Dayton Ballet Company

The Dayton Ballet Company is the second oldest regional ballet company in the United States. Founded in 1937 by Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, it was first known as the Experimental Group for Young Dancers and its home was the Dayton Art Institute. This group was an outgrowth of the Schwarz School of Dance, and its purpose was to give the school's more advanced students an opportunity to gain performing experience by presenting concerts to local organizations.

In 1941 the group's name changed to the Dayton Theater Dance Group, and in 1948 the Children's Ballet Company was founded for dancers between the ages of 10 and 14. In 1957 the two companies merged to become the Dayton Ballet Theater. In the early 1950s two membership support groups were formed, the Dayton Ballet Society and the Dayton Dance Guild, to promote dance in the Dayton area and to help maintain the dance companies.

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