Roberta Boorse, RIP

[dirac]

Roberta Boorse, the founder of Milwaukee Ballet, has died at age 84.

On April 24, 1970, the ballet held its inaugural performance that included Ted Kivitt, principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre in New York, one of the country's premier companies.

That was soon followed by a performance at Uihlein Hall at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts that featured Kivitt and Cynthia Gregory from the American Ballet Theatre.

To generate interest in ballet in Milwaukee, Boorse had gone to New York to persuade the American Ballet Theatre to let its stars perform with the new dance company.