| 1958 | Company chartered as "Cincinnati Civic Ballet." Incorporated October 8, 1958. |
| 1963 | First audition held at Central YMCA. Forty-one dancers selected from 200 hopefuls. |
| 1964 | First major performance held on March 15 at University of Cincinnati's Wilson Auditorium. Oleg Sabline serves as first artistic director. John A. Spain elected Board president. |
| 1966 | David McLain appointed as Civic Ballet's artistic director and chairman of University of Cincinnati's Dance Division of the College Conservatory of Music. |
| 1967 | First season of touring via the Kentucky Arts Commission. Herman Burgett elected Board president |
| 1968 | Cincinnati Civic Ballet renamed "Cincinnati Ballet Company." College Conservatory of Music's Dance Division serves as the Company's official ballet school. |
| 1969 | First tours through Ohio and Indiana. Carmon DeLeone appointed Company's Music Director. Charles B. Levinson elected Board president. |
| 1970 | Ten dancers salaried. James Truitte trains dancers in the Lester Horton technique which leads to Company's national recognition as the primary vehicle for performances of Horton's works. |
| 1971 | Company accepted as National Endowment for the Arts' Coordinated Residency Touring Program for 1972-73 Season. |
| 1972 | Henry A. Young named Company Manager. Ten dancers salaried. James Truitte trains dancers in the Lester Horton technique which leads to Company's national recognition as the primary vehicle for performances of Horton's works. |
| 1973 | First tours outside United States. Residencies in Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. |
| 1974 | NUTCRACKER premiere. Eight performances sold out, breaking Music Hall attendance records. Frisch's Restaurants received several national awards for its support and sponsorship of NUTCRACKER. Company receives Post-Corbett award. Pat Caporale named Company Manager |
| 1975 | First performance in New York on August 8 as part of New York Dance Festival. David McLain appointed executive artistic director. Regular series performances moved from University of Cincinnati to Taft Theatre. Mrs. Felix Kahn elected Board president. |
| 1976 | DEAR FRIENDS AND GENTLE PEOPLE choreographed by Saddler and music by Proto premiered at the Taft Theatre. |
| 1977 | Company joins expanded Fine Arts Fund. Frederic Franklin named resident choreographer. Cincinnati Ballet Company and WCET win six regional Emmy awards for "The NUTCRACKER, A Fantasy in the Making." Lorrence T. Kellar elected Board president. |
| 1978 | Regular series performances moved from Taft Theatre to Music Hall. |
| 1979 | COPPELIA choreographed by Petippa/Saint-Leon and music by Delibes premiered at Music Hall. It was staged by Frederic Franklin. |
| 1980 | Season expanded from three regular series to five. Nationally recognized "Rainbow Legs" poster designed. |
| 1982 | Company's named shortened by Board of Trustees from "Cincinnati Ballet Company" to "Cincinnati Ballet." Thomas . Moore elected Board president. |
| 1983 | Company enters into sister-city arrangement with New Orleans. |
| 1984 | Frederic Franklin named acting artistic director following death of David McLain. Cincinnati Ballet and WCET win several regional Emmy awards for BILLY SUNDAY. |
| 1986 | Ivan Nagy becomes artistic director. Nagy structures Company to include principal and corps de ballet level dancers. Four dancers promoted to principal level. Company sponsors Baryshnikov in July. Company joins American Guild of Musical Artists, the labor union representing dancers. |
| 1987 | Timothy Duncan appointed first executive director. New NUTCRACKER by Ben Stevenson premieres. Company grows to 37 dancers. Soloist level added to Company's structure. Company sponsors Maya Plisetskaya and the Stars of the Bolshoi in April. |
| 1988 | Company begins residency arrangement with Knoxville, Tennessee. Company accepted into the Ohio Arts Council's and Arts Midwest's touring programs. Premiere of CINDERELLA breaks previous attendance records at Music Hall. Company sponsors Dance Theatre of Harlem. |
| 1989 | Largest Company size to date with 39 dancers, including five principals, nine soloists, 23 corps de ballet, and one apprentice. Blanche F. Maier elected Board president. |
| 1990 | Richard Collins becomes artistic director. Ivan Nagy acts as artistic advisor for the season. $500,000 budget deficit announced. Working capital campaign initiated. Gregory Hines appears in fundraising benefit for the Company. The City Ballet, sister-city program with Knoxville, is incorporated. |
| 1991 | Paul A. Stuhlreyer, III, Cincinnati Opera's Managing Director, becomes Cincinnati Ballet Executive Director in a unique sharing arrangement. Nigel Burgoine arrives as Ballet Master and Director of Educational Programs. Burgoine appointed acting artistic director in September following the death of Richard Collins. Charles A. Macdonell elected Board president. |
| 1992 | Nigel Burgoine named artistic director. Company's 30th Anniversary Season. 30th Anniversary Commemorative Book wins Public Relations Society of America's PRIZM Award. The Corbett Foundation grants underwriting for new full-length productions of ROMEO & JULIET and SWAN LAKE. 100th Anniversary of NUTCRACKER ballet. |
| 1993 | Peter Hursh becomes Board president through August. Dennis Poole becomes ballet master. Burgoine premieres THE SLEEPING BEAUTY (underwritten by Procter & Gamble) and CARMEN (underwritten by The Louise Taft Semple Foundation). 20th Anniversary Season of the Company's NUTCRACKER, continually sponsored by Frisch's Restaurants. Company's public service announcement, "I Love Ballet," wins Public Relations Society of America's PRIZM Award for campaign. Nigel Burgoine resigns. Peter W. Hursh elected Board president. |
| 1994 | Peter Anastos becomes Artistic Director. Laura Brunner becomes Board President. Cornerstone Campaign raises over one million dollars to build a new practice and administrative facility, the Cincinnati Ballet Center. Groundbreaking takes place in October. The Corbett Foundation underwrites the world premiere of Anastos' PETER PAN. Laura N. Brunner elected Board president. |
| 1995 | Maestro Carmon DeLeone's original score for PETER PAN nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Company moves in new Cincinnati Ballet Center in June. Procter & Gamble sponsors 1995-96 Season, along with underwriting a new production of CINDERELLA, which is the first performance in the Stanley J. Aronoff Center for the Arts. Frisch's Restaurants underwrites new production of NUTCRACKER. Scholarship ballet program, CincyDance!, implemented by Education & Outreach Director Jeaunita Weathersby named "Best Education Program" by Cincinnati Magazine. Cincinnati Ballet and Board Member Larry Kellar nominated for Post-Corbett awards. Kathleen DeLaura becomes Executive Director. |
| 1996 | William Cordes elected Board President. Company premieres Balanchine's JEWELS and THEME & VARIATIONS, DeMille's RODEO, Taylor's COMPANY B, Anastos' SWEET DREAMS, and Poole's NATURESCAPE. Laura Brunner named one of Cincinnati Enquirer's "Women of the Year." Company receives rights from the Balanchine Trust to perform JEWELS in 96/97 Season. Peter Anastos resigns. Carmon DeLeone Peter Pan CD released. Cincinnati Ballet School opens. Cincinnati Ballet launches Internet website. William H. Cordes elected Board president. |
| 1997 | Victoria Morgan appointed Artistic Director. Company premieres Posin's POEM WITHOUT A HERO and Wells' FIREBIRD. Three year AGMA dancer contract signed. Cincinnati Ballet's internet website, developed by Board member Thomas F. Buck, wins several awards. Set and costume designers, Tom Umfrid & Dean Mogle, win industry awards for outstanding designs for Company's NUTCRACKER. Company kicks off 35th Anniversary Season campaign with $35 subscription offer—the price of a subscription 35 years ago. Ballet Master Dennis Poole creates new production of SWAN LAKE to open the 97/98 season. Company premireres new NUTCRACKER with choreography by William Christensen, Frederic Franklin, Dennis Poole, Victoria Morgan, and Nigel Burgoine. Company initiates "Home Cities Tour" program. |
| 1998 | John Zurick appointed Executive Director. Company premiere of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Frederic Franklin appointed Artistic Director Emeritus. World premiere of GRAND TARANTELA with music by Gottschalk. Company premieres of CARMEN choreography by Kirk Petersen, music by Bizet and THE EYES THAT GENTLY TOUCH, music by Philip Glass. Linda J. Smith elected Board President in September. |
| 1999 | Carmon DeLeone celebrates 30th year as Music Director of the Cincinnati Ballet. Daniel Simmons appointed Director of the Otto M. Budig Academy of the Cincinnati Ballet. World premieres of THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA with choreography by Victoria Morgan, music by Carmon DeLeone; AT THE BALLET with choreography by Dennis Poole, music by Rachmaninoff and Verdi; BEYOND INNOCENCE with choreography by Victoria Morgan, music by Enigma. Company premieres of IL DISTRATTO with choreography by Lew Christensen, music by Haydyn; LADY OF THE CAMELLIAS with choreography by Val Caniparoli, music by Chopin; BUTTERFLY with choreography by David Nixon, music by Puccini. The 21st Century fundraising campaign begins. |
| 2000 | 21st Century Campaign raises its goal to $10 million. Melody Sawyer Richardson elected Board president. Company premieres ARIA with choreography by Val Caniparoli, music by Frederic Handel; BOW OUT with choreography by Val Caniparoli, music by David Bedford and Roy Powell; BELLING THE SLAYER with choreography by Kirk Peterson, music by Jerry Goldsmith; 3 Musketeers with choreography by Andre Prokovsky, music by Guiseppe Verdi; STEPPING STONES with choreography by Kathryn Posin, music by Joan Tower; RAPTURE with choreography by Lila York and music by Sergei Prokofiev; and SYNC with choreography by Nils Christe, music by Ludovico Einaudi. World premiere of NO OBLIVION choreography by Victoria Morgan, music by Antonio Vivaldi. Otto M. Budig Academy of the Cincinnati Ballet premieres SNOW WHITE choreographed by Daniel Simmons and danced by over 100 students at the Aronoff. |
| 2001 | 21st Century Campaign passes $11 million surpassing its goal of $10 million. Company produces world premieres of FINGERPRINTS with choreography by Stanton Welch, music by Kronos Quartet and L'ESPIRIT de SEPT et un VIOLON with choreography by Daniel Simmons, music by Paganini and a world premiere of GRACELAND with choreography by Jay Goodlett and Victoria Morgan, music by Paul Simon; a new production of Romeo and Juliet with choreography by Victoria Morgan, music by Prokofiev; a new production of Coppelia with choreography by Kirk Peterson, music by Delibes; a new production of Peter Pan with choreography by Septine Webre, music by Carmon DeLeone. Executive Director John Zurick resigns. A major expansion of the Cincinnati Ballet Center in downtown Cincinnati is begun. A new production of Frisch's NUTCRACKER choreographed by Val Canoparoli debuts. Principal dancers Anna Reznik and Alexei Kremnev leave the company and are replaced by Cuban dancers Lorna Feijoo and Nelson Madrigal. In the first European engagement, the Company performs PETER PAN in Lisbon, Portugal. Alan Hills is appointed the new Executive Director. |
| 2002 |
World premieres of OUT-O-SENSE by Victoria Morgan and POSTCARDS FROM THE SKY by Daniel
Simmons were produced. Local premieres included 7 X 5 by Bart Cook, UNION FRATERNAL by Robert
Moses, SQUARE DANCE by George Balachine, and 1001 NIGHTS by Eldar Aliev.
Otto M. Budig, Jr. receives Ohio Governor's Award for the Arts. In an innovative trade, Cincinnati Ballet staged PETER PAN at BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio in exchange for BalletMet staging DRACULA in Cincinnati. Lynn Good elected Board president in June. In November and early December, the company toured NUTCRACKER in Anchorage, Alaska and Detroit. In October, the company presented a tribute to Frederic Franklin and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; reconstructed and restaged parts of four ballets: LA SONNAMBULA by George Balanchine and restaged by Frederic Franklin and Bart Cook, DEVIL'S HOLIDAY by Frederick Ashton and restaged by Frederic Franklin, GAITE PARISIENNE by Leonide Massine and restaged by Frederic Franklin, THE SEVENTH SYMPHONY (3rd movement) by Leonide Massine and recreated from film and video by Johanna Bernstein Wilt with coaching by Frederic Franklin. Also in the program were two World premieres: REVERENCE by Julia Adam and NO OTHER by Val Caniparoli. In November, SLEEPING BEAUTY was staged by Kirk Peterson after Petipa. |
| 2003 |
January 24th the Northern Kentucky branch of the Otto M. Budig Academy of the Cincinnati Ballet opened.
In March.
Cincinnati Ballet's Chairwoman, Melody Sawyer Richardson, was appointed to serve on the US Department of State's Fine Arts Committee. The Company started 2003 in February with the World premiere of MIDSUMMER NIGHT's DREAM with choreography by Artistic Director Victoria Morgan and music by Felix Mendelssohn. October Executive Director Alan Hills resigned for a position in the for-profit entertainment sector. Devlopment Director, Susan Redman-Rengstorf, was appointed to assume his responsibilities while a search committee is formed. Coincidentally, Carol Norris, the Enquirer Dance Critic resigned the same day. Her replacement is Kathy Valin, formerly Dance Critic with CityBeat who was hired by the Enquirer in early December. The Come Together Festival in March featured CONCERTO BAROCCO WITH choreography by Balanchine and music by Bach, BLUE UNTIL JUNE with choreography by Trey McIntyre to songs recorded by Etta James, and GRACELAND with choreography by Jay Goodlett and Victoria Morgan and music by Paul Simon. April featured CARMINA BURANA with choreography by John Butler and music by Carl Orff and SERENADE with choreography by Balanchine and music by Tchaikovsky. The fall productions began with JEWELS with choreography by Balanchine and music by Faure, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky. This program was the first collaboration with BalletMet where the dancers from both companies danced together. In another unique collaboration, this time with the Cincinnati Arts Association, the Cincinnati Ballet joined in presenting THE PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY in November. They performed MERCURIC TIDINGS, THE WORD, and PROMETHEAN FIRE all choreographed by Paul Taylor. In early December the company again toured NUTCRACKER in Anchorage, Alaska and Detroit. The year ended with a successful run of NUTCRACKER in Cincinnati. Cincinnati Ballet Company Pianist for over 40 years died on Christmas Eve. |
| 2004 |
Susan Redman-Rengstorf was appointed Cincinnati Ballet's Executive Director moving up
from Development Director in February.
The Spring season started with a world premiere of ROMEO & JULIET choreographed by Victoria Morgan with the original Prokofiev score. THE COME TOGETHER FESTIVAL was held in March with the world premiere of NOSOTROS choreographed by Rene Micheo with a collection of Latin and American music. This was followed by RAINBOW ROUND MY SHOULDER with choreography by Donald MaKayle. Music was from traditional Chain Gang Songs. Both this and the final work were company premieres; the last being AMAZED IN BURNING DREAMS with choreography by Kirk Peterson and Music by Philip Glass. The 2003/2004 season concluded with THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA: A TRIBUTE TO CARMON DELEONE celebrating his 35th season with the Cincinnati Ballet. All the music was composed by Carmon Deleone. The program was PETER PAN HIGHLIGHTS with choreography by Septime Webre, an excerpt from BILLY SUNDAY with choreography by Devon Carney based on Ruth Page, FANFARE, FUNK AND FANDANGO a world premiere commisioned by WGUC, FREVO choreography by James Truitte. The second act was THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA choreography by Victoria Morgan. To be continued in August 2004. |