Founding Artistic Director

MARY BETH CABANA, Founding Artistic Director, has been a Principal Dancer with Cleveland Ballet, Ballet Oklahoma, Arizona Dance Theatre and San Diego Ballet. She received her early training under the critical eye of E. Virginia Williams at the Boston Ballet. At the age of 14, Ms. Cabana began her professional career with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and then 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 in a wide variety of roles by such noted choreographers as Balanchine, Tudor, DeMille, Joos, Forsythe, Fokine, Petipa and Nahat.

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 the Palace of Pioneers in the former Soviet Union, in France and Mexico, and continues to guest teach throughout the United States. Under the direction of Ethan Stiefel, she designed and conducted summer programs for Ballet Pacifica in Irvine, California.

As a choreographer, Ms. Cabana has produced a vast amount of original works and restagings of classic ballets. She has also staged dances for Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera, Ohio Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and Burklyn Ballet Theatre.

Since beginning in 1986, she has established Ballet Arts Tucson, branch schools in Nogales, Sierra Vista and Patagonia, the annual Summer Dance Workshop in cooperation with UA School of Dance and international dance/cultural exchanges. Ballet Tucson’s Artistic Director has also founded and fostered the development of Ballet Tucson (Tucson’s resident professional ballet company) and Ballet Tucson II (Tucson’s premier youth ballet). Ms. Cabana has been nominated for the Arizona Arts Award, for a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tucson Pima Arts Council, and identified as an Outstanding Individual Artist by the Governor of the State of Arizona. In 2009, she was invited by New York City Ballet Director, Peter Martins, to attend the 75th Anniversary of the School of American Ballet and was recognized as one of the foremost teachers in the United States as part of National Teacher’s Weekend. In 2019, she was named Arts & Culture Champion by the TUcson Business Women of Influence Awards. In addition, she received a Congressional Commendation for her Long-time commitment from Arizona U.S. Senator Martha McSally.

A talented costume and scenic designer in her own right, Ballet Tucson’s founder has been instrumental in the overall design of all productions.

Ms. Cabana 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 and European ballet companies and schools.