Kansas City Ballet is mourning the loss of longtime supporter DeVette Ashley, who passed away on May 20, 2026, at the age of 82. DeVette’s vision, generosity and love of dance shaped one of KC Ballet’s most treasured holiday traditions, and her legacy will continue through the very event she created three decades ago.
DeVette was born July 22, 1943, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, to DeKoven and Vivian French. Raised in segregated Oklahoma by a mother, aunt and uncle who were all educators, she grew up caught between two worlds: a life shaped by that era’s limits, and a dream of dancing on stage, inspired in part by Osage prima ballerina Maria Tallchief.
After earning a nursing degree from St. Louis University, DeVette moved to Washington, D.C., where she met her husband, Dr. Lillard Ashley. The couple married in 1975 and settled in Kansas City.
In 1995, DeVette turned an idea into a tradition. When then-Artistic Director Todd Bolender expressed interest in a children’s event tied to The Nutcracker, DeVette proposed a luncheon followed by the performance. As she once recalled, “That first year we had lunch at The Marriott before the show. But each year after we tried something new,” from party favors to a dessert modeled after cheese and mice. What began as the Sugar Plum Fairy Luncheon grew into the Sugar Plum Fairy Children’s Ball, with organizers continuing to add new touches each season to keep the magic alive.
Another longtime supporter, Lisa Sirridge, put it simply: “DeVette took an idea and dream for much needed support for the Kansas City Ballet School and turned it into a Kansas City holiday tradition.”
DeVette remained devoted to the ballet throughout her life, even while living with multiple sclerosis. She is survived by her husband, Lillard, and a loving family of children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
This December, the Sugar Plum Fairy Children’s Ball will carry DeVette’s vision forward under the theme “Clara’s Dream,” bringing the beloved Battle Scene to life. The event will be held Saturday, December 5, at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, with festive activities, lunch and a performance by Kansas City Ballet School students. New this year, attendees will receive a special discount for select performances of The Nutcracker, giving families the flexibility to attend the 2 p.m. matinee following the Ball or another performance that better fits their schedule.
Now in its 31st year, the Ball continues to benefit the Kansas City Ballet School, expanding scholarships and making dance accessible to students across the region, exactly as DeVette envisioned it.
Kansas City Ballet is grateful for DeVette Ashley’s decades of generosity and vision, and honored to carry her legacy forward, one holiday season at a time.
Tickets for the 2026 Sugar Plum Fairy Children’ Ball are currently available online.
Header image: (From left to right) Kansas City Ballet School Bolender Center Principal Kim Cowen with DeVette Ashley at a 2019 supporter event. Photo courtesy of Kansas City Ballet.
