The Columbus Ballet

The Columbus Ballet traces its roots back to 1994, when Maria Hirsch and Beth Griffin (now with Arizona Ballet) founded The Ballet Workshop , a privately-owned ballet school dedicated to reviving interest in classical dance across the Chattahoochee Valley. Just two years later, in 1996, the founders staged the region’s first full-length production of The Nutcracker in a generation — an ambitious and inspiring performance that would become a beloved annual tradition. They followed this with a repeat performance in 1997 and a spring repertory in 1998 that featured excerpts from iconic ballets Giselle and Swan Lake . That same year, The Ballet Workshop transitioned into a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and officially became The Columbus Ballet .