UND Special Collections receives scrapbook detailing 50 years of N.D. Ballet Company

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the North Dakota Ballet Company, UND’s Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, is pleased to announce the donation of a scrapbook created by the Company’s founder, Kata Novak.

The North Dakota Ballet Company is the official ballet company of North Dakota. It was founded in 1962 by Kata Novak, and is a nonprofit organization that aims at promoting different pre-professional dance styles, with an emphasis on classical ballet.

Along with performances, the company is also heavily involved in the training process of organized dance. Children can begin training by the age of two and ages 12 and older can participate in a more intensive training program. The pre-professional division consists of dancers who are at least 18 years old, and this division performs at numerous events throughout the area during the year.

The scrapbook contains various news clippings about the Grand Forks Ballet Company from its beginnings to its designation as the official dance company of North Dakota, which occurred in 1966. Also included in the scrapbook are various photographs of company members and correspondences addressed to the founder, Kata Novak, along with autographed photos signed to her by various dancers.

— David L. Dodds, writer/editor, University Relations, 777-5529, daviddodds@mail.und.edu.