February 23, 2012
Raymond Lukens Named Director
of ABT's National Training Curriculum
Raymond LukensRaymond Lukens, Artistic Associate of the ABT/NYU Masters program and a faculty member of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, has been named director of ABT’s National Training Curriculum. His appointment is effective immediately.
American Ballet Theatre launched the National Training Curriculum in 2007 with the aim of providing the best practices in dance education and dancer health. Lukens co-created the program with Franco De Vita under the direction of ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, in collaboration with an artistic advisory panel and a medical advisory board. Its aim is to provide dance students with a rich knowledge of classical ballet technique and the ability to adapt to multiple styles and techniques of dance, while focusing on kinetics, coordination and proper body alignment. There are currently 650 ABT Certified Teachers in 48 states, and in 19 countries. Lukens conducted ABT’s first international teacher training seminar in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2011, and in Lima, Peru earlier this month.
Prior to becoming a faculty member of ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in 2005, Lukens was the director of Boston Ballet II and Ballet Master at Boston Ballet. He has also served as Ballet Master at Hartford Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet and Alberta Ballet. In New York
City, he has taught for American Ballet Theatre, ABT II, The Ailey School, The Juilliard School, Peridance International, Marymount Manhattan College and Dance Theatre of Harlem. He has
served as a guest teacher in Latin America, Australia, Europe, Japan and South Africa. He obtained the highest qualifications as a pedagogue in London with the Cecchetti Society and is a certified ballet teacher for the Dance Educators of America (DEA) Teacher Training School. Lukens created the syllabi for the New York University Masters Degree program in ABT Ballet pedagogy.
For more information about American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum, please visit www.abt.org/education.