1962
Barbara Weisberger opens the School of Pennsylvania Ballet to train dancers for her company.
July 12, 1963
First performance at the Paoli estate of Board president C. Colket Wilson, III. George Balanchine and W. McNeil Lowry, Director of the Ford Foundation's Humanities and the Arts Program are among the distinguished guests.
December 16, 1963
The Ford Foundation announces its allotment of nine grants totaling more than $7.7 million to "strengthen professional ballet in the United States." Pennsylvania Ballet is awarded $295,000.
April 16, 1964
First Philadelphia performance at University of Pennsylvania's Irvine Auditorium.
January 28, 1967
A New York debut is held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
January 1968
Company makes City Center debut in Manhattan.
November 29, 1968
First performance of The Nutcracker with first act by Osvalso Riofrancos, Snow Scene by Robert Rodham, and second act by Balanchine.
May 1977
PBS special "Dance in America" features Company in national broadcast.
1979
Roy Kaiser joins Pennsylvania Ballet's corps de ballet. Company makes Kennedy Center debut.
October 16-23, 1980
Mayor William J. Green proclaims "Pennsylvania Ballet Week."
1982
Founder Barbara Weisberger resigns in February. Artistic Director Benjamin Harkarvy resigns in July.
September 1982
New York City Ballet's Robert Weiss is named Artistic Director.
June 6, 1984
Twentieth Anniversary gala is held; guests include Rudolf Nureyev, Suzanne Farrell, and Bill Cosby.
September 16, 1987
Pennsylvania Ballet performs for international dignitaries at "We The People" Gala celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the signing of The Constitution.
December 16, 1987
Million-dollar production of The Nutcracker is unveiled, incorporating Balanchine's first act.
May 24, 1990
Christopher d'Amboise is appointed Artistic Director.
1994
Christopher d'Amboise resigns. Roy Kaiser is appointed Acting Artistic Director, and in February 1995 becomes Artistic Director.
July 1999
Pennsylvania Ballet performs in Europe for the first time at the Music Festival in Sintra, Portugal.
February 2002
Pennsylvania Ballet II, the Joyce and Herbert Kean Trainee Program is established, with Principal Dancer William DeGregory as Director.
June 4, 2004
Pennsylvania Ballet celebrates 40th Anniversary and presents million-dollar full-length production of Swan Lake, with choreography by Christopher Wheeldon.
August 2005
The Company makes its International Debut at the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland.
March 2007
Pennsylvania Ballet receives rave reviews for its commission of a re-envisioned Carmina Burana created by Matthew Neenan, who is later named as the Company's first Choreographer in Residence.
June 5, 2007
The Company announces its $5 million purchase of a new permanent home on north Broad Street.
November 14, 2007
The Company returns to New York City Center after a 22-year absence with two dynamic programs including Matthew Neenan's Carmina Burana and As It's Going, and Balanchine's Serenade and Concerto Barocco.
December 14, 2007
A new production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker is unveiled, breaking all previous sales records.
June 10-11, 2008
Pennsylvania Ballet is one of nine companies nationwide invited to perform at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of its season-ending Ballet Across America series.
October 28, 2008
The Company celebrates its 45th Anniversary with a spectacular gala performance of Twyla Tharp's
Push Comes To Shove at the Ballroom of the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue.
2009
Roy Kaiser celebrates 30 years with Pennsylvania Ballet and 15 years as Artistic Director.
Credits
Dancers: Patricia Turko, Barbara Sandonato and Alexei Yudenich, Lawrence Rhodes, Robin Preiss and Roy Kaiser, Debra Austin, Tamara Hadley and William DeGregory, Jeffrey Gribler, Arantxa Ochoa and David Krensing, Jermel Johnson, Julie Diana and Zachary Hench, Riolama Lorenzo and Sergio Torrado.
Photographers: Steve Caras, Tom Caravaglia, Richard Brodzeller, Alexander Iziliaev, Paul Kolnik, Jack Mitchell