 In 1946, the Company became the first in the nation to help fund a symphony by donating the season's annual proceeds to the Atlanta Youth Symphony, which later developed into the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.In the 1950s, Robert Barnett joined the company from New York City Ballet as a principal dancer and associate director.Barnett received exclusive permission from George Balanchine to use his choreography for "The Nutcracker" as well as other signature works, making Atlanta Civic Ballet the only company in the country to perform works by Balanchine outside of New York City Ballet for several decades.