The First Negro Classic Ballet was founded in 1946 and directed by the German dancer Joseph Rickard in Los Angeles, California.
In 1946, Joseph Rickard, a white dancer, saw an African American child turned away from a Los Angeles dance studio because of her race.
By 1947, Rickard founded the First Negro Classic Ballet, offering a place to perform and choreograph.
[1] The company held its debut recital on October 19, 1946, at the Danish Auditorium in Los Angeles, and premiered professionally on November 19, 1949, at Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara.
[2] Joseph Rickard was engaged by New York choreographer, Edward Flemyng, who proposed combining their companies.