Originally established as The Ballet Theatre of Annapolis, the organization was founded in November 1978 as a private non-profit corporation governed by a twelve-person Board of Trustees, with Danny Diamond as the first artistic director, and established residency at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis.
In 2000, the organization's name was changed to Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Inc. (BTM) to fulfill a new mission of serving the State of Maryland.
Dianna Cuatto joined BTM as artistic director at the start of the 2003–2004 season.
The current artistic director, Nicole Kelsch, was appointed for the 2020–2021 season after being a Principal Dancer, School Principal, and Ballet Mistress for 14 years.
[citation needed] Classes are currently offered in Annapolis and Grasonville, MD.