Julie Bickerton Bravata

Julie Bickerton Bravata is from Honolulu, Hawaii where she received her early dance training from Barbara Thuesen. She continued her studies on full scholarship at the National Academy of Arts in Champaign, IL and in New York City at the School of American Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre Scholarship Program, and with Madame Darvash. At the age of 15, Bravata became a member of ABT’s Ballet Repertory Company. At 18, she was invited to join American Ballet Theatre under the direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov. While with ABT, Bravata appeared in several Dance in America and Live from Lincoln Center television special presentations and worked with some of the world’s leading choreographers, such as, Kenneth MacMillan, Antony Tudor, Roland Petit, Jerome Robbins, and Twyla Tharp. She then went on to dance as a soloist with Ballet du Nord in France and with The Feld Ballet in New York City. Since retiring from her performing career, Bravata has taught all levels of ballet from creative movement through professional classes and was recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts for inspiring young dancers and for her commitment to the arts. She has been an Artist-in-Residence at Bak Middle School of the Arts in Palm Beach, FL and on faculty for ABT summer intensives in Austin TX, and Orange County CA. Bravata holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Florida Atlantic University. She is currently the ballet director of Southern Dance Theatre in Boynton Beach, FL. Bravata is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.