• Vision/Mission
• Bios
  • Artistic Director
  • Assistant Artistic Director
  • Artistic Associates
  • Managing Director
  • Dancers
• Board of Directors
• Advisory Board
• History

Mary Beth Cabana

~ Founding Artistic Director

Mary Beth Cabana has been a Principal Dancer with Cleveland Ballet, Ballet Oklahoma, Arizona Dance Theatre, and San Diego Ballet.  She began her professional career at the age of 14 with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and graduated from the National Academy of Dance where she was a full scholarship student and member of the National Academy Ballet.  She has performed extensively in the United States and Europe performing in a wide variety of roles by such noted choreographers as Balanchine, Tudor, DeMille, Joos, Forsythe, Fokine, Petipa, and Nahat to name just a few.

Ms. Cabana has been on the faculties of the School of Cleveland Ballet, Ballet Arts-Carnegie Hall, Dance Concepts-NYC and was the Principal Instructor and Administrator for Arizona Dance Theatre (Ballet Arizona).  She has guest taught for Kiev Ukraine Ballet and Palace of Pioneers in the former Soviet Union, in France and Mexico and continues to guest teach throughout the United States.  In 2005 and 2006, she was invited by famed ballerina Amanda McKerrow to direct summer programs for Ballet Pacifica in Irvine, California (under the direction of Ethan Stiefel).  As a choreographer, she has produced numerous original works for Ballet Tucson and has staged dances for Arizona Opera Company, Arizona Theatre Company, Yuma Ballet Theatre, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Ohio Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, Grand Valley State University and West Michigan Youth Ballet.

Since beginning in 1986, she has been responsible for the establishment of four professional training institutions in Southern Arizona including studios in Tucson and Nogales and branch programs in Patagonia and Sierra Vista.  She has also established a 20 member professional company, two children’s performing ensembles, the Annual Summer Dance Workshop in Tucson, a Northern Arizona Dance Camp in Prescott, and International Dance/Cultural exchanges.  In 2007, she was nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tucson Pima Arts Council and recognized as an Outstanding Individual Artist by the Governor of the State of Arizona.  She brings her wealth of experience to dancers of all ages.  Her commitment to the cultivation of young talent continues as her students dance professionally in major American ballet companies and schools.