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ABT Studio Company
ABT Studio Company
American Ballet Theatre Studio Company seeks to develop the next generation of ballet dancers, choreographers and audiences.
The central mission of ABT Studio Company is to prepare its exceptionally promising dancers (ages 17-21) for careers in American Ballet Theatre’s main Company or other leading ballet companies worldwide. ABT Studio Company serves as the crucial vehicle for transitioning from student to professional performer. Nearly 80% of current American Ballet Theatre dancers are alumni of ABT Studio Company, including fourteen Principal Dancers and eight Soloists.
Each season, ABT Studio Company commissions emerging and/or established choreographers to create new works on Studio Company dancers, serving as a platform for new choreography.
ABT Studio Company engages the broadest possible ballet audience by performing classical, neoclassical and contemporary repertoire in a range of venues around the globe.
Video by kw creative; Music courtesy of Found Objects Productions, Inc.
About Studio Company
Photo: Erin Baiano
Training
Under ABT Studio Company Artistic Director Sascha Radetsky, ABT Studio Company members participate in an extensive schedule of classes and rehearsals. Classes include classical ballet technique, partnering, pointe, character, variations, acting, contemporary, choreography composition, music, Pilates, and strength & conditioning training. Workshops in nutrition, health and wellness, stress management, injury prevention, and other topics are also included in the curriculum. ABT Studio Company dancers train Monday through Saturday at American Ballet Theatre’s studios.
Photo: Erin Baiano.
Repertory
ABT Studio Company dancers work closely with members of ABT’s Artistic Staff and guest faculty to learn ABT repertoire and other masterworks of the classical and neoclassical canons. ABT Studio Company also supports the development of choreographic talent, engaging a wide variety of choreographers to create original pieces on the dancers each season. Performances feature a dynamic mixed program of classical and neoclassical excerpts and new works.
Tarantella, Choreography by George Balanchine © The Balanchine Trust. Photo: Kyle Froman.
Performances & Touring
ABT Studio Company dancers share the professionalism and artistry of ABT with wide audiences through touring, residencies, and cultural exchanges, throughout the US and abroad.
Community Engagement
ABT Studio Company is dedicated to developing the next generation of audience members and aspiring dancers. In addition to providing the highest quality training for its dancers, ABT Studio Company participates in educational and community engagement activities throughout New York City and beyond.
Current Dancers
Photo: João Menegussi.
ABT Studio Company Performances
Please check back for updates about ABT Studio Company’s 2022-2023 season performances and tours.
Visit ABT Studio Company’s Instagram page or the ABT Studio Company section of ABT’s YouTube Channel for more digital content.
Faculty
Photo: Fabrizio Ferri.
Susan Jaffe
ABT Artistic Director
Photo: Kyle Froman
Sascha Radetsky
Artistic Director, ABT Studio Company
Yan Chen
Rehearsal Director, ABT Studio Company
Photo: Jade Young.
Luciana Paris
Contributing Rehearsal Director, ABT Studio Company
Choreographers
ABT Studio Company seeks to nurture choreographic talent, commissioning choreographers at various stages of their careers to create new works on the group. Choreographers for the 2022-2023 season include Gemma Bond, Hope Boykin, and Houston Thomas.
ABT Studio Company is proud to participate in the ABT Women’s Movement, developing new works by female choreographers each season.
Other recent ABT Studio Company choreographers include Stefanie Batten Bland, Rena Butler, Ma Cong, Amy Hall Garner, Dana Genshaft, Sung Woo Han, Larry Keigwin, Emily Kikta & Peter Walker, Jessica Lang, Yannick Lebrun, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Lauren Lovette, Benjamin Millepied, Marco Pelle, Claudia Schreier, and Ethan Stiefel.
Auditions
Dancers auditioning for ABT Studio Company should ideally be between the ages of 17 and 20 years old and exhibit an advanced level of ballet training. Space in ABT Studio Company is extremely limited.
Video auditions for the 2023-2024 season are accepted on a rolling basis starting on September 1, 2022 (see below for instructions). Some spots may be available for the 2022-2023 season; dancers who submit a video audition may also be considered for these positions.
An in-person audition will take place in New York City on January 7, 2023 as part of the ABT Summer Intensive National Audition Tour (see below for more information).
Other than submitting a video audition or attending an open audition, auditions are by invitation only.
Video Auditions
Video Auditions for the 2023-2024 season will be accepted on a rolling basis starting on September 1, 2022. We will accept video auditions until all spots for the 2023-2024 season have been filled. Some spots may be available for the 2022-2023 season; dancers who submit a video audition may also be considered for these positions.
To apply by video:
- Video auditions must be submitted via the Accept’d portal after September 1, 2022.
- An audition fee of $41.50 will be required to complete your video audition (credit card only).
- To start an application, please click here and select “ABT Studio Company: Video Audition” from the “Start an Application” menu. Please carefully review all of the listed video guidelines prior to submission. You will be required to upload a video of classwork (variations optional), a full-body photo in first arabesque, a resume, and a headshot.
- Please allow several weeks for the Artistic Staff to review your submission.
- Selected dancers may be invited to take class with ABT Studio Company in New York following the receipt of video audition materials. If the Artistic Staff would like to see more material from you or invite you to audition in person, you will be contacted directly via the email address you supply on the Accept’d platform. Please note that submitting a video audition does not guarantee an invitation for an in-person audition.
In-Person Auditions
Dancers ages 16 and up may audition in person for ABT Studio Company on January 7, 2023 from 3-5pm in New York City as part of the ABT Summer Intensive National Audition Tour. Online pre-registration is required and opens on December 1, 2022. Spaces in the audition are limited. Dancers who attend this audition may indicate their interest in being considered for ABT Studio Company at the registration table on the day of the audition and must bring a printed resume to the audition. All dancers who attend this audition will also receive an ABT Summer Intensive result. To learn more and register, please visit the National Audition Tour webpage.
Present ABT Studio Company
The vibrant young dancers of ABT Studio Company share the artistry, professionalism, and innovation of American Ballet Theatre with a worldwide audience, serving as an ambassador for American Ballet Theatre by touring to venues large and small. In recent years, the Studio Company has performed in such international cities as London, Athens, Manila, Hong Kong, and St. Petersburg, and toured to a wide variety of US performing arts centers, college campuses, and outdoor festivals. ABT Studio Company programs feature a dynamic blend of favorites from the classical and neoclassical canons alongside contemporary and newly commissioned works.
ABT Studio Company is highly mobile and adaptable to venues of various sizes. Performance engagements can be supplemented and customized with additional activities to fit the needs of presenters and local communities. Popular engagements include school or family performances, master classes with the ABT Studio Company Artistic Director or Rehearsal Director, post-performance talkback and Q&A sessions, and meet-and-greets.
Presenters who are interested in engaging ABT Studio Company should contact the following:
For North America: ABT Studio Company is represented by CAMI Music for bookings in North America. Please contact Theresa Vibberts at tvibberts@camimusic.com. Visit our CAMI page for more information.
For outside of North America: Please contact ABT Studio Company Managing Director Claire Florian at cflorian@abt.org to discuss international engagements.
Alumni
Nearly 80% of current American Ballet Theatre dancers are alumni of ABT Studio Company. ABT Studio Company graduates have also gone on to dance for other leading companies in the United States and abroad.
Dancers currently in American Ballet Theatre who started their careers in ABT Studio Company (formerly ABT II) include:
Corps de Ballet
- Sierra Armstrong
- Leah Baylin
- Lauren Bonfiglio
- Kathryn Boren
- Tristan Brosnan
- Jacob Clerico
- Zimmi Coker
- Luigi Crispino
- Jarod Curley
- Michael de la Nuez
- Cy Doherty
- Teresa D'Ortone
- Léa Fleytoux
- Scout Forsythe
- Carlos Gonzalez
- Kiely Groenewegen
- Connor Holloway
- Andrii Ishchuk
- Anabel Katsnelson
- Kanon Kimura
- Erica Lall
- Courtney Lavine
- Melvin Lawovi
- Virginia Lensi
- Fangqi Li
- Isadora Loyola
- Elwince Magbitang
- Tyler Maloney
- Joseph Markey
- Abbey Marrison
- Hannah Marshall
- Duncan McIlwaine
- João Menegussi
- Garegin Pogossian
- Rachel Richardson
- Andrew Robare
- Jake Roxander
- Jose Sebastian
- Yoon Jung Seo
- Courtney Shealy
- Eric Tamm
- Ingrid Thoms
- Olivia Tweedy
- Nathan Vendt
- Kotomi Yamada
- Remy Young
Contact Us
For additional ABT Studio Company inquiries please contact abtstudiocompany@abt.org or use the below contact form.
Contact UsFAQs
To view our most frequently asked questions about ABT Studio Company, please click below.
View our FAQs