Artistic Directors
Margo Marshall Artistic Director
Margo Marshall is the Artistic Director of Margo Marshall School of Ballet and City Ballet of Houston. She began her training in Washington, D.C. She continued training with Edna McRae in Chicago, with the Christensen brothers in San Francisco and studied at the Ballet Russe School and the Ballet Theatre School in New York. She began teaching dance in the early 1950s while attending the University of Houston. She has owned and operated the Margo Marshall School of Ballet since 1958 and has served as Artistic Director for City Ballet of Houston since 1967. She continues to teach the Intermediate Advanced and Advanced levels in the school.
Recognized as one of the outstanding ballet in teacher in the United States, Ms. Marshall has been a guest teacher for many schools in the U.S. and Europe, including the Joffrey School in New York, the International Academy of Dance in Portugal, The Louisville Ballet, the 1981-1985 Boston Ballet’s Summer Workshops, and “The Place” in London. She has served as part-time faculty member of the Houston High School of the Performing Arts and Sam Houston State University.
Mary Elizabeth Arrington Associate Artistic Director
Mary Elizabeth Arrington is the Associate Artistic Direction for City Ballet of Houston and the principal teacher for Margo Marshall School of Ballet. She started ballet at the age of seven years and trained at the Virginia Ballet School under the direction of Oleg Tupine and studied at various workshops including School of American Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, Chatauqua Institute and City Ballet of Houston.
Ms. Arrington danced with Tulsa Ballet Theatre for three years as a Demi-Soloist and performed roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Giselle. She has also been a guest dancer with the Reno Ballet Theatre and Ballet Arkansas. In 1992 she moved to Houston to continue to study and teach with Margo Marshall School of Ballet and perform as an Artist-in-Residence with City Ballet of Houston.
Dennis Marshall Artistic Advisor
Dennis Marshall was born in Houston, Texas and began his dance training at the age of five with his mother, Margo Marshall. He continued to train, with scholarships, at some of the most prestigious dance academies in the world, including the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, the Royal Ballet in London, the School of American Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet School. Upon graduation from the Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, he was asked to join the American Ballet Theatre under the direction of Lucia Chase, where he performed solo and principal roles. His highly acclaimed career continued when he joined the San Francisco Ballet under the direction of Lew Christenson and Michael Smuin.
Mr. Marshall has been a guest teacher for many schools around the country including the Boston Ballet School, Ballet Dallas, the Southwest and Mid-States Regional Ballet Festivals and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston and Dallas. He was on the faculty of North Carolina School of the Arts for one year. He then became Ballet Master of North Carolina Dance Theatre for their 1988-1990 seasons. Mr. Marshall served as Ballet Master to the Tulsa Ballet Theatre for their 1991-1992 season. He was Ballet Master for Boston Ballet from 1996-2000. He is currently a Professor at the University of Oklahoma Dance Department, but continues to teach for Margo Marshall School of Ballet and City Ballet of Houston.