he has produced major classical ballets including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Paquita, La Bayadère, and Don Quixote, supported by the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the California Arts Council.

His professional background includes performances as a guest artist with American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House and with The Milwaukee Ballet Company. In 1984, he represented the United States as the American finalist at the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki, Finland, with performances broadcast internationally. From 1985 to 1993, he served as a soloist with Basel Ballet in Switzerland, appearing in films such as La Fille Mal Gardée, Swan Lake, and Dead End, and performing works by renowned choreographers including Nacho Duato, Hans van Manen, Paul Taylor, William Forsythe, Heinz Spoerli, and Nils Cristi. He has created roles for choreographers from Stuttgart Ballet and Bejart Ballet, as well as his mentor Gabriella Darvash.

Carroll has toured extensively across Western and Eastern Europe, Japan, and Taiwan. He studied on scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School and Pennsylvania Ballet School, and received pre-professional training from John Hart, Erling Sunde, and Ann Howard—affiliated with the Royal Ballet of London—at United States International University. He began his professional career as Principal Dancer with the San Diego Ballet and later with Arizona Dance Theater. In 1995, he joined Sacramento High School’s faculty, where he developed curriculum and founded the Ballet Department at the Visual and Performing Arts Center, serving until 2005. In 1997, he consulted on the founding and ballet curriculum for the Natomas Charter School Performing and Fine Arts Academy.

• Artistic Director, Capitol Ballet Company (Sacramento)
• Former Principal Dancer, San Diego Ballet and Arizona Dance Theater
• Former Soloist, Basel Ballet (Switzerland)
• Guest Artist, American Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera House
• Faculty Developer and Curriculum Designer, Sacramento High School (1995–2005)

Scientific Awards:

• American Finalist, International Ballet Competition, Helsinki, Finland (1984)

Mr. Carroll has made significant contributions to dance education and performance. He has secured funding from major arts councils, developed structured ballet programs in secondary education, and continues to influence the regional and national dance community through performance and pedagogy. His work bridges classical tradition and contemporary expression, with an emphasis on educational outreach and artistic excellence.

He has no peer-reviewed publications listed, which is consistent with a profile centered on performance and teaching rather than academic research. Nonetheless, his impact is evident through artistic leadership, curriculum innovation, and sustained community engagement in the performing arts.