Video by Henry Evans and Zipline Media
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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 twelve Principal Dancers and seven 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.
Lead Corporate Partner of ABT Studio Company
Video by Henry Evans and Zipline Media
Photo: Rosalie O'Conner
Under ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie and 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, men’s technique, character, variations, acting, dance history, music, Pilates, and men’s and women’s strength training. Workshops in nutrition, health and wellness, stress management, injury prevention, and audition preparation are also included in the curriculum. ABT Studio Company dancers train Monday through Saturday at American Ballet Theatre and ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School facilities.
Photo: Rosalie O' Connor
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 excerpts and new works.
Tarantella, Choreography by George Balanchine © The Balanchine Trust. Photo: Kyle Froman
ABT Studio Company dancers gain experience by bringing the professionalism and artistry of ABT to a wide audience through touring, residencies, and cultural exchanges, throughout the US and abroad.
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 acts as ABT’s principal outreach arm by participating in educational and community engagement activities throughout New York City and beyond.
ABT Studio Company’s 2020-2021 season tours and performances have been postponed due to Covid-19. The dancers gathered offsite in fall 2020 to safely quarantine and form a “creative bubble.” During this time, ABT Studio Company rehearsed and filmed nine ballets, which will be shared in a digital evening of ABT Studio Company works in early 2021. Information about ABT Studio Company’s digital offerings will be posted on this page as it becomes available. Please check back soon!
Visit ABT Studio Company’s Instagram page or the Studio Company section of ABT’s YouTube Channel for more digital content.
Please visit ABT’s Covid-19 updates page for additional information.
Feb
09
Filmed in the Fall of 2020 at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, New York, this two-night virtual event highlights ABT Studio Company’s commitment to cultivating both innovative new choreography and a promising new generation of dancers.
Feb
10
Filmed in the Fall of 2020 at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, New York, this two-night virtual event highlights ABT Studio Company’s commitment to cultivating both innovative new choreography and a promising new generation of dancers.
Photo: Fabrizio Ferri
ABT Artistic Director
Photo: Kyle Froman
Artistic Director, ABT Studio Company
Photo: Carlotta Forsberg.
Rehearsal Director, ABT Studio Company
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 2019-2020 season included Stefanie Batten Bland, Amy Hall Garner, Jessica Lang and Lauren Lovette, and Hope Boykin choreographed a new work in fall 2020.
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 Gemma Bond, Ma Cong, Dana Genshaft, Larry Keigwin, Benjamin Millepied, Marco Pelle, Claudia Schreier, Ethan Stiefel and George Williamson.
To audition for ABT Studio Company’s 2021-2022 season, you must be between the ages of 16 and 20 years old on September 1, 2021 and have reached an advanced level of ballet training. Space in ABT Studio Company is extremely limited. Video auditions are accepted on a rolling basis starting on September 1, 2020. Other than submitting a video audition or attending an open audition, auditions are by invitation only.
Due to Covid-19, no open auditions are scheduled at this time. Please check back for updates.
Video Auditions for the 2021-2022 season will be accepted on a rolling basis starting on September 1, 2020. We will accept video auditions until all spots for the 2021-2022 season have been filled.
To apply by video:
The vibrant young dancers of ABT Studio Company bring the artistry, professionalism, and innovation of American Ballet Theatre to a worldwide audience. The highly mobile ABT Studio Company serves 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, 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 masterworks 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 USA and Canada: ABT Studio Company is represented by CAMI Music for bookings in North America. Please contact Theresa Vibberts at [email protected]. Visit our CAMI page for more information.
For locations outside of USA and Canada: Please contact ABT Studio Company Managing Director Claire Florian at [email protected] to discuss international engagements.
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:
For additional ABT Studio Company or ABT Studio Company audition inquiries please contact the ABT Studio Company Managing Director.
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