American ballet companies also developed distinctive artistic profiles, in contrast to the all-purpose style of today's regional troupes.

Many major dance companies are experiencing far fewer touring outlets as local presenters give preference and financial support to their own, equally needy regional troupes.

At this point, Ballet Florida is more in the respectable category of an impressively rehearsed regional troupe than anywhere near national ranking.

In the United States their company would be classed as a regional ballet troupe.

A few regional troupes, however, continue to perform actively.

They drove down Main Street, past the Actor's Theatre, home of a regional acting troupe that was gaining fame far beyond the area.

Under this arrangement, which ended over the weekend, New Yorkers had been able to see one of the country's major regional troupes on a seasonal basis.

Diminishing budgets, rising debts and an absence of a coherent artistic vision had brought the once-acclaimed regional troupe to the brink.

If small regional troupes are an endangered species in the ballet ecosystem, so are female choreographers and artistic directors.

The regional contemporary troupe will perform at the Baltimore Museum of Art.