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Founders

An idea becomes a national movement.

Dorothy Alexander was a visionary leader and director of the Atlanta Civic Ballet (now Atlanta Ballet). In the summer of 1955, she met with Antole Chujoy, founder/editor of Dance News. Chujoy proposed that bringing together dancers and choreographers for a dance festival in defined regions of the country could make the quality dance training traditionally only found in larger metropolitan areas more accessible to the smaller corners of dance across the US. Alexander enthusiastically developed the idea and hosted the first regional festival in 1956 with eight companies participating. The success of this event immediately led to the formation of the Southeastern Regional Ballet Festival Association. In 1958, Dance Magazine sent Doris Hering to Atlanta to cover the second festival, where she met Dorothy Alexander. The rest was history; five regional organizations, a national umbrella, and countless opportunities spread throughout the country in this grassroots dance movement. This is the history of Regional Dance America.

Founding Visionary

Dorothy Alexander
1904-1986

Dorothy Alexander was dedicated to a life-long ambition: to spread quality dance across the country, and not just have it relegated to certain small pockets. Miss Dorothy was a clear-eyed and determined visionary. She surrounded herself with wise consultants, and reached further than any other woman in advancing the cause of regional ballet.

 

Dorothy Alexander was born in 1904 in Atlanta, Georgia. She began dance lessons at age seven; and by age 18, she had opened her first professional studio. She traveled to New York in the summers to study all forms of dance with the leading teachers and performers of the day. Shortly before the Great Depression, she formed a six member company – The Dorothy Alexander Dance Art Group, which eventually became the Atlanta Ballet. It was the first regional ballet company and is the oldest continuously operating independent company in the country. The company was very unique at this time, presenting both ballet and modern dance works in its repertory.

 

Her life took a giant leap forward in 1954, when Anatole Chujoy, founder/editor of Dance News, attended a Canadian Ballet Festival showcasing companies across the country. He came back to the US and asked visionary Miss Dorothy to organize a similar festival in Atlanta.

 

America’s Regional Ballet Movement was launched on April 13, 1956 with eleven companies performing at the inaugural festival. Eventually this concept expanded into five regions across the country. In 1972 the National Association for Regional Ballet was founded, and Miss Dorothy went on to receive many prestigious awards and recognition for her contributions to the field. One of the most important came in 1973 from the National Endowment for the Arts, which proclaimed “Dorothy Alexander epitomizes the artist as visionary. Just as great architects have foreseen cities which then came to be…she built a national dream, regional ballet.”

Founding Executive Director

Doris Hering
1920-2014

Doris Hering was a very proud, life-long New Yorker, but she was always curious about what was happening in dance around the country. She served as Associate Editor and Principal Critic for Dance Magazine, and she was sent to Atlanta, Georgia in 1958 to cover the second Southeastern Regional Ballet Festival. The rest was history. She became a dance activist, promoting the cause of decentralized dance through her clear and persuasive writing and went on to become the Founding Executive Director for the National Association for Regional Ballet.

 

Doris Minnie Hering was born in 1920 in Brooklyn, New York. Her first introduction to dance was through vaudeville shows, where she could see a wide variety of dance styles. She grew up with a love for dance, however she never wanted to be a dancer; her passion was to write about it. After graduating from Hunter College, she found her way to Dance Magazine.

 

In 1958, she attended the Southeastern Regional Ballet Festival and there she met Dorothy Alexander. She became Doris’ mentor and later a close friend in this new field. Doris experienced first-hand the excitement and quality of the teaching and performances from many different companies throughout the region and returned to New York a changed person.

 

She wrote features about the regional festivals, and her writings were one of the key factors in opening up the closed door between who “could” and “couldn’t” be-dancers. In fact, she received a Capezio Dance Award in 1985 for being “A Crusader for Dance”.

 

In 1971 Doris became the Founding Executive Director for the National Association for Regional Ballet, a position she held from 1972-1987. Under her leadership many programs benefiting dancers, directors and the field in general were instituted.

Following Dorothy Alexander’s original efforts to create a Regional Festival came the development of five regions, all independently organized under the structure of the parent organization known as the National Association for Regional Ballet (NARB), which operated from 1963 – 1987. Lack of funding closed the NARB national office in 1987, and regional dance found itself in a state of flux. The five regional entities remained intact and continued to operate as independent organizations, but without a national identity.

 

During this period, five ambitious women worked tirelessly to reorganize the regional dance movement and see it through a vital transition. The vision of these five people, Barbara Crockett, Cassandra Crowley, Glenda Brown, Peggy Girouard and Lila Zali, led to the reorganization of the national association while maintaining connection with the five individual associations. In 1988, Regional Dance America was formed and the second chapter in the regional dance movement began.


Glenda Brown
1937-2021

Among many contributions to the regional dance movement, Glenda Brown served as the President of Regional Dance America/Southwest, and she led the Craft of Choreography Conference (now RDA’s National Choreography Intensive) for a number of years. Her visionary nature led RDA to host its first National Festival.

 

Glenda began her life in the spotlight as a drum majorette at age two. She joined the chorale group, The Melody Maids, at age 12. The group traveled to US military bases around the world entertaining US service members. At 18, she was asked to open her own dance school in Jasper, Texas, and the famous four words, “I will do it”, changed her life forever and developed her love for teaching.

 

She married Dave Brown and moved to Houston, Texas where they raised daughters Kai Jai and Vanessa. In 1981, she and Peggy Girouard took over directorship of Emma Mae Horn’s ballet school and company known as Allegro Academy of Dance and Allegro Ballet of Houston. Glenda delighted in the opportunity to teach students both dance and choreographic skills and see them grow and flourish. She also nurtured young artistic directors and guided them to success in order to help grow regional dance throughout the US.

 

She served as President of RDA/Southwest for 20 years, she directed the Craft of Choreography Conference (now RDA’s National Choreography Intensive) from 1987-2001, and she served as festival host for RDA’s first National Festival in 1997. Later she founded The Glenda Brown Choreography Project, and then became director of Stars of Tomorrow International (formerly Young!Tanzsommer).

 

Glenda loved her family, friends, students and traveling. She believed you should live every day in the now and not put things off for later. Her motto was: Take the trip; Buy the shoes; Eat the cake.


Barbara Crockett
1920-2022

Barbara Crockett was an extraordinary woman – a visionary and pioneer. She was a prodigious force for excellence in ballet in California. Barbara took an active part in the National Association for Regional Ballet as President and Secretary. She worked just as hard for the Pacific Region.

 

Barbara Virginia Wood was born in Berkeley, California and grew up in Fresno, where she studied ballet at a local school. She moved to San Francisco at 16 years old, where she continued her ballet training and joined San Francisco Ballet. There she met Deane Crockett. The two married and after WWII moved to Sacramento where they raised two daughters.

 

Barbara and Deane opened the Crockett Dance Studio and in 1955, founded the Sacramento Civic Ballet, a non-professional company that they aspired to grow into a professional company. After years of tireless work, their dream was realized, and it became the professional company Sacramento Ballet, which continues to this day.

 

In 1966, Barbara, Deane, and a few like-minded colleagues founded what ultimately became the Pacific Region of Regional Dance America. They successfully hosted the first-ever Pacific Regional Ballet Festival in California in 1966. Barbara wore many hats with the National Association for Regional Ballet and RDA over the years, and she was dedicated to their ongoing success.

 

Barbara was a magnificent role model throughout her long life, as a dancer, teacher, director and choreographer. She taught by her superb example, demonstrating integrity, commitment, and her exceptional work ethic. Barbara Crockett did everything full out, on both sides, reversed it, added beats – then did it again in her highest heels! She had a backbone of steel, a twinkle in her eyes, and an endearing heart and spirit.


Cassandra Crowley
RDA Historian

Cassandra Crowley’s legacy is carried on through the lives of her many students as well as the influential institutions she was critical to building, Canton Ballet and Regional Dance America. Now retired, Cassandra continues to work with the RDA National Board of Directors and serves as Historian.

 

Born in Tacoma, Washington, Cassandra Crowley began ballet with Jan Collum. With Collum’s Concert Band Group of Tacoma, Cassandra attended the first two Pacific Regional Ballet Festivals. After one year of college studies, she decided to move to London. There she worked as an usher in the Royal Opera House, studied Benesh Dance Notation, and reveled in the dance scene. Master teacher Maria Fay guided Cassandra to join the Slovene National Ballet in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Three years in the company gave Cassandra a great foundation in the classical repertoire.

 

After returning home, Cassandra pursued her Masters’ Degree in Dance at Butler University and began to work with regional ballet companies. Settling in Ohio, she directed Canton Ballet’s school and company for over 42 years. Canton Ballet was a member of NARB, and Cassandra led the Northeast Region. “Travel” in many ways seems an appropriate theme for Cassandra’s life and legacy: From her personal journey beginning in the Pacific Northwest, to Europe, and the Northeast, to the many ripples radiating out from her positive and forceful impact on students, colleagues, and friends.

 

Many of Cassandra’s students went on to successful dance-related careers. Cassandra also understood that a dance education honed many life skills, and her commitment to excellence, high-expectations, deliberate practice, and discipline shaped countless others into valued community members and successful professionals. Now retired, Cassandra continues to work with RDA and best of all, has plenty of time to travel!


Peggy Girouard
1933-2018

Peggy Girouard worked tirelessly for regional dance. She was a lover of the arts, particularly musical theater and dance. She had season tickets to every local arts group and was an avid and devoted supporter of local talent.

 

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Peggy grew up in Houston where she began her love for dance. Graduating from the University of Houston, she was a regular performer in the school’s famed Frontier Fiesta as well as many other dance performances. She married soon after college, and then opened her first ballet school in Germany, while her husband was stationed there in the early 1950s.

 

Returning to Houston three years later, she joined the Emma Mae Horn School of Ballet. Upon Mrs. Horn’s retirement, she joined with her friend and co-faculty member Glenda Brown to establish the Allegro Academy of Dance and pre-professional company Allegro Ballet of Houston. She continued as co-director and active member of the faculty for many years.

 

Peggy did not just teach dance; she encouraged dancers to follow their passions. Her lifetime passion was her chosen career as a dance instructor, including ballet, tap and jazz. Peggy was also a member of Dance Masters of America, the National Association for Regional Ballet, and a founding board member of Regional Dance America.

 

Life with Peggy was never dull. She loved her former students and colleagues and made lifelong friends and cherished memories in the dance world. The Girouard household was always filled with visiting dance instructors and special artist friends.

 

Peggy’s two loves were her family and the arts. This was evident throughout her entire life, and she maintained a close connection to the dance and theater world in her later life.


Lila Zali
1917-2003

Lila Zali devoted her entire life to promoting dance as an artform and creating and building the dance audience. She founded Ballet Pacifica and later served as Regional Dance America’s first President.

 

Zali was born in Tbilisi, Georgia. Her family moved to the United States after the Russian Revolution and settled in Washington, D.C. She began studying dance and performed at the White House at a young age. She went on to study at the American School of Ballet after graduating from high school. In 1940 she began dancing in the nucleus of American Ballet Theatre and later joined the Colonel de Basil Ballet Russe.

 

Moving to Los Angeles, she met her husband, began dancing in many motion pictures, and she served as the prima ballerina of the Coronet Ballet and the Los Angeles City Ballet, where she also taught. Her most impressive and memorable film credit is as a dancer in An American in Paris.

 

Zali and her husband moved to Laguna Beach in 1959. She opened a school, and in 1962, founded a company called Laguna Beach Civic Ballet. Zali worked tirelessly choreographing, sewing costumes, running the school, and raising money, all with the goal of creating a professional-level dance company. At the same time, she was an early leader in the National Association for Regional Ballet and served on the board of directors.  She hosted the second Pacific Regional Ballet Festival and went on to be president of the Pacific Region for many years. She also served as Regional Dance America’s first President.

 

Lila was tremendously proud of the dozens of dancers she had trained who went on to professional careers as performers with such prominent companies as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet and many more.

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