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Dancer Training

ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School

Children's Division

ABT JKO School Children's Division

The ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, named after the former First Lady and longtime ABT Honorary Chairman, is a ballet training program for young dancers that promotes creativity and discipline, enabling children to reach their highest potential. Not only do students receive the best technical training with ABT’s National Training Curriculum, but they are guided by caring instructors who nurture their students’ love for dance.

At its inception, the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School had only 10 students and has since grown to enroll over 350 dancers per academic year. Under the direction of former ABT Principal Dancer and current ABT JKO School Artistic Director Stella Abrera, the Children’s Division focuses on building a solid foundation in ballet technique with an emphasis on proper placement and safe progressions of movement while remaining sensitive to the developmental needs of younger dancers.

The Children’s Division is subdivided into Primary Classes (ages 3 to seven) and Levels 1A-3B (ages eight to 12). To learn more about the School and how to enroll your young dancer, please browse our Children’s Division class information.

Photo: Rosalie O'Connor Photography.

Primary

ABT students ages three to seven are introduced to music and movement in our Primary Levels. The emphasis in these courses is on rhythm, dynamic, and placement, so that students graduate from Primary with an understanding of spatial awareness, correct alignment, teamwork, and focus. Each level is divided by age in order to accommodate the developmental needs of every student. No auditions are necessary for Primary classes.

Photo: Rosalie O'Connor Photography.

Levels 1A-3B

Serious ballet students ages eight to twelve may audition for Levels 1A through 3B to continue their training at the ABT JKO School. ABT faculty follow a specific graded curriculum designed to strengthen technique, stamina, and discipline through practical training and lessons in theory. Girls and boys have separate classes once a week Levels 2A-3B to address the specific techniques and physical strength of each individual dancer.

Photo: Rosalie O'Connor Photography.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor Photography.

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, the ABT National Training 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 private lessons.

Pre-Primary for 3's

Tuition: $1485

Age: 3

Students must turn 3 years old by September 1, 2025.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students may enroll in one of the following class sections.

Section 1

Thursday 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm

Section 2

Saturday 9:15 am - 10:00 am

Pre-Primary for 3'sPhoto: Rosalie O'Connor.

Pre-Primary for 4's

Tuition: $1485

Age: 4

Students must turn 4 years old by December 1, 2025.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students may enroll in one of the following class sections.

Section 1

Tuesday 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm

Section 2

Wednesday 4:00 pm - 4:45 pm

Section 3

Saturday 10:30 am - 11:15 am

Pre-Primary for 4'sPhoto: Richard Corman.

Primary A

Tuition: $1705

Ages: 5 - 6

Students must turn 5 years old by December 1, 2025.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students may enroll in one of the following class sections.

Section 1

Tuesday 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Section 2

Thursday 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Section 3

Saturday 9:15 am - 10:15 am

Primary APhoto: Rosalie O'Connor.

Primary B

Tuition: $1705

Ages: 6 - 7

Students must turn 6 years old by December 1, 2025.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students may enroll in one of the following class sections.

Section 1

Monday 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Section 2

Saturday 10:45 am - 11:45 am

Primary BPhoto: Rosalie O'Connor.

Primary C

Tuition: $3135

Ages: 7 - 8

Students must turn 7 years old by December 1, 2025.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students must attend all classes listed for their level.

Students may enroll in one of the following class sections.

Section 1

Monday 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Thursday 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Section 2

Tuesday 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Saturday 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Primary CPhoto: Rosalie O'Connor.

Level 1A

Tuition: $3855

Ages: 8 - 10

An audition is required for Level 1A.

Please keep in mind that the age range is given as a guideline. Students will be placed by the ABT JKO School artistic faculty in the appropriate level based on technique demonstrated at the open audition.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students must attend all classes listed for their level.

Students may enroll in one of the following class sections.

Section 1

Monday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Thursday 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Section 2

Tuesday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Friday 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Level 1APhoto: Emma Zordan.

Level 1B

Tuition: $3855

Ages: 8 - 10

An audition is required for Level 1B.

Please keep in mind that the age range is given as a guideline. Students will be placed by the ABT JKO School artistic faculty in the appropriate level based on technique demonstrated at the open audition.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students must attend all classes listed for their level.

Students may enroll in one of the following class sections.

Section 1

Monday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Thursday 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Section 2

Tuesday 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Friday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Level 1BPhoto: Emma Zordan.

Level 2A

Tuition: $5510

Ages: 9 - 11

An audition is required for Level 2A.

Please keep in mind that the age range is given as a guideline. Students will be placed by the ABT JKO School artistic faculty in the appropriate level based on technique demonstrated at the open audition.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students must attend all classes listed for their level.

Monday 4:45 pm - 6:15 pm Ballet Technique

Monday 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm Character Dance

Tuesday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Level 2/3 Boys’ Class +

Wednesday 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Ballet Technique

Wednesday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Girls' Pre-Pointe *

Saturday 9:00 am - 10:30 am Ballet Technique

+ Boys in Level 2A attend a mandatory one-hour boys' class, in addition to their technique and adjunct classes.

* Girls in Level 2A attend a mandatory one-hour pre-pointe class in addition to their technique and adjunct classes to help prepare them for pointe work.

Level 2APhoto: Rosalie O'Connor.

Level 2B

Tuition: $5510

Ages: 9 - 11

An audition is required for Level 2B.

Please keep in mind that the age range is given as a guideline. Students will be placed by the ABT JKO School artistic faculty in the appropriate level based on technique demonstrated at the open audition.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students must attend all classes listed for their level.

Monday 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Character Dance

Monday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Ballet Technique

Tuesday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Level 2/3 Boys’ Class +

Wednesday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Ballet Technique

Saturday 9:00 am - 10:30 am Ballet Technique

Saturday 10:30 am - 11:30 am Girls' Pre-Pointe *

+ Boys in Level 2B attend a mandatory one-hour boys' class, in addition to their technique and adjunct classes.

* Girls in Level 2B attend a mandatory one-hour pre-pointe class in addition to their technique and adjunct classes to help prepare them for pointe work.

Level 2BPhoto: Emma Zordan.

Level 3A

Tuition: $6700

Ages: 10 - 12

An audition is required for Level 3A.

Please keep in mind that the age range is given as a guideline. Students will be placed by the ABT JKO School artistic faculty in the appropriate level based on technique demonstrated at the open audition.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students must attend all classes listed for their level.

Monday 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Modern

Monday 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Ballet Technique

Monday 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm Pointe *

Tuesday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Level 2/3 Boys’ Class +

Wednesday 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Character Dance

Wednesday 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Ballet Technique

Wednesday 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm Pointe *

Friday 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Ballet Technique

Friday 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm Pointe *

Saturday 9:15 am - 10:15 am Pilates

Saturday 10:15 am - 11:45 pm Ballet Technique

* Girls in Level 3A attend three mandatory half-hour pointe classes in addition to their technique and adjunct classes.

+ Boys in Level 3A attend a mandatory one-hour boys' class, in addition to their technique and adjunct classes.

Level 3APhoto: Emma Zordan.

Level 3B

Tuition: $7050

Ages: 11+

An audition is required for Level 3B.

Please keep in mind that the age range is given as a guideline. Students will be placed by the ABT JKO School artistic faculty in the appropriate level based on technique demonstrated at the open audition.

2025-2026 Class Schedules

Classes run September – May.

Students must attend all classes listed for their level.

Monday 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Ballet Technique

Monday 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Modern

Tuesday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Level 2/3 Boys’ Class +

Wednesday 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Ballet Technique

Wednesday 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm Pointe *

Wednesday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Character Dance

Thursday 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Ballet Technique

Thursday 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm Pointe *

Thursday 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Pilates

Saturday 9:00 am - 10:30 am Ballet Technique

Saturday 10:30 am - 11:30 am Pointe *

+ Boys in Level 3B attend a mandatory one-hour boys' class, in addition to their technique and adjunct classes.

* Girls in Level 3B attend two mandatory half-hour pointe classes and one full-hour pointe class. in addition to their technique and adjunct classes.

Level 3BPhoto: Emma Zordan.

Bridge Class

Ages: 8 - 10

The Children’s Division Bridge Class provides a bridge from ABT to the New York City community and also serves to identify and train talented young students with potential for careers in dance.

Students who train at one of our Project Plié Partner Schools are eligible to audition for this program. Students can also be nominated to audition by an ABT Certified Teacher or an ABT Teaching Artist. For more information about the Bridge Class and our Project Plié Partner Schools, please click here.

Bridge ClassRichard Corman

Enrollment

American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School Children’s Division classes take place at ABT’s Studios located at 890 Broadway, New York, New York.

Photo: Rosalie O'Connor.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor.

Pre-Primary & Primary Levels

For students ages 3-7 (students must turn 3 years old by September 1, 2025 and must remain 7 through December 1, 2025)

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

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is now closed. Please check back in the spring for 2026-2027 enrollment information.

Children’s Division Pre-Primary & Primary Levels:

Level Age Group Cutoff Dates
Pre-Primary for 3’s Age 3 Students must turn 3 by September 1
Pre-Primary for 4’s Age 4 Students must turn 4 by December 1
Primary A Age 5 Students must turn 5 by December 1
Primary B Age 6 Students must turn 6 by December 1
Primary C Age 7 Students must turn 7 by December 1

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

Photo: Rosalie O'Connor.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor.

Open Auditions

For students ages 7-12 (*students must turn 8 years old by December 1, 2025, and must remain 12 through December 1, 2025)

Auditions are required for new students who wish to enroll in Levels 1A through 3B 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.

There are no further auditions for the 2025-2026 school year. Please check back in the spring for 2026-2027 audition information.

 

Faculty & Musicians

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.

Photo: Jordan Bellotti.

Susan Jaffe

Artistic Director, American Ballet Theatre

View Susan's Profile

Photo: Sophie Elgort, courtesy Lafayette 148.

Stella Abrera

Artistic Director, ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School

View Stella's Profile

Faculty

Photo: Michael Cairns.

Yan Chen

Principal Teacher, ABT JKO School Pre-Professional Division

View Yan's Bio

Photo: Emma Zordan.

Ethan Stiefel

Senior Faculty, ABT JKO School Pre-Professional Division

View Ethan's Bio

Harriet Clark

Artistic Coordinator, ABT JKO School Children’s Division

View Harriet's Bio

Photo: Hanna Bass.

Franco De Vita

ABT National Training Curriculum Artistic Associate

View Franco's Bio

Photo: Hanna Bass.

Raymond Lukens

ABT National Training Curriculum Artistic Associate

View Raymond's Bio

Musicians

The ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School is supported by our accomplished musicians.

Michael Cherry, Stephanie Chun, John Epperson, Shimako Horii, Mark Klett, Sofiya Leavsie, Renee Ong, Benjamin Pawlak, Dmitry Polischuk, Victor See Yuen, Mihoko Suzuki, Laura Tishchenko, Raisa Umanskaya, Tracy Yang

ABT JKO School Alumni Survey

The ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School invites all alumni and graduates to update their information with the ABT JKO School staff to stay in touch and to receive information about upcoming events!

ABT JKO School Children's Division Online Community Classes

In the Spring of 2020, @ABTSchool launched virtual classes taught by former ABT dancers, ABT JKO School faculty and ABT teaching artists – all certified in the ABT National Training Curriculum.

Recommended for ages 2-4 and 5-8, these classes engage ABT’s youngest students and their families, as well as the global community at large, by exploring musicality, fostering creativity and imagination, and teaching ballet fundamentals.

View the full series on ABT’s YouTube Channel.

YouTube

Photo: Richard Corman.

 


ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School students wear Capezio leotards.

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