National Ballet of Washington, D.C. facts for kids

The National Ballet of Washington, D.C. was an American ballet company. It was started in 1962 by Jean Riddell and artistic director Frederic Franklin. They received money from the Ford Foundation. The company's studios were in Washington, D.C..

The ballet company first performed on January 3, 1962. This was at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium. In 1972, they moved to the new John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The company officially closed on June 13, 1974.

The National Ballet performed in almost every state in the United States. They also danced in Canada and Mexico. Ben Stevenson was a co-artistic director from 1971 to 1974.

The Story of the National Ballet

In 1958, Frederic Franklin became a co-director of the Washington Ballet. He created two new ballets for them. In 1960, Franklin said he wanted to create a main ballet company in the nation's capital. He left the Washington Ballet in April 1961. This happened after a disagreement about the company's future.

The National Ballet of Washington, D.C., was co-founded in 1962. Jean Riddell, a big supporter of the arts, and Frederic Franklin started it. The Ford Foundation helped with money. Mrs. Riddell became president of the National Ballet Society. Franklin and Riddell also opened the National Ballet School. It had 250 students, with classes limited to 15 children.

Franklin said the school and company were for America. They wanted to find and train good dancers. He wanted the company to be like the New York City Ballet. Riddell said the name "National Ballet" was perfect. She felt it was for Washington and for growth across the country.

After three months of practice, the company debuted on January 3, 1962. This was at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium. New York City Ballet co-founder George Balanchine was in the audience. The company received 13 curtain calls, showing how much the audience loved them.

Talented Dancers

Many skilled dancers performed with the National Ballet.

• Principal Dancers: These were the main dancers. They included Sonia Arova, Marilyn Burr, Jean-Paul Comelin, Stevan Grebel, Michelle Lees, Roni Mahler, Kevin McKenzie, and Ivan Nagy.
• Soloists: These dancers often performed alone or in small groups. Some soloists were James Capp, Helen Heineman, Linda Kintz, and Christine Spizzo.
• Corps de Ballet: This group performed together as the background for the main dancers. Members included Mariana Alvarez, Phyllis Blake, Susan Gore, and Llanchie Stevenson.

Famous guest artists also danced with the company. These included Dame Margot Fonteyn from the Royal Ballet. Also, Violette Verdy, Patricia McBride, and Edward Villella from the New York City Ballet performed. Other guest artists came from ballet companies around the world.

The first students from the National Ballet School to join the company were Sheryl McKechnie, Judy Rhodes, and Betty Risen.

The Team Behind the Scenes

A dedicated team helped run the National Ballet.

• Ralph Black, who used to manage the National Symphony Orchestra, was the General Manager.
• Oleg Tupine was the Ballet Master. He helped train the dancers.
• Ottavio DeRosa was the Principal Conductor. He led the orchestra.
• James McInnes was the Associate Conductor.
• James Gamble was the Stage Manager. He made sure everything on stage ran smoothly.
• May Ishimoto was the costumer. She created and cared for the dancers' costumes.

What They Performed

The National Ballet of Washington, D.C., performed many famous ballets. Their shows included:

• Swan Lake
• The Nutcracker
• Giselle
• Les Sylphides
• La Sylphide
• Coppelia
• Raymonda Pas de Dix
• Sylvia (ballet) Pas de Deux
• Four Temperaments
• La sonnambula (Balanchine)
• Serenade (ballet)

They also performed unique works like Homage au ballet, Bachianas Brasileiras, Tribute, Legend of the Pearl, Night Song, Othello, Danse Brilliante, and Le Combat.