Metro Ballet Company presents high-quality productions of traditional, classical ballet. For the past several years, however, the company's overall profits have been declining, and ticket sales have been flat. Annual auidence surveys indicate that a majority of those who attend Metro Ballet productions consistently enjoy the performances and prefer classical ballet to other forms of dance; almost all of them have been attending Metro Ballet for several years. General surveys of area residents indicate, however, that very few are aware of Metro Ballet productions, and most imagine that the performances are boring and tickets too expensive. In an effort to appeal to a wider audience, over the past decade the company has spent increasing amounts of money on spectacular stage prodcutions, while lowering ticket prices.