Barbara Burrows and Dance Company

Two numbers performed by the Worthington Civic Ballet and Youtheatre during its 32nd annual spring concert was "He's The Wizard" and "Ease on Down the Road" from "The Wiz". This photograph shows Worthington Civic Ballet Director, Barbara Burrows and members of the dance company in dress rehearsal at the Thomas Worthington High School Theater. Cast members for this portion of the production were Lori Gregory (Dorothy), Brad Waldsmith (Tin Man), Clifford Scholey (Toto), Barbara Burrows (Glinda), Stephanie Gold (Cowardly Lion), John Mulford (Scarecrow), Chris Dominach, Lodia D'Angelo, Christina Hosack, Mancy McCray (Yellow Brick Road), Alison Grenier, Alyssa Keller, Nicole Piroli, and Nicole Winkelman (The Munchkins).

Barbara Burrows was a graduate of Worthington High School, class of 1963. She opened a school of dance and theater arts shortly after graduation, directing the Worthington Civic Ballet and Jazz North Studios & Companies (also Youtheatre and the Theatre Arts Guild, Inc.) in Worthington for four decades. Miss Burrows was a founding member of the Worthington Arts Council. Her talents extended beyond the performing arts, as a poet, costume, and stage designer. She was trained locally by Duard Farquhar and Jorg Fasting, directors of the Capital City Ballet Company and also studied with leading dancers of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, New York City Ballet, the Martha Graham Dance Company, faculty of the Juilliard School of Music, Carnegie Hall, the American Dance Machine, and the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. Locally she instructed hundreds of Worthington area children in dance and theater over a course of forty years. She was known for her authentic choreography and talent as a seamstress, having designed and sewed dance costumes for her dance companies. Her dance companies performed over 700 shows in Worthington and Columbus, including the "Artists-In-Schools" touring programs with the Ohio Theatre for Youth and the Greater Columbus Arts Council.