Video by Ezra Hurwitz.
Video by Ezra Hurwitz.
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The American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School is a pre-professional ballet training program for students, ages 12-18. Under the direction of Artistic Director Stella Abrera, students thrive in an elite atmosphere dedicated to the success of each student. Admission is by audition only.
The ABT JKO School follows a specific graded curriculum, divided by age, which is outlined in the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum. Classes include Classical Ballet Technique, Pointe, Men’s and Women’s Variations, Pas de Deux, Character Dance, Modern, Pilates, Men’s Strength Training, Music and Dance History.
The ABT JKO School is also proud to participate in a full Wellness Program as part of our Healthy Dancer Curriculum. This initiative focuses on addressing both the physical and psychological needs of our ballet students through a series of professionally run workshops. Workshop topics include Nutrition, Women’s Health, Stress Management, Strength Training, Resume Writing and Audition Preparation.
At the American Ballet Theatre 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.
Tuition is $7,950 for students in Upper 1; $9,650 for students in Upper 2; and $10,750 for students in Upper 3. Scholarships are awarded based exclusively on merit and are extremely competitive. There is no financial aid available.
Each level of the Pre-Professional Division is designed to accommodate both the developmental needs of the age group and the academic schedules of our students. Detailed information for each level is outlined below.
Monday 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Tuesday 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Wednesday 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Thursday 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Friday 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Saturday 1:15 pm - 4:30 pm
There is a strict dress code for each level of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Dress code details will be provided upon acceptance and enrollment.
Monday 2:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Tuesday 2:00 pm - 5:15 pm
Wednesday 2:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Thursday 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Friday 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Saturday 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
There is a strict dress code for each level of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Dress code details will be provided upon acceptance and enrollment.
Monday 10:45 am - 5:30 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am - 4:15 pm
Thursday 11:00 am - 4:30 pm
Friday 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
Saturday 3:15 pm - 6:00 pm
There is a strict dress code for each level of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Dress code details will be provided upon acceptance and enrollment.
Acceptance to the Pre-Professional Division of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School is by audition only. Dancers ages 11-18 may audition for the 2025-2026 school year by attending one of the eligible cities on the 2025 ABT Summer Intensive National Audition Tour:
New York, NY (January 5 & January 26), Long Beach, CA (January 11), Costa Mesa, CA (January 12), Orlando, FL (January 12), San Francisco, CA (January 18)
Click here for 2025 ABT Summer Intensive National Audition Tour information and registration.
Dancers may also audition for the 2025-2026 school year by attending the 2025 Pre-Professional Division Open Audition or by submitting a video audition. Information about the open audition and video audition submissions will be updated here later this winter. Please direct any questions regarding the ABT JKO School Pre-Professional Division to jkoschool@abt.org.
Led by Artistic Director Stella Abrera, the faculty of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School includes members of ABT’s Artistic Staff, alumni, graduates of the ABT/NYU Master’s Program in Ballet Pedagogy, and other prominent teachers. Learn more about our faculty by clicking on the links below.
Susan Jaffe, ABT Artistic Director
Stella Abrera, Artistic Director, ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
Photo: Fabrizio Ferri.
Artistic Director, American Ballet Theatre
Photo: Sophie Elgort, courtesy Lafayette 148.
Artistic Director, ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
Photo: Chris Hardy.
Principal Teacher, ABT JKO School Pre-Professional Division
Photo: Michael Cairns.
Principal Teacher, ABT JKO School Pre-Professional Division
Photo: Hanna Bass.
ABT National Training Curriculum Artistic Associate
Photo: Hanna Bass.
ABT National Training Curriculum Artistic Associate
Each class at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School is accompanied by one of our accomplished musicians.
Michael Cherry, Stephanie Chun, John Epperson, Shimako Horii, Sofiya Leavsie, Renee Ong, Benjamin Pawlak, Dmitry Polischuk, Victor See Yuen, Mihoko Suzuki, Laura Tishchenko, Mira Tsidulko, Raisa Umanskaya, Tracy Yang
Alumni of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School currently account for 35% of the dancers in ABT’s main Company, including:
ABT JKO School graduates have also gone on to dance with many renowned ballet companies both domestic and international, such as the ABT Studio Company, The Washington Ballet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, and others.
ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School students wear Capezio leotards.
If you require further assistance or have any questions regarding the Pre-Professional Division of the ABT JKO School, please contact us.
Contact UsExplore frequently asked questions for the ABT JKO School’s Pre-professional Division.
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