SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013/Marietta Daily Journal
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PROFILE
Belle Ballet of the
Georgia Ballet executive director began as a dancer, igniting a passion By Sheri Kell business@mdjonline.com
ormer professional ballerina and current Georgia Ballet executive director Michele Ziemann-DeVos is one of the fortunate few who can say her job “is a gift.” From a large, Chicago Catholic family of modest means, she did not have the resources to take ballet lessons as a child. But thanks to a strong arts program in her high school, a passion was ignited.
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Ziemann-DeVos embarked on a insurance corporation. professional-level training schedule, A chance meeting with her husdancing six days a band-to-be at a week, several conference THE ZIEMANN-DEVOS FILE hours a day and moved her to TITLE: Executive Director/School earned a scholarWoodbury, Director ship to the UniConn., and to versity of Cincinfound a dance AGE: 50 nati Conservatory program at an EDUCATION: Studied at University of Music and arts school. “That of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Dance. is where I found and Dance “I was lucky my calling to Family: Married to Zachary DeVos to find outstandenable others to FIRST JOB: Working in a bakery in ing teachers,” she pursue this joyful high school to help finance my ballet pursuit.” said. “When you tuition and pointe shoes start dancing in A job brought adolescence, it is the couple to BEST JOB: My current one; I enable hard on the body Cobb County, inspiring art, unparalleled dance … It is better to where Ziemanntraining and meaningful community condition from a DeVos began outreach. young age.” dancing and LESSON LEARNED the Hard Way: In the years teaching for Iris Don’t expect the truth to reveal that ensued, while Hensley, who itself. Sometimes one must go looktraining and dancfounded Georgia ing for it. ing professionally Ballet in 1960. ADVICE TO THE Next Generation: with the Pennsyl“I experienced Stay true to your principles, not to vania Ballet, Des the integrity of yourself. Moines Ballet how she ran the and the New business, the Haven Ballet, Zievision of the mission and the respect she had for the mann-DeVos also earned money and art,” she recalls. business experience by working at her In 1996, Hensley hired her as father’s company, and later at an
Michele Ziemann-DeVos has been executive director of the Georgia Ballet since 2003. Staff/Emily Barnes
school director. The school originated in a small studio on Cherokee Street, later moved Whitlock Avenue, then to 31 Atlanta Street, where it remained until Hensley died suddenly of cancer in 2003. With the organization in turmoil, the 17-member board of directors swiftly named Ziemann-DeVos executive director. In 2004, the school purchased a two-story, 13,500-square-foot building on Field Parkway, near Cobb Parkway and Bells Ferry Road. In the nine years since, it has grown 50 percent and now has 300 students dancing in five studios. Marietta resident Dot Dunaway, who taught ballet at the school for many years and has served on the board of trustees, said, “Through grit and determination, Michele has adjusted for the ballet company’s financial operations to fit funding available during economic downturn, sought new opportunities and still provide top quality performances.” “We are always fundraising,” said Ziemann-DeVos. “Expenses are much greater than the ticket price we can charge so it has to be subsidized. To really train children properly in the art
of classical dance is not a profit-making pursuit.” Under her leadership, fundraising levels have increased by 75 percent and individual giving by 350 percent. The school has 17 employees, plus 15 paid professionals who dance in 25 performances a year. The annual budget of $820,000 includes costumes, stage sets and rent to the Cobb Civic Center for productions. In addition, the school’s community outreach includes “arts in education” field trips; a 10-week, free training class in Title 1 schools; and “Dance-Ability,” a free class to children with special needs. Dunaway added, “Michele’s engaging personality and love of ballet have heightened the success of the Arts in Education school outreach program. She has certainly been a tribute to Iris Hensley’s founding success of The Georgia Ballet.” Ziemann-DeVos’ works long hours, frequently seven days a week, but does not complain. “I wouldn’t give away a minute of it. It’s a gift to me … The GAB changes lives every day, thousands every year – what more enjoyable endeavor can one pursue?”