Dayton Ballet facts for kids

The Dayton Ballet is a professional ballet company located in Dayton, Ohio. It is one of the oldest ballet companies in the United States.

The Dayton Ballet was started in 1937. This makes it the second oldest regional ballet company in the country. Each season, the Dayton Ballet usually performs four different shows. These include classic ballets like The Nutcracker and also new, creative dances. They put on more than 40 performances each year.

The company performs at two main places: the historic 1,139-seat Victoria Theatre (Dayton, Ohio) and the larger 2,300-seat Schuster Performing Arts Center.

The Dayton Ballet is part of the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. This group also includes the Dayton Opera and the Dayton Philharmonic. The Alliance helps the ballet with its daily operations and management. Karen Russo Burke has been the Artistic Director of the Dayton Ballet since 2011.

History of Dayton Ballet

How it All Began

The Dayton Ballet started when sisters Josephine (Jo) Schwarz and Hermene opened The Schwarz School of Dance in 1927. Jo Schwarz later studied ballet and danced in big cities like Chicago and New York. She also danced in Europe. She performed on Broadway, but had to return home to Dayton after an injury.

In May 1938, Jo and Hermene brought together the best dancers from their school. They called this group "The Experimental Group for Young Dancers." They put on their first show at the Dayton Art Institute. This performance was the very beginning of what we now know as the Dayton Ballet.

Growing the Company

Jo Schwarz was a leader in the American regional ballet movement. This movement helped ballet companies grow in different parts of the country, not just big cities. Through many years of hard work, she made Dayton an important place for dance.

In 1958, the company changed its structure and became the Dayton Civic Ballet. It formed a board of directors to help guide it. In 1959, the Dayton Civic Ballet became a founding member of the Northeast Regional Ballet Association. The Schwarz sisters also organized many dance festivals and workshops. In 1978, the company became fully professional and dropped "Civic" from its name, becoming simply the Dayton Ballet.

New Leadership: 1980–1990

Stuart Sebastian, who had been a student of Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, became the director of the company in 1980. He had danced professionally for the Dayton Ballet and the National Ballet of Washington. He also created dances in New York, Germany, and England.

Sebastian led the Dayton Ballet for 10 years. During this time, the company became much more famous and respected. He brought in new dancers and created the company's first full-length ballet, The Sleeping Beauty. He created over 25 new dance pieces, including six full-length ballets like Swan Lake and Dracula. Under Sebastian, the Dayton Ballet traveled to more than 75 cities. They even went on their first international tour to Jerash, Jordan. In 1988, the company appeared on national television. This was during the opening ceremonies of the 1987 Pan American Games.

Changes and Growth: 1991-1993

After Stuart Sebastian left in 1990 and passed away in 1991 after a long illness, the company went through a period of change. James Clouser, who used to be the artistic director of the Houston Ballet, was hired for three years. This was a challenging time for the company. Clouser was the first director who was not from Dayton. Many dancers and staff from before left, and new people were hired. The board of trustees wanted new ideas, which is why they brought in someone from outside. In the fall of 1992, Dermot Burke became the company's first executive director.

Recent Years: 1993–2011

Dermot Burke was a famous dancer with the Joffrey Ballet in New York. He had also been the artistic director of the American Repertory Ballet for 10 years. He knew Stuart Sebastian and had created dances for the Dayton Ballet in 1984. In the fall of 1993, Dermot took on both roles: executive and artistic director.

Under Dermot Burke, the company started to focus more on American dance styles. It included American dance stories, dancers, and choreographers. The company also became a "repertory company." This means it performed many different types of dances by various choreographers. It kept some of Sebastian's older works while also adding new pieces from other choreographers.

In 2011, Karen Russo Burke became the Artistic Director of the Dayton Ballet. The next year, it joined with the Dayton Opera and the Dayton Philharmonic.

Joining Forces: 2012 Merger

After more than two years of planning, the Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra joined together on July 1, 2012. These were Dayton’s three main classical performing arts groups. The new organization was named the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. It is now the largest performing arts group in the community.

Performances by the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance are supported by Montgomery County and Culture Works. They also receive some funding from the Ohio Arts Council. The new organization has one main office and one CEO. However, each performing arts group, like the ballet, still has its own artistic director.

Dayton Ballet School

The Dayton Ballet School is the dance school connected to the company. It is the oldest dance school in Dayton and one of the oldest in the United States. It is the only school in the Miami Valley that is linked to a professional dance company.

Famous Dancers from Dayton Ballet School

Many talented dancers have trained at the Dayton Ballet School. Some of them became very famous:

• Jeraldyne Blunden, who started and led the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
• Dan Duell, a dancer with the New York City Ballet. He also became the artistic director of Ballet Chicago.
• Joseph Duell, another dancer with the New York City Ballet.
• Jeff Gribler, a dancer and ballet master with the Pennsylvania Ballet.
• Peter LeBreton Merz, who danced with Louisville Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet. He is now the Director of the Academy at Ballet West.
• Stuart Sebastian, who was a dancer with the National Ballet of Washington and later the Artistic Director of Dayton Ballet.
• Donna Wood, a dancer with Alvin Ailey.
• Rebecca Wright, a dancer with American Ballet Theatre. She also performed on Broadway and with the Joffrey Ballet.

See also

• Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
• Dayton Opera