▁opportun ities . ▁ ▁Mc L ain ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁and ▁Freder ic ▁Franklin ▁became ▁inter im ▁director . ▁ ▁A ▁permanent ▁art istic ▁director , ▁Ivan ▁N agy , ▁was ▁appointed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁company ▁moved ▁out ▁of ▁CC M , ▁although ▁it ▁was ▁still ▁designated ▁the ▁official ▁school . ▁It ▁was ▁N agy ' s ▁intention ▁to ▁have ▁C inc inn ati ▁Bal let ▁stand ▁alone ▁as ▁a ▁professional ▁company . ▁The ▁company ▁continued ▁to ▁perform ▁at ▁Music ▁Hall ▁but ▁re he ars als ▁were ▁now ▁in ▁the ▁Em ery ▁Building . ▁A ▁Hung arian ▁native ▁who ▁had ▁dan ced ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁world , ▁N agy ▁knew ▁many ▁foreign ▁d anc ers , ▁and ▁brought ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁them ▁to ▁C inc inn ati . ▁The ▁arrival ▁of ▁highly ▁experienced ▁d anc ers ▁began ▁to ▁raise ▁the ▁company ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁standard ▁of ▁performance . ▁The ▁company ▁expanded ▁to ▁include ▁five ▁princip als , ▁nine ▁solo ists ▁and ▁twenty - three ▁corps ▁members . ▁It ▁joined ▁the ▁American ▁Gu ild ▁of ▁Musical ▁Art ists ▁and ▁added ▁the ▁S CP A ▁Dance ▁Department , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁CC M ▁Children ' s ▁Dance ▁Division , ▁as ▁“ fe eder ” ▁institutions ▁to ▁provide ▁app rent ices ▁and ▁child ▁perform ers . ▁ ▁A ▁new ▁N ut cra cker , ▁ch ore ograph ed ▁by ▁Ben ▁Stevens on ▁of ▁the ▁Houston ▁Bal let , ▁was ▁also ▁performed ▁every ▁year ▁in ▁Kno x