Limoncello, choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa 

A Streetcar Named Desire, choreographed by Karen Russo Burke 

* Intermission (15 minutes) *

I'll Meet You There, choreographed by Jennifer Sydor 

Dear Booky, choreographed by Karen Russo Burke 

*A Streetcar Named Desire  includes depictions of sexual violence, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, and suicide. Viewer discretion is advised. 

Dayton Ballet welcomes is 85^th season and celebrates the 95^th year of the Dayton Ballet School with a sparkling affair that preserves Dayton Ballet’s tradition of presenting mixed repertory performances and spotlighting acclaimed choreographers from across the country and around the world. In this Diamond Anniversary event, Artistic Director Karen Russo Burke honors the fortitude and perseverance of Dayton Ballet founders Miss Josephine Schwarz and her sister Miss Hermene, who started one of the oldest ballet companies in the country. This exciting repertory program includes a brilliant collection of beautiful ballets that showcase the physicality and virtuosity of the full company of dancers who call Dayton Ballet their home.

1866 The Victoria Theatre opened in downtown Dayton.

1927 The Schwarz School of Dance opened in Dayton, run
by Josephine (Miss Jo) and Hermene Schwarz. From the beginning, the school’s primary goal has been to prepare students for professional dance careers, including the Dayton Ballet company. Known today as Dayton Ballet School, the school is celebrating its 95th anniversary.

1937 “The Experimental Group for Young Dancers,” formed by Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, was Dayton’s first professional ballet company and is the second-oldest ballet company in America. The company was later named the Dayton Civic Ballet Company and is now known as Dayton Ballet.

May 16, 1938 The Experimental Group for Young Dancers gathered for their first performance at the Dayton Art Institute.

May 1948 The Children’s Ballet Company (CBC) performed with Dayton Ballet in a production of The Sleeping Beauty. The CBC, formed under the direction of Miss Jo, was the predecessor of today’s Dayton Ballet II and was a “little sister company” to the Ballet company.

December 14, 1957 Dayton Civic Ballet Company, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, and several local vocalists united in an artistic collaboration to perform Amahl and the Night Visitors. This performance was the first time the ballet, opera, and philharmonic performed together before the merger in 2012.

1974 A wing of the company began touring and had residencies across the country.

December 12, 1980 Stuart Sebastian served as co-Artistic Director of Dayton Ballet alongside founder Josephine Schwarz for The Sleeping Beauty. This production was his first as Artistic Director, and Josephine retired shortly after. Stuart created 25 new works, including six full-length ballets, including Swan Lake and Dracula.

December 10, 1993 Dermot Burke stepped into the Artistic Director role in the 1993-1994 Season after serving as the Executive Director for a year following the tenure of the previous director, James Clouser. In his inaugural season, Dermot brought a never before seen full-length production of The Nutcracker to Dayton with new choreography, costumes, and sets. To this day, The Nutcracker is a beloved holiday tradition for all.

July 1, 2012 Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, and Dayton Philharmonic merged into one organization known as Dayton Performing Arts Alliance.

October 18, 2012 Karen Russo Burke became the Artistic Director of Dayton Ballet. She has created more than 40 new classical and contemporary works for the company, including Cinderella, The Butterfly Suite, Sleeping Beauty, Dracula Bloodlines, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and most notably, the company’s current production of The Nutcracker, first premiered in December 2013.

Stick around after the show for a Talk Back given from the stage in the Victoria Theatre with Dayton Ballet company dancers!

Friday: Claire Bergman, Jasmine Getz, Jonathan Harris, and Cole Rodgers

Saturday: Katy Gilliam, Isaac Jones, Lukas Pringle, and Mia Sanchez

Sunday: Patrick Lennon, Eric McIntyre, Francisco Rivera, and Marjorie Sherman