Founding Artistic Director Marc M. Arentsen is an international choreographer, instructor and consultant from The Netherlands, where he studied dance at the conservatories of Arnhem and Tilburg before earning BFA and MFA degrees in the United States. As a dancer, designer, and prolific choreographer, he has appeared in, produced and collaborated on numerous acclaimed dance and theatre works in Asia, Europe and North America.

His credits also include dance-educational initiatives in The Netherlands and in Wichita, Kansas. Establishing a legacy, Mr. Arentsen instituted the Belhaven College dance department in 1997 and was its chair until 2003. In addition, he formed the Belhaven College Dance Ensemble, which has toured internationally.

Under his visionary leadership Polarity Dance Theatre launched its premier performance in March of 2002, which included the new signature works Appointment and Awakening. Polarity Dance Theatre is quickly and decidedly becoming a versatile professional dance company to watch for as well as to go see.