Canton Ballet

Canton Ballet was founded in 1965 by Suanne Ferguson and Jane Bingham Fawcett. The company debuted with a performance for MacDowell Club. In 1968 the first public performance of The Nutcracker was held at Timken HS. In 1970 John Begg of Cleveland became first full time artistic director with Ferguson as associate artistic director and the ballet became a founding member of the Midwest region of National Association of Regional Ballet. In 1972 at the invitation of dean Jack Morehart the new School of Canton Ballet opened at KSU Stark with the CB as company-in-residence. In 1978 the school moved into the former First Christian Church downtown with offices at the new Cultural Center for the Arts. That same year then-artistic director John Wilkins founded the ballet's Peter and the Wolf outreach program, beginning its long 31 year history. Cassandra Crowley became school director in 1980 and artistic director in 1981. Also in 1981 a fire completely destroyed the church studios and the full costume inventory, causing the ballet to move to various other community sites. A new Cinderella production in rented costumes temporarily replaced The Nutcracker for three years. The Timken Foundation provided a major grant to the Cultural Center for construction of a wing which in 1983 became the permanent home of all ballet operations. Under Crowley the ballet joined the northeast region of Regional Dance America (RDA) in 1982, becoming an honor company in 1984, an elite status which it holds to this day, and in 1984 mounted a new production of The Nutcracker to resume its former place as annual winter season. In 1987 Angelo Lemmo joined the ballet faculty and in 1991 was appointed resident choreographer. Former CB company member Jennifer Catazaro Hayward joined the artistic staff and faculty in 1990, was later named assistant to artistic director. Early childhood specialist and former CB company member Julie Mizer Grasse joined the faculty in 2000. In 2008 office administrator Deborah Barath became manager and volunteer Jeanne Coen was appointed marketing/development director. In 2009-10 the artistic director is in her 30th year with CB, the performing company members number over 50 jr. and sr. high school students and the school has an enrollment of 325 students ages toddler to adult.