The Roswell Dance Theatre, a non profit 501(c)3 corporation, was founded in 1985 by Nancy Tolbert Yilmaz and Mary Lynn Taylor. It was created as the resident performing company of The Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance. Through annual auditions, dancers are selected who exhibit high levels of proficiency in ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical and modern dance. Once selected, dancers attend a rigorous schedule of weekly classes.

In 1992, RDT completed it's first international tour including Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. In 1994 they toured England and performed throughout London and the countryside at the various arts festivals.

In 1997 the Pre Professional Division was added, which was designed for only the most gifted dancers, and has a syllabus including guest teachers, guest choreographers and lecture demonstrations. The young men and women of the Roswell Dance Theatre have performed for audiences throughout the world. They represented the state of Georgia in 1988 at the Young American Invitational Dance festival in Los Angeles, California.

The Roswell Dance Theatre performed on world television as part of the opening and closing ceremonies for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Later that summer they performed for the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta. In 1997, the Roswell Dance Theatre completed a two week tour of Spain performing in Barcelona and four other Spanish cities. In September 2000, The Roswell Dance Theatre went to Sidney Australia for the Summer Olympics.

In 2008 RDT performed at the Orange Bowl with Z.Z. Top and at the 2004 Tanzsummer Summer Festival in Europe. Public performances in North America include the annual production of "The Nutcracker" at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, as well as the Young Choreographers Concert and Spring Concert.

Aside from the regular season, The Roswell Dance Theatre performs regularly for various charitable organizations, schools, senior citizens and underprivileged children as part of its extensive outreach program.

Members of the Roswell Dance Theatre have been accepted into and received scholarships from some of the finest dance programs and performing arts schools in the nation. Among these are American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Cleveland/San Jose Ballet, Interlochen Arts Academy, Ballet Hispanico, Point Park College, Lines Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Marymount Manhattan College and many others. There are approximately 100 dancers in the Roswell Dance Theatre.

President Pamela J. Scheuerman

Founder & Director Nancy Tolbert Yilmaz

Founder & Director Mary Lynn Taylor