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masterful Symphony in C, Victoria Morgan’s Bolero, and Wünderland, the first presentation of Mr. Liang’s work for Columbus audiences.  New Directions/New Works, the first BalletMet series with programming by Mr. Liang, featured his inaugural BalletMet World Premiere, two Company Premieres by world renowned choreographers, and high level artistry from Company dancers: • Carousel by Christopher Wheeldon, Artistic Associate of The Royal Ballet, demanded exceptional precision and clarity; • 18+1 by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, former Artistic Director of Luna Negra Dance Theatre, paired explosive speed with comic timing; • Mr. Liang’s of Heaven & Earth was set to dynamic, powerful Rachmaninoff music that required equally powerful and physically demanding dancing; • Carousel and of Heaven & Earth held the additional challenges of live accompaniment by two grand pianos, including dancers interacting with the pianists. Live music enhances performances while it also challenges dancers, requiring focus and sensitivity to varying musical tempos.  BalletMet introduced new artistic branding in collaboration with Maria Pinto fashions and Zaire Kacz Photography, shot at Columbus’s Athletic Club and the Union Station Arch. An exhibit featuring fine art photos of “The Reveal” was presented by Meleca Gallery in February 2014. The images will be used in 2014-2015 print materials and promotions.

DanceReach Academy and Education Highlights

 Dance Academy rebranding for the 2013-2014 season included newly-designed print materials to portray the joyful rewards of studying dance with BalletMet’s professional, experienced faculty members, many with international performance backgrounds.  An international search for a new Academy Director was completed in the spring, naming Tim Lynch, former Artistic Director of the Seattle Dance Project who also danced and later taught on the faculty of Pacific Northwest Ballet for many years.  BalletMet’s Dance Academy, with annual enrollment of nearly 1,700, welcomed students of all ages. With the downtown Dance Centre as its Academy hub, BalletMet is the exclusive dance provider at the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington, teaches accredited PE classes on-site at Reynoldsburg H.S. Encore Academy to fulfill graduation requirements, and offers accredited classes for Columbus State Community College students.  The Academy offered a range of classes for all age and skill levels. Along with ballet, classes included modern, jazz, tap, flamenco, yoga and Pilates.  The 2014 five-week BalletMet Summer Intensive, including a two-week Junior Intensive for 8-12 year olds, attracted 236 student dancers from multiple Ohio counties and 21 states. The annual Summer Intensive provides highly-personalized, rigorous training for exceptionally talented students, many who aspire to careers in dance. SummerDance day camps and workshops are also offered as recreational dance experiences for youth.  Dance Academy performances and ensembles offered an extra level of participation, with students eligible to audition for roles in large-cast productions including The Nutcracker.  BalletMet’s Dance-in-Schools programs reached more than 8,000 school-age youth in 200+ area classrooms. Dance-in-Schools aligns with Ohio Department of Dance Common Core Standards, and outside evaluations quantify BalletMet’s effectiveness in impacting students’ social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and developmental skills. Dance-in-Schools includes Morning at the Ballet abbreviated in- theatre performances, Moving Into Literacy residencies in elementary classrooms, and The Wiggle Jig early childhood curriculum in preK schools and centers. Teaching artists deliver curriculum-based, sequential and age appropriate offerings that fully engage teachers and students in the learning process.  With special funding from Battelle, BalletMet increased the number of STEM learning modules for The Wiggle Jig preK curriculum, and expanded the residency from 10 to 25 weeks at select locations. BalletMet has licensed The Wiggle Jig, and an Ohio Arts Council grant enabled expansion of this unique program outside of Central Ohio. The Center for Arts Inspired Learning will begin teaching The Wiggle Jig in northeastern Ohio in fall 2014.

BALLETMET 2013-2014 SEASON ANNUAL REPORT SUMMARY PAGE 2

 Through designated contributions to the DanceReach Fund, BalletMet is able to introduce dance to children with limited access to arts experiences. Along with Dance-in-Schools programs, DanceReach activities such as Dance Academy scholarships and needs-based financial aid, experiential Academy Open Houses, and complimentary KidTix offer no-or-low cost access to dance for individuals from underserved populations.

Community Highlights

Community members are drawn to the inspiration and beauty of BalletMet’s artists and artistry, and to the enthusiasm and joy of Dance Academy students and their families. Multiple opportunities to know dancers as “real people” occur through personal encounters at performances, meetings, rehearsals and special events. Relationships develop, and audience members often seek out selected performances to see their favorite dancers in specific roles. BalletMet stakeholders express pride in knowing their participation, advocacy and financial support helps the artists, art form and arts education to thrive. Academy parents bring children to performances to show the potential results of dance studies. Subscribers and donors are staunchly committed to supporting BalletMet’s historic balance of quality artistry with financial stability.

 Performance audiences included 3,071 complimentary KidTix admissions for underserved community members from youth, social-service and faith-based agencies.  Community appearances included BalletMet’s free annual “Rhythm on the River” performance that regularly draws an outdoor audience of approx. 5,000, and Open Rehearsals that included Q&A sessions for guests to dialogue with Company dancers and guest artists. Pre/post-Performance Conversations invited theatre audiences to discuss their perspective and impressions with dancers and artists.  Additional community engagement such as Story Hours at local libraries, Academy Performance Ensemble appearances and Dance Centre Open Houses introduced thousands of children and family members to BalletMet.  More than 160 Dance Academy students received full and partial scholarships (126) and financial aid packages (38) totaling $152,600 to offset tuition expenses. Scholarships and financial assistance are awarded based on a combination of talent, need and family commitment to weekly classes.  To support the Central Ohio cultural community, BalletMet offered our 225-seat black-box Performance Space at discounted rental fees to smaller arts and civic groups. For the past five years we have provided the Performance Space free of charge to Concerts for Charity for special fundraising events, and free Dance Centre studio space for the annual Ohio Dance Festival.  Working with the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, BalletMet organized an annual food drive for The Nutcracker events. Donations of peanut butter were encouraged to “feed” the Nutcracker!  Special fundraising events engaged diverse groups and introduced many to the BalletMet experience. Events ranged from performance-related Tea Parties for children and families, Dance With the Dancers that attracts many young professionals, and the Nutcracker Ball with a large corporate attendance. Director’s Table dinners were introduced to invite community members to meet Artistic Director Liang and learn more about BalletMet.

Financial Highlights

A special Inaugural Season Initiative fundraising campaign to raise $400,000 was mounted to ensure robust financial resources – over and above annual operating funds – and support exceptional artistic programming during Mr. Liang’s first year leading BalletMet. Contributions from a small, select pool of donors exceeded the goal by nearly $15,000.

Overall earned income for fiscal year 2014 exceeded the goal by approx. $50,000, and pre-audit FY14 financial results show a $28,000 operating surplus, excluding depreciation and amortization. Strong year-end results included:

BALLETMET 2013-2014 SEASON ANNUAL REPORT SUMMARY PAGE 3

• Subscription ticket sales increased by 11.5%, and the number of subscribers increased by 16.7% • Dance Academy revenue grew by 10%, exceeding FY13 totals and FY14 goals • Overall contributed revenue increased by 12.9%

Through ongoing work with TRG Arts – especially the implementation of recommended best practices that positively impact patron engagement, retention and earned revenue – BalletMet has experienced strong single ticket sales and increases in subscription packages during recent years. At the beginning of the Great Recession, when the economic downturn was negatively impacting earned and contributed revenue streams, BalletMet boldly invested in targeted investments to preserve artistic assets and initiate new marketing strategies. These investments were funded by a successful three-year fundraising initiative to ensure long-term sustainability, and the results have been noteworthy. Over the past five years, BalletMet’s focus on community participation has resulted in:

• 46% increase in ticket revenue • 43% increase in paid audiences • 90% increase in the number of subscribers • 44% increase in Academy and education revenue

BalletMet remains focused on sustainable growth and relevance. Through prudent leadership, BalletMet has preserved the Company’s historic balance of artistic excellence and fiscal responsibility. Proactive steps since have resulted in a disciplined increase in the annual budget to support a full spectrum of programs and activities needed to sustain a major regional ballet company.

Planning for BalletMet’s Future

Mr. Liang’s vision is articulated as part of BalletMet’s 2014-2018 Long Range Plan:

“BalletMet’s goal is to be the best boutique company imaginable; this means that we embrace our versatility as an asset; we attract, retain, and groom soloist-quality dancers; we pick crowd-pleasing classics balanced with innovative works that push the boundaries of traditional ballet. BalletMet aims to bring a meaningful impact to the dance world — to create a powerhouse company of artists driven to perform at the highest levels. With this goal and with our new era, BalletMet is poised to be a leading voice in dance, nationally and beyond.”

To bring this goal alive, BalletMet will:

1. Attract, hire, and retain professional Dancers who embody: • Dedication - They create a life and lifestyle that serves the art form. They are conduits for this craft, as well as ambassadors to the community through community involvement and engagement. • Integrity - They are honest about their work and who they represent themselves to be. • Virtuosity - They possess the ability to transform dance movement from technical ballet vocabulary into moving human expression. • Humility - They appreciate that their gift is to be able to dance and perform, and they live their lives as artists who commit all that they have into their chosen field.

2. Develop a powerful business strategy for the Academy to be a major resource to the organization on the whole. The pride of the Academy is its nationally-benchmarked curriculum, and we offer the highest quality dance training possible. Additionally, we offer a ladder into the professional company.

3. Continue to provide and enhance efforts to engage and provide access to meaningful arts education and outreach programs.

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4. Expand repertoire and cultivate new high-caliber productions through innovative work balanced with family-friendly classics.

5. Tour the Company to share what we have created and to be a part of the larger conversation in dance and in the arts.

Accolades

Recent audience comments, critical reviews and notes from students, parents and teachers tell the story of BalletMet’s rich contributions to the creative culture of Central Ohio. A few samples follow:

When he was named BalletMet’s fifth artistic director this year, Edwaard Liang promised a mixture of the old and the new, the comfortable juxtaposed with the audacious. The annual Rhythm on the River series confirmed Liang’s commitment to eclecticism, and if the appreciative response of the audience of about 5,000 is any indication, Columbus is prepared for it. Wünderland, a modern piece that Liang choreographed in 2009, showcased the dancers at their most disciplined. Danc[ed] to music by Philip Glass… Wünderland was clearly an audience favorite. Columbus Dispatch 8/13/13

Once again, BalletMet did not disappoint. I love the direction Edwaard Liang is taking the company. The highlights for me were the first two pieces -- Wünderland and Bolero. While Balanchine's choreography is classic [Symphony in C], the choreography for Wünderland and the staging for Bolero were spectacular. audience member, March 2014

An incredible evening of dance! This [New Directions/New Works] was one of the most technically complex I have seen. I will say that my favorite was of Heaven & Earth but all were wonderful both artistically and technically. The middle pas de deux in of Heaven brought me to tears. audience member, April 2014

The unquestionable highlight of the concert, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s 18+1 impressively couples the driving Latin sounds of Pérez Prado and others with a delightfully incongruous blend of movement both manic and mechanical. Chock-full of surprises, 18+1 showcases one of the many things BalletMet has always done well: committed, precise performances of terrific new work spiked with humor. Columbus Alive 5/1/14

I just wanted to thank you all for another wonderful year of the guidance and inspiration which continues to enrich Ashley’s life. She continually blossoms in her passion for dancing and it is such a pleasure to watch her joy. It is a real testament to all of you that she plans to make dance and dance education a part of her career path. parent of Dance Academy student, May 2013

Dance moves to teach the seasons, counting, shadows and animals. The lesson plans will be helpful. I can utilize the STEM modules in the classroom to enhance other areas of learning. It’s a fun and interactive way to use movement to bolster other areas of learning. teacher participant in The Wiggle Jig professional development workshop, March 2014

BALLETMET 2013-2014 SEASON ANNUAL REPORT SUMMARY PAGE 5

2013-2014 2013-2014 2014-2015 Operating Budget Pre-Audit Actual Operating Budget EARNED INCOME Company Subscription Income 409,500 451,015 463,000 Repertory Single Ticket Income 457,500 385,746 420,000 The Nutcracker Single Ticket Income 1,048,000 968,613 1,007,000 Playbill/Other Sales/Presentations 3,000 2,943 3,000 Touring/Rentals 111,000 109,776 102,000 Subtotal Company $2,029,000 $1,918,093 $1,995,000

Academy/Education 1,263,375 1,407,814 1,406,600 Interest/Production/Miscellaneous 22,000 37,727 27,000

TOTAL EARNED INCOME $3,314,375 $3,363,634 $3,428,600

CONTRIBUTED INCOME Annual and Special Gift Campaigns Corporations 504,000 501,743 500,000 Foundations 180,000 172,517 176,200 Individuals 625,000 645,506 509,500 Board 417,000 403,768 349,150 Subtotal Campaigns $1,726,000 $1,723,534 $1,534,850

Government Grants 362,500 373,989 377,894 Benefit/Special Events 291,200 287,262 330,000 In-Kind Goods & Services 200,000 93,683 100,000

TOTAL CONTRIBUTED INCOME $2,579,700 $2,478,468 $2,342,744

TOTAL INCOME $5,894,075 $5,842,102 $5,771,344

EXPENSES Artistic/Performances 2,845,425 2,828,741 2,717,030 Academy/Education 1,217,595 1,209,025 1,230,755 Marketing 705,635 726,015 721,090 Development 359,650 346,634 373,700 Administration 419,460 470,983 422,760 Cost of In-Kind Goods & Services 200,000 93,683 100,000 TOTAL EXPENSES $5,747,765 $5,675,081 $5,565,335

OPERATING INCOME OVER EXPENSES $146,310 $167,021 $206,009

OTHER ACTIVITY Mortgage interest expense/fees - all ($145,000) ($139,067) ($135,000)

NET INCOME * $1,310 $27,954 $71,009 * Excludes non-cash depreciation and amortization expense, or capital campaign revenue

BALLETMET 2013-2014 SEASON ANNUAL REPORT SUMMARY PAGE 6