A scholarship fund that reflects the vision of our founder.

Westchester Ballet Company was founded in 1950 in Ossining, New York, by Iris Merrick, a visionary educator and artist who transformed the cultural landscape of Westchester. A scholarship student of the legendary Michel Fokine and an early performer on Broadway, Merrick believed that every child deserved access to the discipline, beauty, and joy of ballet.

“I started the ballet school so children would know what it is like in the theater,” she once explained. She opened the doors of her school to all, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

Merrick’s dream was to use ballet as a tool not just for artistic development, but also for personal growth and community building. She was also among the first in the country to found a regional ballet company focused on young dancers.

For more than three decades, Merrick directed WBC with passion and ingenuity, staging original productions, training young dancers, and fostering a tradition of excellence rooted in accessibility. After her retirement in 1980, she remained active in the dance world, continuing to teach and inspire well into her later years. Her vision lives on in every WBC performance and every dancer who has passed through its doors.

The Iris Merrick Scholarship Fund, established in September 2026 by her descendants, will provide scholarships to dancers performing with Westchester Ballet Company who demonstrate talent, dedication, and financial need. With continued support from the Merrick family and contributions from the Westchester Ballet Company community, the fund is expected to grow each year. The long-term goal is to build a permanent endowment that will generate annual scholarship support for an ever-growing number of deserving dancers.

Double the Impact of Your Gift with the 2026 Art$WChallenge.*

As a 2026 ArtsAccess Grantee, Westchester Ballet Company is eligible to participate in ArtsWestchester’s 2026 Art$WChallenge, providing an exciting opportunity for your support to go even further.

With support from the Westchester County Executive and the Westchester County Board of Legislators, ArtsWestchester will provide matching funds for new and increased donations made between August 13 and December 15, 2026.

First-time donor? ArtsWestchester will match your eligible gift.

Already a WBC supporter? Increase your giving this year, and ArtsWestchester will match the amount of your increase.

That means every new gift—and every additional dollar given by a returning donor—can have an even greater impact on Westchester Ballet Company and our mission of Excellence in Ballet. Access for All.

*Funding is competitive. Make your gift today to help us take full advantage of this special matching opportunity before available funds run out.