Chicago ballet and dance school, founded in 1941 by dancer-choreographers Bentley Stone and Walter Camryn.

Bentley Stone was born August 31, 1907 in Plankinton, South Dakota, and began studying ballet at the age of 15 with G.M. Casket in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Two years later he moved to New York City to study with Margaret Severn and Luigi Albertieri. Stone began his career dancing in musicals, and in 1931 he joined the Chicago Civic Opera Ballet, where he worked in many capacities from soloist to choreographer. He became Premier Danseur of the company in 1933 under the direction of Laurent Novikoff, and continued his role through 1937 under Ruth Page’s tenure. Page and Stone directed the Federal Theater Ballet together in 1938, and later that year formed the Page-Stone Ballet Company, which continued through 1950. It was the first American ballet company to tour South America.

Walter Camryn was born July 30 or 31, 1901 in Helena, Montana (according to his death certificate). He was 24 and managing a retail flower shop in Boise, Idaho, when he left for Chicago to study ballet at the Adolph Bolm School. After a year and a half of training and teaching children’s classes, he won an opening in the Chicago Civic Opera Ballet. He continued dancing there through 1938, and also appeared as a soloist in the Page-Stone Ballet during this time. In 1939 he directed the Federal Theater Ballet with Eloise Moore. He then became Chairman of the Chicago Dance Council from 1942-1943, participating in one of the first attempts to form a ballet based in Chicago. He also served as artistic director for the Chicago Children’s Civic Theater during the summers of 1941-1948. Camryn became well known for his Character work, especially in the American Idiom.

Stone and Camryn opened the Stone-Camryn School of Ballet together in 1941. The school was originally located in the Grand Theatre Building on Clark Street, but moved to 185 West Madison in the fall of 1950 due to the need for more space. It became a not for profit corporation in 1953. The school had a reputation for accepting students based on talent rather than ability to pay, and offered low tuition rates and scholarships. Enrollment generally included students from Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, but summer programs attracted students from all across the country. The school offered courses in classical ballet, character dance, yoga, and modern dance. It also hosted guest artists including Mia Slavenska, Mary Skeaping, and Inga Weiss.

As teachers, Stone and Camryn practiced traditional methods while acknowledging more modern approaches to dance. The school aimed to prepare students for work in contemporary ballet companies, and found great success in this goal. Alumni have gone on to work at many prestigious companies, including: in New York, the American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Alwin Nicolai Dance Theatre, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, First Chamber Dance Company, Jose Limon Dance Company, Martha Graham Dance Company, Metropolitan Opera Company and New York City Ballet; in Chicago, the Lyric Opera Company, Page-Stone Ballet, and Ruth Page International Ballet; elsewhere in the United States, the National Ballet of Washington, Milwaukee Ballet Company, Houston Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet; and internationally, the Winnipeg Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Netherlands Dans Theatre, Frankfurt Ballet Company, Hamburg Opera Ballet, and Stuttgart Ballet Company. Stone-Camryn School of Ballet alumni have also gone on to careers as actors and actresses, choreographers, and teachers, with some opening their own studios.

Both Stone and Camryn maintained active teaching and performance schedules outside their work with the school. Camryn additionally gave lectures and master classes around the country. The school eventually closed in 1981 due to Stone and Camryn’s declining health, after a final “Tribute” performance. Both men passed away in 1984.