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.

A major reorganization took place in 1958 to bring the functions of all the groups under one corporation--'the Dayton Civic Ballet, Incorporated. That same year saw the establishment of a Board of Directors, the granting of federal tax exempt status, a successful lay membership drive, and charter membership in the Northeastern Regional Ballet Association. An auxiliary organization, the Friends of the Dayton Ballet was founded in 1968. The corporation was renamed the Dayton Ballet Association in 1978.

The Schwarz School of Dance continued to be independent and privately run by the Schwarz sisters until 1984, when the Dayton Ballet Association assumed its administration and renamed it the Dayton Ballet Dance Center. Upon the merger of the Jon Rodriguez School of Ballet with the Dayton Ballet Dance Center in 1988, the school became simply known as the Dayton Ballet School.

The Dayton Ballet has a fine national reputation and presents over 70 performances a year, both at home and on tour. In the interests of promoting dance in the Miami Valley area, the Dayton Ballet also gives numerous lecture-'demonstrations and mini-'concerts to local schools, organizations and art Subseries. The company performs annually at the National Association for Regional Ballet (NARB) festivals and has been granted Major Company status by the NARB.

The Dayton Ballet performs and maintains offices and rehearsal space in Dayton's historic Victory Theatre.

From the guide to the Dayton Ballet Company Records, 1920-1995, (Wright State University, Special Collections and Archives)