Video by Ezra Hurwitz.
Video by Ezra Hurwitz.
Support America’s National Ballet Company® DONATE NOW
Dancer Training
ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
Pre-Professional Division
Pre-Professional Division
The American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School is a pre-professional ballet training program for students, ages 12-17. Under the direction of Artistic Director Cynthia Harvey, 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.
Video by Ezra Hurwitz.
Curriculum & Tuition
Curriculum:
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 and Scholarships:
Tuition is $7400 for students in Upper 1; $8900 for students in Upper 2; and $9800 for students in Upper 3. Scholarships are awarded based exclusively on merit and are extremely competitive. There is no financial aid available.
Levels & Schedules
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.
Upper 1
Tuition: $7400
2022-2023 Class Schedules
Monday 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Tuesday 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Wednesday 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Thursday 4:00 pm - 7:45 pm
Friday 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Saturday 2:15 pm - 5:30 pm
Uniform
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.
Upper 2
Tuition: $8900
2022-2023 Class Schedules
Monday 2:30 pm - 6:45 pm
Tuesday 2:30 pm - 6:45 pm
Wednesday 2:15 pm - 5:30 pm
Thursday 2:15 pm - 5:30 pm
Friday 2:15 pm - 5:30 pm
Saturday 12:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Uniform
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.
Upper 3
Tuition: $9800
2022-2023 Class Schedules
Monday 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am - 4:15 pm
Thursday 11:00 am - 3:30 pm
Friday 11:00 am - 4:15 pm
Saturday 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Uniform
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.
Auditions & Admissions
Acceptance to the Pre-Professional Division of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School is by audition only.
Dancers interested in the 2022-2023 ABT JKO School Year may audition in-person at American Ballet Theatre on Saturday, April 16. Dancers will also have the opportunity to audition via video submission. Students should only consider auditioning if they are realistically willing to relocate to New York.
Audition Methods
Open Audition
Audition classes will take place in-person at American Ballet Theatre on Saturday, April 16. Students will participate in audition classes based on their age at the time of the audition. Auditions are open to students of all genders who have achieved an advanced level of ballet training.
Enrollment at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School Pre-Professional Division is by audition and acceptance only. Auditioning on any date will allow you to be considered for merit-based scholarships. Online pre-registration is required for all auditions. Audition class sizes will be limited.
Video Audition
You may submit a Video Audition for consideration for the 2022-2023 Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Pre-Professional Division. The portal to submit a video audition will be open from March 22-April 22, 2022. To submit a video application, follow the guidelines listed here.
- Video auditions must be submitted via our Student Portal. The video submission form will be available beginning March 22, 2021.
- An audition fee will be required to complete your video audition (credit card only).
- Audition videos must follow the JKO Video Submission Guidelines
- The final deadline for video auditions is April 22, 2022 at 11:59pm EST.
- Video audition results will be emailed by the notification date: May 2, 2022.
Please note that variations and performance footage are not required for video auditions. Submission of such material may negatively affect a student’s chance of acceptance.
Video Audition Guidelines & Submission
Faculty & Accompanists
Led by Artistic Director Cynthia Harvey, 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.
Kevin McKenzie, ABT Artistic Director
Cynthia Harvey, Artistic Director, ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
Photo: Fabrizio Ferri
Kevin McKenzie
Artistic Director
Photo: Ian Whalen
Cynthia Harvey
Artistic Director, ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
Faculty
Photo: Chris Hardy.
Rubén Martín
Principal Teacher, ABT JKO School Pre-Professional Division
Harriet Clark
Principal Teacher, ABT JKO School Children’s Division
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, Tim Prepscius, Victor See Yuen, Mihoko Suzuki, Laura Tishchenko, Mira Tsidulko
Alumni
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.
American Ballet Theatre – Bringing Dance to America and American Dance to the World
Contact Us
If you require further assistance or have any questions regarding the Pre-Professional Division of the ABT JKO School, please contact us.
Contact UsFAQs
Explore frequently asked questions for the ABT JKO School’s Pre-professional Division.
View our FAQs