Marilyn Z. Gaston began her professional performing career before graduation with a B.F.A. in Ballet/Theatre from Texas Christian University. She danced with the Ft. Worth Ballet, Casa Mañana Summer Musicals, Inc., the Atlanta Ballet Company from 1972-74 and, from 1974-1977 she was engaged as a fully-contracted company member with the German State Theatre ballets companies in Lübeck and Karlsrühe (Germany), and the Ballet du Rhin (then housed in Strasbourg, France). She later also danced with the professional company of the Maryland Ballet when it was headquartered in Baltimore until 1979. Upon returning to the U.S. from Europe, Ms. Gaston began teaching in universities, private dance schools and pre-professional studios. In 1981 she founded the Ballet Academy of Baltimore and the Ballet Concerto of Baltimore, now known collectively as the Baltimore Ballet, and continued in that capacity until 1997. She served on the dance faculties of Towson University, Goucher College, Loyola University (Baltimore), Tyler Jr. College, and other universities, and later returned to complete an M.F.A. in Dance on a teaching fellowship from 2009 to 2012 at the University of Oklahoma. Her past students have been accepted into many college dance programs, pre-professional schools, and professional dance companies. In 2008 Ms. Gaston also completed an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte. She has two fiction books also in publication, and another ballet book in this series entitled "Building Ballet Technique, A Practical Teaching Guide for All Levels". She continues teaching ballet in Florida.