ABT Incubator

ABT Incubator

ABT Incubator, a two-week choreographic program directed by ABT Principal Dancer David Hallberg, provides a focused lab to generate and inspire ideas for the creation of new work. Choreographers will be provided resources, including studio space, a stipend, collaborators, panel discussions and mentorships, to create new work on dancers from American Ballet Theatre. The inaugural workshop took place in Fall 2018.

The 2019 workshop takes place October 29 – November 9 at ABT’s 890 Broadway studios in New York City. ABT Incubator, open to ABT dancers and freelance choreographers, culminates with a studio showing of the works created (each no longer than 15 minutes in length).

Participants were chosen through an audition process with selections made by a panel of choreographers, directors and artists in ballet and dance, including ABT Principal Dancer David Hallberg, ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, Danspace Director Judy Hussie-Taylor and choreographer Jessica Lang.

2019 ABT Incubator Choreographers

Claire Davison, from Boulder, Colorado, received her early training at the Boulder Ballet School.  Davison was a finalist at Youth America Grand Prix in New York in 2009.  She joined the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School on scholarship in 2010, became an apprentice with ABT in November 2012 and joined the Company’s corps de ballet in June 2013.

 Zhong-Jing Fang was born in Shanghai, China.  She has received numerous awards, including first place in the Prix de Lausanne and the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Prize in 2000.  Fang joined ABT Studio Company in 2002 after graduating from the Performing Arts College of Shanghai Drama University.  She became an apprentice with ABT in April 2003 and a member of the corps de ballet in January 2004.  Fang was promoted to Soloist in September 2018.

Sung Woo Han, born in Seoul, South Korea, trained at the Royal Ballet School on full scholarship.  He has won numerous awards including International Ballet Competition-Varna, Youth America Grand Prix and second prize at the Prix de Lausanne in 2011. Han joined ABT’s corps de ballet in 2013.  He previously choreographed Beneath the Conscious for ABT Incubator in 2018.

Gabrielle Lamb is the director of Pigeonwing Dance, a contemporary dance company based in New York City. Lamb is the winner of a Princess Grace Award for Choreography and a New York City Center Choreography Fellowship, as well as choreographic competitions at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Milwaukee Ballet and Western Michigan University. Her work has been presented by companies such as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Jacob’s Pillow and Dance Theatre of Harlem.  She was previously selected to choreograph for ABT Incubator in 2018.

Laura O’Malley, from Phoenix, Arizona, has danced as a soloist with Stuttgart Ballet and Dutch National Ballet.  She later joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Alonzo King LINES Ballet.  O’Malley has choreographed for LINES Ballet’s education programs, Berkley Ballet Theater, SFDanceworks and various dance films.

ABT Incubator is supported by American Express and the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.