About GBT
Gwinnett Ballet Theatre was the first performing non-profit organizations in Gwinnett County and celebrates over four decades of serving the community with entertainment, outreach, and education. In 2020, Gwinnett Ballet Theatre and Sugarloaf Youth Ballet announced an exciting new partnership that connected the two organizations, creating a premier dance education center and launching a local professional ballet company in Gwinnett County.
Artistic Director
Lori Zamzow-Wire has been passionate about dance since her early childhood. Growing up in Lakeland, Florida, Lori received much of her early training and teaching experience from Florida Dance Theatre. Lori furthered her dance aspirations by attending the University of Cincinnati – College Conservatory of Music. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis on dance performance.
Lori has performed with several professional dance companies including dancing as a soloist for five years with The Georgia Ballet. In addition, Lori has extensive teaching and choreography experience. Her leadership acumen has allowed her to successfully organize and implement a ballet program at the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, GA. After several years as Ballet Mistress at Sugarloaf Performing Arts, Lori purchased the studio in 2004. Since then, she has transformed the organization into a well-respected dance training facility that houses Sugarloaf Ballet, a nonprofit performing company. Lori’s compelling vision has produced a very distinct teaching philosophy: “Dance is a great preparation for life. It teaches discipline, balance and concentration. It builds self-esteem, strength and character. Dance instruction is beneficial to all, whether or not they wish to become professional dancers.” Her studio and its programs emphasize preparing the whole person, not just the dancer.
Rehearsal Director
ZION RIVERA
Zion Cayid Rivera, a Miami native, serves as the Rehearsal Director at Gwinnett Ballet Theatre. He has dedicated his life to the arts as both a performer and a director. He trained at Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, and Houston Ballet, refining his technique under top instructors and performing works by choreographers such as Justin Peck and Crystal Pite. Professionally, he danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Minnesota Dance Theatre. Zion also has an extensive background in film, having written, directed, produced, and served as director of photography for numerous short narrative films, documentaries, and music videos. As Rehearsal Director, Zion brings a keen eye for detail, a supportive teaching style, and a passion for helping dancers grow. He looks forward to contributing to GBT’s artistic vision, cultivating the next generation of talent, and fostering continued artistic excellence.
Ballet Mistress
STACEY SLICHTER
Originally from Miami, Florida, Stacey began her dance journey at age seven, training with Gloria Gaither, Judith Newman, Mariana Alvarez Brake, and Victoria Leigh. She graduated from The Harid Conservatory, studying under Marjorie Tallchief, Tina Santos-Wahl, Olivier Pardina, and Demetrius Klein. At 17, she joined The Sarasota Ballet of Florida, later becoming a principal artist with Ballet Eddy Toussaint, USA. Stacey danced with Ballet Memphis and Atlanta Ballet, performing in notable productions such as Dracula and Rapture. Transitioning to freelance work, she collaborated with various companies and began teaching 25 years ago, contributing to institutions like Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education and North Atlanta Dance Academy. Stacey’s teaching extended to guest roles at Sugarloaf Performing Arts, Emory University, Kennesaw State University, and others, including The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Recently, she co-choreographed and served as Artistic Director for Aiken Civic Ballet’s 2022 Nutcracker.
Our History
Established in 1977 by Lynne Snipes, Gwinnett Ballet Theatre stands as Gwinnett County’s first performing non-profit organization. Rooted in this legacy, its mission is twofold: to provide aspiring dancers with essential training and performance experience for their professional careers, and to enrich the community through entertainment, outreach, and education. This dual dedication underscores Gwinnett Ballet Theatre’s pivotal position, of strengthening our community through embracing the arts.
Over the course of the ensuing two decades, Lynne Snipes orchestrated the evolution of Gwinnett Ballet Theatre into a robust performing company and a distinguished school. Throughout subsequent eras, the mantle of leadership passed to several accomplished artistic directors, each leaving an indelible mark. Lisa Sheppard Robinson’s nurturing stewardship endured for an impressive 14 years. This baton was then passed on to Jaime Robtison, Wade Walthall, Angela Harris, and culminated with Lori Zamzow-Wire, who stands as the current Artistic Director, guiding the institution into its present chapter.
GBT’s formative years produced remarkable talent that ventured worldwide to pursue their careers. Noteworthy professionals, including Alessandra James (Charlotte Ballet) and Jessica Collado (Houston Ballet), showcase GBT’s legacy of excellence on stages across the nation.
In 2020, Lori Zamzow-Wire orchestrated a pivotal transformation for Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, elevating it into a professional ballet company that extends paid company contracts and an extensive performing calendar. The Gwinnett Ballet Theatre performance season spans an impressive 41 weeks, embracing three significant productions annually along with a series of smaller performances.
Now, with the establishment of a professional company, Gwinnett Ballet Theatre is not only attracting talented dancers to stay in Gwinnett County but also drawing fresh talents to its fold. Remarkably, in just one year following its transition to a professional entity, GBT received over 200 applications from around the world. As of now, GBT boasts a roster of 14 company members distributed across three distinct levels, with hopes of expanding further in the upcoming years.
GBT is located at the Sugarloaf Performing Arts Center in Suwanee. It is the largest location for dance instruction in Gwinnett County and features a dance instruction school, a youth ballet company, a daytime ballet conservatory, and the professional GBT company.
