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Steve and Cathy Doyal Find Magic in Dance and Music

Steve and Cathy Doyal have been Ballet season ticket holders for more than 30 years but can trace their love of ballet to an experience Steve had in high school. The high school speech and drama teacher, Mary Chaisson, arranged for a group to travel to Kansas City on a Sunday afternoon for a performance by the San Francisco Ballet. That was all it took.

“I was amazed at the athleticism of the dancers and captivated by the artistry of the entire performance,” said Steve. Yet it was another 15 years or more before he saw another live performance and that time he and Cathy experienced it together. Since that first encounter with the Kansas City Ballet, they’ve been enthusiastic supporters.

“It’s almost as if we grew along with the company,” said Cathy. “Every year our appreciation and understanding increased as we watched the company consistently innovate, create and elevate the artistry presented on the stage. It’s been exciting to see the company evolve into an elite company recognized across the country for the caliber of its dancers, repertoire and professional leadership.”

In addition to ballet, the Doyals appreciate classical music and find the combination of dance and a live orchestra to have a powerful emotional impact. Part of the excitement they find in a live performance is the immediacy — the in-the-moment impact — that dance and live music create.

They believe if you enjoy and appreciate something, it’s a natural and easy next step to support an endeavor financially. That also is one of the reasons Steve agreed to serve on the Ballet Board of Directors and Moving Into The Future Campaign.

“Board service has given me an appreciation for the complexity of operating the professional company, Second Company, Ballet School, and the organization’s many community outreach programs,” said Steve. “We had no idea that it takes as many as XX accompanists to meet the requirements of the Ballet School that serves more than 2,000 students each year. Or that the Community Outreach programs reach more than 24,000 students and adults annually, including every third-grade student in nearly 20 elementary schools.”

The Doyals both had careers in communications and recognize the arts as important forms of communications offering insight into the many cultures that make up the tapestry of our community.

“You can learn so much about yourself and others through the arts,” said Cathy, “As society struggles to find common ground, the arts remind us that we are, indeed, more alike than we are different. When we pause for shared experiences in the joy of dance, music and the visual arts, we enrich our lives, expand our horizons and strengthen the fabric of our community.

They consider themselves fortunate to have experienced the Ballet under the creative direction of Todd Bolender, William Whitener, and Devon Carney. Over the years they’ve had favorite dancers (autographed slippers worn by Deena Budd were a birthday gift from Cathy to Steve) and favorite programs.

Creating a fund for The Moving into the Future Endowment Campaign they invested in the future to ensure more thrilling performances, world premieres, exhilarating music, exceptionally talented dancers and financial stability that allows the company soar.


What are you passionate about?

We would gladly assist you with ways to make a gift that is meaningful to you and has a lasting impact on Kansas City Ballet. Please contact Rebecca Zandarski at 816.216.5597 or rzandarski@kcballet.org.

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