Chicago City Ballet School Records, 1980-1994

Gift, Mrs. Richard Newhouse, Jr., September 1994.

The Chicago City Ballet School Records are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).

The Chicago City Ballet School Records are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.

Chicago City Ballet School Records, The Newberry Library, Chicago.

Catherine Grandgeorge, 2016.

The School of Chicago Ballet was founded in 1980 by Maria Tallchief, a former prima ballerina of the New York City Ballet. The school and affiliated Chicago City Ballet started after the closure of the ballet school for the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1979. Tallchief and her husband Henry Paschen developed the school with artistic advisors George Balanchine and Suzanne Farrell. Maria Tallchief’s younger sister, Marjorie Tallchief Skibine, served as the director of the school. The school was officially separated from the company in February of 1985, when it became known as the School of the Chicago City Ballet.

The school focused on training young dancers preparing for professional performing careers. Students auditioned for admission to professional track classes and were assigned to one of ten class levels depending on age, ability, and previous training. In 1988, faculty members included Maria Tallchief, Marjorie Tallchief Skibine, Homer Bryant, Joel Hall, and Anna Paskevska with artistic direction from Paul Mejia. Advanced students made up a Junior Company of the school and participated in performance opportunities at schools, community groups, and other organizations. The school also offered non-professional track dance classes for all ages.

After the school moved to Hyde Park in 1990, Maria Tallchief’s involvement declined, and the school was primarily run by Kathie Newhouse and her husband, former state Sen. Richard Newhouse. With decreasing enrollment numbers and internal conflict, the school dissolved and closed in December 1993.

Administrative and publicity materials of the School of the Chicago City Ballet. Photographs, clippings, programs, and brochures document the classes and performances of students. The Board of Director materials include financial information and correspondence, along with board meeting minutes. Photographs, contact sheets, and negatives are mostly unidentified and undated, but provide excellent images of classes and students.

For related materials, see the Chicago City Ballet Records, 1924-2001, bulk 1980-1987, Dance MS CCB.

Arranged alphabetically with miscellaneous and oversize items at the end.

• Names
  • Chicago City Ballet.
  • Tallchief, Maria
  • Tallchief, Marjorie
• Subject
  • Ballet -- Study and teaching -- Illinois -- Chicago
  • Chicago
  • Clubs and Organizations
  • Dance
  • Dance schools -- Illinois -- Chicago
  • Manuscripts, American -- Illinois -- Chicago