Kim Tuttle, Artistic Director of DANB took over the artistic reins in 1986, turning a regional company of quality into a highly recognized professional touring company. Through her vision, Dance Alive National Ballet has toured nationally and internationally under the auspices of The National Endowment for the Arts, Southern Arts Federation, the Florida Department of State Touring Program and Allied Concert Services through Siegel Artist Management, establishing its reputation as a vital, energetic and artistically innovative ballet company.Ms. Tuttle served on the staff of the Stuttgart Ballet during the brilliant John Cranko era. She based the artistic spirit of Dance Alive National Ballet on the generous and visionary nature of the Cranko company. Due to the fertile artistic climate and welcoming environment, the company attracts many international ballet artists of stature who live and work in Gainesville and are devoted to the company. In 1985 she served as Ballet Mistress for the Zurich Ballet, under the Artistic Direction of Patricia Neary, Balanchine repetiteur. She was instrumental in facilitating the first performance of Balanchine ballet’s in Bulgaria, where her works, ‘Ode to Joy’ and ‘Symphony in Three Movements’ were performed.Ms. Tuttle attended the University of Florida on full scholarship where she was staff pianist for the department of Music. Her musical background, fully explored as a recording chamber pianist, is fundamental to her gift as a thriving and prolific choreographer. She has created over 150 ballets. She is a master at creating the full-length ballet. In all of them the arrangement of compositions used in the ballets has been critical to their success.  She has also written dialogue for several of her ballets including ‘Frankenstein’ and the children‘s ballet, ‘Lady Bug: Action Hero’, written music and songs for her ballets ‘Tom Jones’ and ‘Robin Hood’ and authored the children’s book ‘Lady Bug: Action Hero’, published by Trafford Publishing Company.Ms. Tuttle has served on the State of Florida Dance Panel and has received three choreographic fellowships from the Florida Department of Cultural Affairs and an honorable mention. She was recipient of the prestigious Nancy Smith Award given by the Florida Dance Association in year 2000 for “Outstanding Leadership and Excellence in Dance in Florida” and the “Lifetime Achievement in the Arts” award given by the City of Gainesville, FL. She was given the SFC ‘Woman of Distinction’ Award in 2015 and was awarded the University of Florida’s ‘Distinguished Alumni’ award in 2018.She is in demand as choreographer, master teacher, artistic advisor and pianist, and travels throughout North and Central America touring with Dance Alive National Ballet, setting and choreographing ballets, and staging her version of “The Nutcracker”. She lives in Gainesville, Florida where she is co-owner and director of the nationally known and respected Pofahl Studios, Official School of Dance Alive National Ballet.