MS-48 Dayton Ballet Company Records Collection Number: MS-48 Title: Dayton Ballet Company Records Dates: 1907-1998 Creator: Dayton Ballet Company Summary/Abstract: Records consist of organizational papers, annual reports, financial records, and performance programs for two early dance groups that predated the Dayton Ballet Company. Dayton Ballet Company records start in 1958 and include a constitution, minutes of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, officers and membership lists, annual reports, newsletters, financial records, an extensive collection of performance records and programs, correspondence, records of the Friends of the Dayton Ballet, press releases, clippings, and materials relating to the Dayton Ballet's membership in national and regional dance organizations. Also included are scrapbooks containing clippings, photographs, and programs which highlight the early careers of Dayton Ballet founders, Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, as well as the activities and performances of the Company. Quantity/Physical Description: 34 linear feet and 17.65 GB (digitized videocassettes) Language(s): English Repository: Special Collections and Archives, Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435- 0001, (937) 775-2092, [email protected] Restrictions on Access: There are no restrictions on accessing most material in this collection; however, due to preservation concerns, original audio and videocassettes and reels cannot be played in the reading room. Patrons may have access to digitized reference copies. Items without existing reference copies can be digitized at the patron’s request for the cost of creating a digital copy. Please contact us at least two (2) weeks in advance if you would like to request an audio or video reference copy. Restrictions on Use: Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder. Preferred Citation: [Description of item, Date, Box #, Folder #], MS-48, Dayton Ballet Company Records, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. Acquisition: The collection was donated to Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University Libraries, by Hermene and Josephine Schwarz as a liaison for Dayton Ballet in 1975. Accruals: Additional records were accessioned in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990, and 2005. Existence and Location of Copies: This collection includes digitized reference copies of original videocassettes, which are identified in the collection inventory and are located in the E-Archives. 1 MS-48 Dayton Ballet Company Records Separated Material: Oversize materials in the collection are separated to flat file storage. Digital reference copies of U-matic tapes in the collection are located in the E-Archives. Other Finding Aid: The finding aid is available on the Special Collections & Archives, Wright State University Libraries web site at https://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/collectionguides/files/ms48.pdf. It is also available in the OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository at http://ead.ohiolink.edu/xtf-ead/. Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements: This collection includes digitized reference copies of original videocassettes, and these electronic files require the use of appropriate computer hardware and software. The digitized video files are in MP4 format. Related Material: MS-218: Josephine Schwarz Papers https://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/collectionguides/files/ms218.pdf MS-193: Josephine Schwarz/Jane Reece Photograph Collection https://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/collectionguides/files/ms193.pdf MS-185: Richard Fullerton/Jane Reece Collection https://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/collectionguides/files/ms185.pdf Processed by: Dorothy Smith, Fall 1981; Gillian Hill, Summer 1990; and Amber McPherson, 2005. Revisions: Finding aid revised according to DACS, scrapbooks series rehoused (2014 March), and MP4 digital files of videocassettes processed (2020 July) by Toni Vanden Bos. Arrangement: The collection is arranged into 5 series and 24 subseries as follows: SERIES I: Early Dance Companies and Support Groups, 1938-1960 Subseries I-A: Dayton Theatre Dance Group, 1938-1960 Subseries I-B: Children's Ballet Company, 1955 Subseries I-C: Dayton Ballet Theater, 1956-1958 Subseries I-D: Dayton Ballet Society, 1953 Subseries I-E: Dayton Dance Guild, 1953 SERIES II: Schwarz School of the Dance, 1930-1987 Subseries II-A: Administrative Records, 1933-1987 Subseries II-B: Performance Records, 1933-1979 Subseries II-C: Costume Designs, 1945-1965 Subseries II-D: Photographs, 1930-1963 SERIES III: Dayton Ballet Dance Center, 1984-1987 Subseries III-A: Administrative Records, 1984-1987 SERIES IV: Dayton Ballet School, circa 1980-1989 Subseries IV-A: Administrative Records, circa 1980-1989 SERIES V: Dayton Civic Ballet/Dayton Ballet Company, 1907-1998 2 MS-48 Dayton Ballet Company Records Subseries V-A: Administrative Records, 1958-1990 Subseries V-B: Financial Records, 1956-1988 Subseries V-C: Performance Records,1951-1995 Subseries V-D: Costumes Designs, 1940-1981 Subseries V-E: Photographs and Slides, 1940-1991 Subseries V-F: Audio Reels and Videocassettes, 1982-1998 Subseries V-G: Auxiliary Organizations, 1959-1995 Subseries V-H: Associations and Festivals, 1959-1988 Subseries V-I: Correspondence, 1959-1990 Subseries V-J: Publicity, 1913-1995 Subseries V-K: Miscellaneous Materials, 1907-1988 Subseries V-L: Scrapbooks, 1920-1981, 1989 Subseries V-M: Oversize Records, 1959-1987 Historical Note: Dayton Ballet 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 Dayton Ballet School. In the interests of promoting dance in the Miami Valley area, Dayton Ballet gives numerous lecture-demonstrations and mini-concerts to local schools, and organizations. The company was granted Major Company status by the National Association for Regional Ballet (NARB) and performed annually at the NARB festivals. NARB became Regional Dance America in 1987. In 2012, leadership of the Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra merged under one organization named the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance. This merger was the first of its kind in the nation. As of 2020, the Dayton Ballet performs at Dayton's historic Victoria Theatre and the Schuster Center. 3 MS-48 Dayton Ballet Company Records Scope and Content: When researching this collection, it is useful to know the following distinct groups and their interrelated activities: the Dayton Ballet School, (formerly the Schwarz School of the Dance, then renamed the Dayton Ballet Dance Center), is the official school for the Dayton Ballet Company. The Dayton Ballet First Company is a professional performing group of approximately 15 dancers. Dayton Ballet II is the apprentice/training company for the first company. Both companies are supported and promoted by The Dayton Ballet Association. The Dayton Ballet Association is a non-profit corporation which maintains a staff, a rehearsal hall, and an office for company classes, rehearsals, business and meetings. The Friends of the Dayton Ballet is the volunteer service arm of the Dayton Ballet Association and fulfills various company needs as they arise. The records within the Dayton Ballet Company collection are divided into five series, I: Early Dance Companies and Support Groups, II: Schwarz School of the Dance, III: Dayton Ballet Dance Center, IV: Dayton Ballet School, and V: Dayton Civic Ballet/Dayton Ballet Company. Each series is further organized into subseries. The basic arrangement within each subseries is chronological, except for the performance photographs, which for the most part are stored in alphabetical order by the name of the ballet performed. Series I, Early Dance Companies and Support Groups, spans 1938-1960, and