1Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Ballet.

2WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Ballet was established in 1963 by
3Barbara Weisberger, a protégée of George Balanchine, through a 
4Ford Foundation initiative to develop regional professional 
5dance companies; and

6WHEREAS, The first national performance of the Pennsylvania
7Ballet took place in 1968 at City Center in New York; and

8WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Ballet served as the official
9company of the Brooklyn Academy of Music during the 1970s; and

10WHEREAS, From 1987 to 1989, the Pennsylvania Ballet allied
11with the Milwaukee Ballet to become the first company in the
12United States to offer its dancers year-round employment; and

13WHEREAS, The first international performance of the
14Pennsylvania Ballet took place in 2005 at the Edinburgh

1International Festival; and

2WHEREAS, In 2010, dancers from the Pennsylvania Ballet
3performed in the Academy Award-winning film Black Swan; and

4WHEREAS, This dance company's education program, Accent on 
5Dance, serves over 11,000 youngsters each year; and

6WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Ballet has earned a national
7reputation and widespread critical acclaim for its performances
8of a diverse classical and contemporary repertoire with a
9Balanchine base; and

10WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Ballet is a notable cultural
11institution of both the City of Philadelphia and the
12Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; therefore be it

13RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
1450th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Ballet.