Harkness Ballet

The Harkness Ballet (1964–1975) was a New York ballet company named after its founder Rebekah Harkness. Ms. Harkness inherited her husband's fortune in Standard Oil holdings and was a dance lover. Ms. Harkness funded Joffrey Ballet, but when they refused to rename the company in her honour, she withdrew funding and hired most of the Joffery dancers for her new company. Joffery Ballet later moved to Chicago, and continues to function. Harkness Ballet, established in 1964, gave its debut performance in Cannes in 1965, with George Skibine as director, Marjorie Tallchief as ballerina and a repertory featuring work by Alvin Ailey, Skibine, Eric Bruhn, Brian Macdonald and Stuart Hodes, the company mostly toured abroad, in the major theaters of Europe, to great acclaim, giving its dancers and cho

Harkness Ballet

The Harkness Ballet (1964–1975) was a New York ballet company named after its founder Rebekah Harkness. Ms. Harkness inherited her husband's fortune in Standard Oil holdings and was a dance lover. Ms. Harkness funded Joffrey Ballet, but when they refused to rename the company in her honour, she withdrew funding and hired most of the Joffery dancers for her new company. Joffery Ballet later moved to Chicago, and continues to function. Harkness Ballet, established in 1964, gave its debut performance in Cannes in 1965, with George Skibine as director, Marjorie Tallchief as ballerina and a repertory featuring work by Alvin Ailey, Skibine, Eric Bruhn, Brian Macdonald and Stuart Hodes, the company mostly toured abroad, in the major theaters of Europe, to great acclaim, giving its dancers and cho