In 1972, San Diego Dance Theater was founded by George Willis, Professor Emeritus of Dance at San Diego State University. George’s goal was to bring joy, comedy, and theatricality to modern dance and to train young dancers. Jean Isaacs was appointed Artistic Director in 1997.  Under Jean’s direction, San Diego Dance Theater earned its reputation as a company of professional dancers committed to unconventional and deeply courageous programming. Jean expanded access to the stage for dancers of many nationalities, races, ages and physical abilities.  San Diego Dance Theater’s current Executive Artistic Director, Terry Wilson, aims to honor the company’s rich past, while bringing the organization into a new phase of growth, curiosity, positivity, and diversity. San Diego Dance Theater is known for cross-border projects, summer dance workshops, and the yearly site-specific performance Trolley Dances™.   The mission is to create and perform dances that breathe life into the people of our region and beyond, and to provide access to professional training and the performance of these dances by people representing diversity of all kinds. San Diego Dance Theater’s five core values  are curiosity, creativity, passion, connection and empowerment.