Curriculum & Schedules

At the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, our students are trained with ABT’s National Training Curriculum, which combines scientific principles with elements of classical French, Italian, and Russian schools of ballet. The goal of our Curriculum is to train students to use their bodies correctly by educating them on anatomy, kinetics, coordination, and alignment. Artistically, our Curriculum strives to provide for students both a rich knowledge of classical ballet technique and the ability to adapt to all styles of dance.

As each level follows our carefully planned Curriculum throughout the year, students are expected to attend all their assigned classes. Students enrolled in the Children’s Division are not permitted to seek outside ballet training or lessons.

ABT MENtor

Launched in the fall of 2017, under the direction of former ABT JKO School Artistic Director Cynthia Harvey, ABT MENtor is an initiative intended to support our male students in the ABT JKO School as they progress through the ABT Training Ladder.

Male students will participate in seminars and workshops with current and former professional dancers in American Ballet Theatre and other prestigious companies, as well as observe the Pre-Professional Division and ABT Studio Company.

ABT MENtor strives to develop a supportive and educational environment for the boys and their families in Levels 1A through 4 of the Children’s Division. Boys in Levels 2-4 take a separate 1.5 hour boys’ technique class each week as part of the ABT MENtor program.

Enrollment

Pre-Primary & Primary Levels

For students ages 3-7 (includes only 7 -year-olds who will turn 8 after December 1)

Pre-Primary and Primary levels in the Children’s Division at the ABT JKO School require no prior dance experience. Placement in each level is based solely on child’s date of birth.

If you are interested in enrolling your student in a Pre-Primary or Primary level class for the 2022-2023 school year, please fill out the prospective student interest form below. Enrollment timeline and information will be communicated via email to all families who fill out the interest form. Please note, space in our Pre-Primary and Primary levels is limited, therefore we cannot guarantee enrollment to all interested students.

Children’s Division Pre-Primary & Primary Levels:

Note: Students who turn 8 by December 1 must attend an Open Audition for Level 1A+

Open Auditions

For students ages 7-12 (includes only 7-year-olds who will turn 8 by December 1)

Auditions are required for students who wish to enroll in Levels 1A through 4 of the ABT JKO School. These levels are for students ages seven to twelve with previous ballet training. Upon acceptance, students will be placed into the appropriate level by the Artistic Faculty.

The ABT JKO School Children’s Division will hold in-person auditions for the 2022-2023 school year on June 8 & 9, 2022 and on August 3, 2022. The auditions will take place in the studios at American Ballet Theatre located at 890 Broadway, New York, NY 10003.

All students attending these auditions must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by the date of the audition. Masks will be required for all dancers during the audition.

Pre-registration is required. To register for the August audition, please click the link below. Please contact [email protected] with any audition-related questions.

Faculty & Accompanists

American Ballet Theatre strives to provide educational programming of the highest quality, and it all starts with our faculty. ABT JKO School faculty includes members of the ABT Artistic Staff, ABT Alumni and graduates of the ABT/NYU Master’s Program in Ballet Pedagogy.

All Children’s Division faculty members are certified in each level of the National Training Curriculum.

Faculty

Accompanists

Each class at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School is accompanied by one of our accomplished musicians.

Michael Cherry, Stephanie Chun, John Epperson, Misha Golubitsky, Shimako Horii, Sofiya Leavsie, Dmitry Polischuk, Victor See Yuen, Mihoko Suzuki, Laura Tishchenko, Mira Tsidulko