American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a
classical ballet
Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), its ...
company based in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the
Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center)
The Metropolitan Opera House (also known as The Met) is an opera house located on Broadway at Lincoln Square on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Part of Lincoln Center, the theater was designed by Wallace K. Harrison. It opene ...
in the spring and a shorter season at the
David H. Koch Theater
The David H. Koch Theater is a theater for ballet, modern and other forms of dance, part of the Lincoln Center, at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Originally ...
in the fall; the company tours around the world the rest of the year. The company was scheduled to have a 5-week spring season at the MET preceded by a 2-week season at the Koch Theater beginning in 2020. ABT is the parent company of the
American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and was recognized as "America's National Ballet Company" in 2006 by the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
.
History
In 1939 Pleasant and Chase committed to the creation of "a large scale company with an eclectic repertory".
The pair and a small group from
Mordkin Ballet formed Ballet Theatre. Their new company's first performance was on 11 January 1940.
Chase began developing the company's repertoire of well-known full-length ballets, as well as original works, amidst financial issues. In 1945 Oliver Smith joined Ballet Theatre and became co-director with Chase.
In 1957 the company changed its name to American Ballet Theatre. It continued to emphasize ballet classics, yet remained challenged by financial issues. During the 1960s and 1970s, the company's prospects brightened due to more favorable private funding. During this period, American Ballet Theatre shifted its ballet focus to the recruitment of star performers. In 1977, the company began its spring season at the
Metropolitan Opera House, its new official venue.
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Latvian-born R ...
in 1980 became Artistic Director for American Ballet Theatre. Baryshnikov staged, restaged, and refurbished numerous classical ballets and, according to the company, strengthened their classical tradition. Baryshnikov was replaced in 1989 by Jane Hermann and Oliver Smith, who remained as Artistic Directors until 1992, when
Kevin McKenzie received the appointment. McKenzie satisfied the demands of the traditional ballet audience by prioritizing full-length narrative ballets. He also succeeded in keeping the company afloat during financially unstable times. In 2004 he established an official associate ballet school, the
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre (ABT/JKO School) is the associate school of American Ballet Theatre located at 890 Broadway, within the Flatiron District of Manhattan, New York City. The school comprises a children ...
. After a long period of no in-house choreographer, McKenzie appointed
Alexei Ratmansky
Alexei Osipovich Ratmansky (russian: Алексей Осипович Ратманский, born August 27, 1968) is a Russian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Bolshoi Ballet. He left Rus ...
as "Artist in Residence" in January 2009.
Artistic staff
Artistic directors
*
Lucia Chase
Lucia Hosmer Chase (24 March 1897 – 9 January 1986) was an American dancer, actress, ballet director and also the co-founder of the American Ballet Theatre.
Life and career
Chase was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of Elizabeth ...
and
Oliver Smith (1940–1980)
*
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Latvian-born R ...
(1980–1989)
* Jane Hermann and Oliver Smith (1989–1992)
*
Kevin McKenzie (1992–present)
Executive director and CEO
*
Rachel S. Moore Executive director (2003-2011) CEO (2011-2016)
Executive director
*
Kara Medoff Barnett (2016–present; outgoing 2021)
Resident choreographers
*
Antony Tudor
Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-1950 ...
(1940–1950)
*
Alexei Ratmansky
Alexei Osipovich Ratmansky (russian: Алексей Осипович Ратманский, born August 27, 1968) is a Russian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Bolshoi Ballet. He left Rus ...
(2009–present)
Music directors, conductors, concertmasters (partial list)
* Ormsby Wilkins (music director) (current)
* Charles Barker (principal conductor) (current)
* David LaMarche (conductor) (current)
*
Benjamin Bowman
Benjamin Walter Bowman (born September 20, 1979) is an American-Canadian violinist. The Metropolitan Opera and incoming Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin appointed Bowman as concertmaster as of the 2018-19 season, after a successful one-year ...
(concertmaster) (current)
Dancers
American Ballet Theatre has four levels within the company. They are (in ascending order):
apprentice
Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
,
corps de ballet
In ballet, the ''corps de ballet'' (; French for "body of the ballet") is the group of dancers who are not principal dancers or soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers.
...
,
soloist,
[
] and
principal.
[
]
Principals
Soloists
Former dancers
The following is a partial list of former dancers with ABT, listed by their highest rank prior to leaving the company.
Former principal dancers
*
Stella Abrera
Stella Abrera (born 1978 in Manila, Philippines) is a Filipina-American ballet dancer. She danced as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre until her retirement in 2020, and is the company's first Filipina principal ballerina. She is ...
(1996-2020)
*
Ivan Allen
Ivan Allen (June 29, 1930 – May 7, 2012) was an American ballet dancer who was active as a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre during the 1950s and early 1960s. He became a principal soloist with the Metropolitan Opera in 19 ...
(1950s–1960s)
*
Alicia Alonso
Alicia Alonso (born Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martínez del Hoyo; 21 December 1920 – 17 October 2019) was a Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer whose company became the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1955. She is best ...
(1943–1948)
*
Nina Ananiashvili
Nina Ananiashvili (born: ''Nino Ananiashvili'', ka, ნინო ანანიაშვილი; born March 19, 1963) is a Georgian ballerina and artistic director of the State Ballet of Georgia. She has been described by the '' Daily Teleg ...
(1993–2009)
* Victor Barbee (1975–2003)
*
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Latvian-born R ...
(1974–1978)
*
Patrick Bissell
Walter Patrick Bissell (December 1, 1957 – December 29, 1987) was an American danseur. He was a leading principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. On his death at age 30 from a drug overdose, he was described by the artistic dire ...
(1977–1987)
*
Julio Bocca
Julio Adrián Lojo Bocca (born March 6, 1967) is an Argentine ballet dancer. Bocca spent twenty years as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. From 2010 to 2018 he served as artistic director of the National Ballet of Uruguay, administ ...
(1986–2006)
* Karena Brock (1973–?)
*
Leslie Browne
Leslie Browne (born June 29, 1957) is an American prima ballerina and actress. She was a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre in New York City from 1986 until 1993. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Ac ...
(1976–1993)
*
Erik Bruhn
Erik Belton Evers Bruhn (3 October 1928 – 1 April 1986) was a Danish danseur, choreographer, artistic director, actor, and author.
Early life
Erik Bruhn was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the fourth child and first son of Ellen (née Evers), o ...
(1949–1958, 1961–1972)
*
Fernando Bujones
Fernando Bujones (March 9, 1955 – November 10, 2005) was an American dancer.
Born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents, Bujones is regarded as one of the finest male dancers of the 20th century and hailed as one of the greatest American male dan ...
(1972–85, 1990s)
*
José Manuel Carreño
José Manuel Carreño (born 25 May 1968) is a retired Cuban ballet dancer, who performed as a principal dancer with the English National Ballet, Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.
Carreño started dancing at the age of ten and received ...
(1995–2011)
*
Lucia Chase
Lucia Hosmer Chase (24 March 1897 – 9 January 1986) was an American dancer, actress, ballet director and also the co-founder of the American Ballet Theatre.
Life and career
Chase was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of Elizabeth ...
(1940–1960)
*
Ángel Corella (1996–2012)
* Eleonor D'Antuono (1961–1981)
*
Anton Dolin Anton Dolin may refer to:
* Anton Dolin (ballet dancer)
Sir Anton Dolin (27 July 190425 November 1983) was an English ballet dancer and choreographer.
Biography
Dolin was born in Slinfold in Sussex as Sydney Francis Patrick Chippendall Healey ...
(1940–1946)
*
Irina Dvorovenko
Irina Vladimirovna Dvorovenko ( uk, Ірина Володимирівна Дворовенко; russian: Ирина Владимировна Дворовенко; born 28 August 1973) is a Ukrainian-American retired ballet dancer and actress. She ...
(1996–2013)
*
Alessandra Ferri
Alessandra Ferri OMRI (born 6 May 1963) is an Italian prima ballerina. She danced with the Royal Ballet (1980–1984), American Ballet Theatre (1985–2007) and La Scala Theatre Ballet (1992–2007) and as an international guest artist, before t ...
(1985–2007)
*
Carla Fracci
Carolina "Carla" Fracci (; 20 August 1936 – 27 May 2021) was an Italian ballet dancer, actress and ballet director. Considered one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century, she was a leading dancer of La Scala Theatre Ballet in Milan, th ...
(1967–?)
*
Alexander Godunov
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
(1979–1982)
* Guillaume Graffin (1988–2005)
*
Cynthia Gregory
Cynthia Kathleen Gregory (born July 8, 1946) is an American former prima ballerina.
Career
Born in Los Angeles, Gregory took up dancing when she was five, with the encouragement of her parents, who hoped exercise would stem her history of childhoo ...
(1965–1991)
*
Cynthia Harvey
Cynthia Harvey (born May 17, 1957) is an American former ballet dancer, ballet mistress and educator. She joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 1974 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1982. In 1986, she joined The Royal Ballet, becom ...
(1974–1986, 1988–1996)
*
Susan Jaffe
Susan Jaffe (born 1962) is an American ballet dancer and arts administrator. She is currently the artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre, where she had danced for 22 years and held the rank of principal dancer. She previously served a ...
(1980–2002)
*
Julie Kent (1993–2015)
*
Gelsey Kirkland
Gelsey Kirkland (born December 29, 1952) is an American ballerina. She received early ballet training at the School of American Ballet. Kirkland joined the New York City Ballet in 1968 at age 15, at the invitation of George Balanchine. She was p ...
(1974–1984)
*
John Kriza
John Kriza (15 January 1919 – 18 August 1975) was an American ballet dancer and teacher whose long career as a principal with American Ballet Theatre made him one of the best known and most admired male dancers in the country.
Early life and tr ...
(1940–1966)
* Robert La Fosse (1977–1986)
*
Harold Lang
Harold Lang (December 21, 1920 – July 26, 1985) was an American dancer, singer and actor.
Life and career
Lang began his professional career as a ballet dancer, making his professional debut with the San Francisco Ballet in 1938 and then goi ...
(1943–1945)
*
Annabelle Lyon
Annabelle Lyon (New York City, January 8, 1916 – November 4, 2011, Mansfield, Massachusetts) was an American ballerina. She was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre.
She was raised in Memphis, where her father Max ran a chain of ...
(1939–1943)
*
Natalia Makarova
Natalia Romanovna Makarova (russian: Ната́лия Рома́новна Мака́рова, born 21 November 1940) is a Russian prima ballerina and choreographer. ''The History of Dance'', published in 1981, notes that "her performances set ...
(1970–1986)
*
Vladimir Malakhov (1995–2008)
*
Alicia Markova
Dame Alicia Markova DBE (1 December 1910 – 2 December 2004) was a British ballerina and a choreographer, director and teacher of classical ballet. Most noted for her career with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and touring international ...
(1941–1946)
*
Kevin McKenzie (1979–1991)
*
Amanda McKerrow (1982–2005)
* Kathleen Moore (1982–2006)
*
Veronika Part
Veronika Part (born 21 February 1978) is a Russian ballet dancer. She is a former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. She served as a ballet mistress for Atlanta Ballet during the 2019–20 season.
Early life
Veronika Part was born i ...
(2002–2017)
* Kirk Peterson (1974–1980)
* Danilo Radojevic (1978–1993)
*
Johan Renvall (1978–1996)
*
Keith Roberts
Keith John Kingston Roberts (20 September 1935 – 5 October 2000) was an English science fiction author. He began publishing with two stories in the September 1964 issue of ''Science Fantasy'' magazine, "Anita" (the first of a series of stor ...
(1987–1999)
*
Ethan Stiefel
Ethan Stiefel (born February 13, 1973) is an American dancer, choreographer, and director. He was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT) from 1997 until July 2012. He was the artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet fro ...
(1997–2012)
* Marianna Tcherkassky (1970–1996)
*
Ashley Tuttle (1987–2004)
*
Martine van Hamel
Martine van Hamel (born 16 November 1945) is a Dutch choreographer, director, teacher, retired ballerina and former Principal dancer at the National Ballet of Canada and American Ballet Theatre (ABT). She was a gold medalist at the biennial Varn ...
(1970–1992)
* Edward Verso (1962–1968)
*
Michele Wiles
Michele Wiles is an American ballet dancer. She was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre from 2005 - 2011. In 2011, she left ABT to form the independent classical ballet company Ballet Next with former New York City Ballet principal ...
(1998–2011)
*
Diana Vishneva
Diana Viktorovna Vishneva (''also trans.'' Vishnyova; russian: Диана Викторовна Вишнёва; born 13 July 1976) is a Russian ballet dancer who performs as a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet (formerly the Kirov Ball ...
(2005–2017)
*
Marcelo Gomes (1997–2018)
*
Roberto Bolle
Roberto Bolle (born March 26, 1975 in Casale Monferrato) is an Italian danseur. He is currently a ''principal dancer'' with the American Ballet Theatre and a principal dancer ''étoile'' at La Scala Theatre Ballet. Bolle also dances regularly a ...
(2009-2019)
*
Sarah Lane
Sarah Lane (born August 3, 1984) is an American ballet dancer who was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT). She served as a " dance double" for Natalie Portman in the 2010 film '' Black Swan''.
Early life
Lane was born in San ...
(2004-2020)
Former soloists
* Kristi Boone (2000–2014)
* Ethan Brown (1981–2004)
* Gabrielle Brown (1980–1996)
* Sandra Brown (1987–2003)
*
Tener Brown (1979–1986)
* Carmen Corella (1998–2007)
* Lykke Håkansson (2007–2010)
*
Erica Cornejo
Erica Cornejo (born 1978/79) is an Argentine ballet dancer who was a principal dancer with the Boston Ballet.
Early life
Cornejo was born in San Luis, Argentina and raised in Buenos Aires. Her younger brother, Herman Cornejo, is currently a pri ...
(1998–2007)
*
George de la Peña
George de la Peña (born December 9, 1955) is an American ballet dancer, musical theatre performer, choreographer, actor, and teacher. He was born in 1955 in New York City, New York.
Originally trained as a concert pianist, de la Peña switched t ...
(1970s–1985)
*
Joaquín De Luz
Joaquín De Luz (born 1976, Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish ballet dancer. He was formerly with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), and a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet (NYCB). He is currently director of Spanish National Dance Compa ...
(1997–2003)
*
Lisa de Ribere
The School of American Ballet (SAB) is the most renowned ballet school in the United States. School of American Ballet is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New ...
(1979–1984)
*
Melissa Hayden (1945–1947)
*
Yuriko Kajiya
Yuriko Kajiya (加治屋百合子 ''Kajiya Yuriko'', born 1984) is a Japanese ballet dancer who currently performs as a principal (ballet), principal dancer with Houston Ballet. Prior to joining Houston Ballet, she danced as a soloist with Americ ...
(2002–2014)
*
Elaine Kudo Elaine Kudo is a ballet dancer and choreographer. She is the ballet master at the Washington Ballet and was formerly a ballet mistress at the American Repertory Ballet. She danced formerly with the American Ballet Theatre as a soloist, "excellin ...
* Anna Liceica (1996–2007)
* Carlos Lopez (2001–2011)
* Charles Maple (1972–1983)
* Jared Matthews (2002–2014)
* Simone Messmer (2002–2013)
* Monique Meunier (2002–2007)
* Carlos Molina (1998–2007)
*
Sascha Radetsky
Sascha Radetsky (born March 29, 1977) is a former ballet dancer and actor. He was a soloist with the American Ballet Theatre and a principal with Dutch National Ballet. He is known for having starred as Charlie in the motion picture ''Center S ...
(1995–2014)
* Amy Rose (1979–1992)
* Gennadi Saveliev (1996–2012)
Former corps de ballet
* Susan Borree
* Maria Bystrova (2000–2010)
* Caroline Duprot (2009–2011)
* Tobin Eason (2002–2012)
* Aino Ettala (2010)
* Hezekiah C. Fairbank (1999–2000)
* Victoria (Born) Fornelli (1999–2000)
*
Jeffrey Golladay (2003–2012)
* Meaghan Hinkis (2010–2011)
* Carrie Jensen (2000–2009)
* Clinton Luckett (1992–2002)
* Ellizzette Duvall (1970–1973)
* Ilona McHugh (1997–2005)
* Patrick Ogle
* Joseph Phillips (2008–2013)
*Brendali Staana Espiritu
* Isaac Stappas (2000–2011)
* Sarawanee Tanatanit (2002–2008)
* Mary Mills Thomas (2008–2011)
* Melissa Thomas (2002–2009)
* Simon Wexler
* Jennifer Whalen
*
Katharine Wildish
Katharine "Kat" Wildish (born 21 September 1959) is a ballerina from Tampa, Florida, U.S. She danced with the New York City Ballet (1981–1983), American Ballet Theatre (1985–1987), and performed as a guest artist for a number of companies worl ...
(1985–1987)
* Renata Pavam (2002-)
* Bo Busby
Repertoire
Perhaps no other choreographer was as closely associated with ABT as the great British choreographer
Antony Tudor
Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-1950 ...
, who made his American debut with the company. The other continuous creative force was the legendary
Agnes de Mille
Agnes George de Mille (September 18, 1905 – October 7, 1993) was an American dancer and choreographer.
Early years
Agnes de Mille was born in New York City into a well-connected family of theater professionals. Her father William C. deMill ...
. She staged the majority of her ballet works with them. Many choreographers have mounted works especially for ABT, including
George Balanchine
George Balanchine (;
Various sources:
*
*
*
* born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...
,
Adolph Bolm
Adolph Rudolphovich Bolm (russian: Адольф Рудольфович Больм; September 25, 1884 – April 16, 1951) was a Russian-born American ballet dancer and choreographer, of German descent.
Biography
Bolm graduated from the Rus ...
,
Michel Fokine
Michael Fokine, ''Mikhail Mikhaylovich Fokin'', group=lower-alpha ( – 22 August 1942) was a groundbreaking Imperial Russian choreographer and dancer.
Career Early years
Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant and a ...
,
Léonide Massine
Leonid Fyodorovich Myasin (russian: Леони́д Фёдорович Мя́син), better known in the West by the French transliteration as Léonide Massine (15 March 1979), was a Russian choreographer and ballet dancer. Massine created the wo ...
, and
Bronislava Nijinska
Bronislava Nijinska (; pl, Bronisława Niżyńska ; russian: Бронисла́ва Фоми́нична Нижи́нская, Bronisláva Fomínična Nižínskaja; be, Браніслава Ніжынская, Branislava Nižynskaja; – Febr ...
. Other renowned choreographers who have worked at ABT include
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television.
Among his nu ...
,
Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music.
Fr ...
, and
Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Cente ...
.
ABT's 1976 production of ''
The Nutcracker
''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaiko ...
'' starring
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Latvian-born R ...
and
Gelsey Kirkland
Gelsey Kirkland (born December 29, 1952) is an American ballerina. She received early ballet training at the School of American Ballet. Kirkland joined the New York City Ballet in 1968 at age 15, at the invitation of George Balanchine. She was p ...
was televised the following year and has become a broadcast classic.
The main season is held during the spring at New York City's
Metropolitan Opera House, with shorter seasons in the fall previously held at
New York City Center
New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and th ...
, now held at the
David H. Koch Theater
The David H. Koch Theater is a theater for ballet, modern and other forms of dance, part of the Lincoln Center, at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Originally ...
. Performances of
Alexei Ratmansky
Alexei Osipovich Ratmansky (russian: Алексей Осипович Ратманский, born August 27, 1968) is a Russian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Bolshoi Ballet. He left Rus ...
's ''
The Nutcracker
''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaiko ...
'' during the holiday season are held at the
Segerstrom Center for the Arts Segerstrom may refer to
*Segerström (surname)
*C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, a real estate company in Orange County, California, U.S.
*Segerstrom Center for the Arts, a performing arts complex in Costa Mesa, California, U.S.
*Segerstrom High School in S ...
. The company tours extensively throughout United States and the world.
The current choreographer-in-residence for ABT is
Alexei Ratmansky
Alexei Osipovich Ratmansky (russian: Алексей Осипович Ратманский, born August 27, 1968) is a Russian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Bolshoi Ballet. He left Rus ...
.
Schools and programs
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
The
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre (ABT/JKO School) is the associate school of American Ballet Theatre located at 890 Broadway, within the Flatiron District of Manhattan, New York City. The school comprises a children ...
at American Ballet Theatre (ABT/JKO School) is the associate school of American Ballet Theatre located within the
Flatiron District
The Flatiron District is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, named after the Flatiron Building at 23rd Street, Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Generally, the Flatiron District is bounded by 14th Street, Union Square and Green ...
of Manhattan, New York City. The school comprises a Children's Division for ages 4 to 12, a Pre-Professional Division for ages 12 to 18, and the preparatory program Studio Company for ages 16 to 20. Cynthia Harvey, a former dancer with ABT, serves as the school's artistic director.
Studio Company
ABT Studio Company, formerly known as ABT II, is a small company of 12 young dancers, ranging from ages 16 to 20, handpicked by ABT.
It is the top level of the American Ballet Theatre training ladder and is currently an extension of the ABT JKO school. These dancers are trained in the program to join ABT's main company or other leading professional companies, and the program is described by ABT as "a bridge between ballet training and professional performance".
Project Plié
Project
Plié
Because ballet became formalized in France, a significant part of ballet terminology is in the French language.
A
À la seconde
() (Literally "to second") If a step is done "à la seconde," it is done to the side. 'Second position'. It can also ...
is a diversity initiative launched in 2013 by
Rachel Moore, who was then ABT's executive director and CEO. Following her departure, the project was overseen by artistic director
Kevin McKenzie and Mary Jo Ziesel, ABT director of education and training. The program was inspired by ABT principal dancer
Misty Copeland
Misty Danielle Copeland (born September 10, 1982) is an American ballet dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the three leading classical ballet companies in the United States. On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African Ameri ...
, and aims to "increase racial and ethnic representation in ballet and diversify America's ballet companies".
The initiative is made up of a combination of partnerships within the community and within the industry in addition to scholarships and opportunities for exposure for children of color.
Annually, as of 2013, Project Plié has awarded scholarships
to young people ranging from ages 9 to 18 including to the ABT/JKO School, ABT's summer intensive programs and ABT's Young Dancer Workshop.
See also
*''
A Dancer's Life'', a 1972 documentary film about the company
*
List of productions of Swan Lake derived from its 1895 revival
This is a list of notable major productions of the ballet '' Swan Lake''. Throughout the long and complex performance history of ''Swan Lake'', the 1895 edition of Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Riccardo Drigo has served as the definitive versio ...
References
Notes
Further viewing
*
External links
*
American Ballet Theatre entryin the ''
Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...
''
American Ballet Theatre entryin the ''
Columbia Encyclopedia
The ''Columbia Encyclopedia'' is a one-volume encyclopedia produced by Columbia University Press and, in the last edition, sold by the Gale Group. First published in 1935, and continuing its relationship with Columbia University, the encyclopedi ...
''
Archive footage of ABT (then Ballet Theatre) performing ''Interplay'' in 1949 at Jacob's PillowArchive footage of ABT (then Ballet Theatre) performing ''Fancy Free'' in 1949 at Jacob's PillowAmerican Ballet Theatre at Google Cultural InstituteBallet Foundation collection of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Ballet Theatre photographs, 1920s-1980s held by the Dance Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
{{Authority control
Ballet companies in the United States
History of ballet
Performing groups established in 1937
1939 establishments in New York City
Dance companies in New York City