Marcia Dale Weary

For Marcia Dale, the daughter and namesake of father, Dale Weary, the developmental motor sequence from birth, to crawl, to walk, to run and dance took only three years. Dale, the father of Marcia, Sandra, and Rosemary, provided everything – a home, protection, a nurturing environment, and fun. Dale, himself, had studied music, percussion, and also dance. Later he taught the girls ballroom dance for recreation and play. It was Marcia, especially, who was powerfully inspired to dance for real. She also took her father’s music lessons and drum rhythms to heart and lived her whole life with them.

Saturday night dance clubs were common in the big band era of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and others. Marcia loved to watch her parents waltz and whirl around the dance floor. Music was commonly in the air also at home. Marcia had taken private piano lessons and would eventually play for small dance practice sessions at her home.

With dance and music in her system, Marcia started to teach dance in early life – at age 12! Marcia would assemble a group of friends, teach parts, play the piano, count rhythm, and cheer the dancers on.

By 1955, Marcia needed a real dance studio. The Weary family then purchased an old sheep barn in Carlisle and totally renovated it and installed a professional dance floor. The building was named “The Barn.”

Andre de Ribere then joined the dance school in Carlisle and brought with him administrative and artistic skills which he had honed in Paris, France. Other supporters and participants of the fledgling school included Ken Laws, Bob Gregor, Barbara Weisberger, Richard Cook, and some years later - Darla Hoover.

Many graduates of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet have gained appointments to professional dance companies around the world.

Ask Marcia how she likes teaching ballet after more than half a century – and she responds “I love to teach. And I’m still learning.”