About Performing Arts in North Carolina
Shen Wei Dance Arts at the
American Dance Festival
We are a state of historic "firsts." The nation's longest-running outdoor symphonic drama, The Lost Colony, premiered on stage in Manteo in 1937. The North Carolina Symphony in Raleigh, founded in 1946, is the oldest state-supported symphony in the United States. The first state-supported conservatory to train young talent, the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, was founded in 1963.
Today, North Carolina provides countless opportunities for artists and audiences, young and old, professional or community-based, to study, experience and enjoy our rich performing arts heritage. From ballet to clogging, string bands to symphonies, opera to the blues, you will find it all in North Carolina.
Visit our timeline of milestones to see how we've evolved »