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Summer Programs
Summer Intensives
Summer Intensives
American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive has earned a reputation for being the most thorough and rewarding dance experience a student can have during the summer. Under the supervision of ABT’s Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie and Artistic Director of Summer Intensives Kate Lydon, the program offers top quality teachers and master guest teachers that are dedicated to the learning process and growth of each individual student. The ABT Summer Intensive focuses on developing well-rounded dancers through exposure to a wide variety of disciplines with an emphasis on classical ballet technique and key elements of ABT’s National Training Curriculum.
American Ballet Theatre will hold In-Person and Virtual Summer Intensives in 2022.
In both programs, students participate in daily classes with ABT’s renowned faculty and enjoy a comprehensive curriculum that includes exposure to ABT artists, history and repertory. Class size will be limited.
2022 Summer Intensive Sites
At the New York Summer Intensive, students will enjoy five weeks of classes in the ABT Studios at Broadway and 19th Street near Union Square. The New York Summer Intensive is geared toward advanced dancers and continues to be our longest, most challenging program. Students in this program are trained with ABT’s National Training Curriculum, receiving top-notch education in ballet technique. The New York Summer Intensive hosts special guest teachers including ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie and other ABT Directors of Repertoire.
Dates: June 27 – July 29, 2022 (No classes on Monday, July 4)
| Age Group | Cost | Location | Housing |
| 12-20 | Tuition:
$3800 USD |
American Ballet Theatre
890 Broadway, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10003 (212) 477-3030 ext. 3416 |
Supervised housing is not available in New York. |
The capacity of this program has been strictly limited in accordance with COVID safety protocols including mandatory mask wearing, enhanced cleaning, and vaccination requirements.
Dancers must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by the date of enrollment. A person is considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) or 2 weeks after receipt of the single dose of the Janssen Vaccine.
This will be a day program only; no housing will be provided. Each level will be limited to 25 dancers.
Students who are accepted on the 2022 Audition Tour may attend any combination of Virtual Summer Intensive sessions. All sessions are two weeks with classes held Monday through Friday (unless otherwise noted). Students will be placed in levels based on audition performance and age.
Ages: 12-20
Dates:
- Session 1 – June 13 – June 24, 2022*
- Session 2 – July 11 – July 22, 2022
- Session 3 – August 1 – August 12, 2022
Tuition: $600 USD per session
Location: via Zoom
*In Session 1, classes will be held Saturday, June 18. ABT will be closed on Monday, June 20 in observance of Juneteenth.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor
Alumni
As of Fall 2021, 46 Dancers in American Ballet Theatre’s Main Company and 8 Dancers in the ABT Studio Company have attended American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive programs, including 6 Soloists and 8 Principal Dancers.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor
Faculty
Students of ABT’s Summer Intensive are exposed to a level of training unmatched by any other summer program. The faculty consists of ABT alumni, current ABT Company Dancers, guest teachers, accomplished pianists, and ABT artistic staff including Kevin McKenzie, ABT Artistic Director, and Kate Lydon, Artistic Director of Summer Intensives.
Program Information
The curriculum of the 2022 New York Summer Intensive will include advanced technique classes and critical lecture courses to contribute to the development of a complete dancer. ABT’s teaching philosophy is to create dancers that are versatile rather than stylized, who are thus prepared to work with any company.
Classes for the 2022 Summer Intensive may include:
- Ballet Technique
- Pointe
- Partnering
- Variations
- Men’s Technique
- Men’s Variations
- Modern
- Nutrition
- Acting for Dancers/Mime
- Jazz
- Character
- Dance History
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Meet the Artist
- Music
- Injury Prevention
Students take a minimum of four classes per day, consisting of daily technique and pointe, followed by the supplemental classes listed above.
The curriculum of the 2022 Virtual Summer Intensive will include advanced technique classes and critical lecture courses to contribute to the development of a complete dancer. ABT’s teaching philosophy is to create dancers that are versatile rather than stylized, who are thus prepared to work with any company.
Classes for the 2022 Virtual Summer Intensive may include:
- Ballet Technique
- Pointe
- Variations
- Men’s Technique
- Men’s Variations
- Modern
- Mime
- Musical Theater
- Jazz
- Character
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Dance History
- Meet the Artist
- Music
- Injury Prevention
- Nutrition
Though some lecture offerings may vary by session, the daily structure and curriculum of all Virtual Summer Intensive programs is identical. Students take a minimum of three classes per day, consisting of daily technique and pointe, followed by the supplemental classes listed above. In addition, dancers may have special Meet the Artist sessions or lectures outside of the typical class schedule.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor
Tuition for each Summer Intensive varies by location (virtual or in-person) and duration. Specific amounts are listed above by program. Tuition may be paid by credit card.
Tuition for the New York Summer Intensive may be paid in two installments: half upon enrollment and the other half by May 1, 2022.
Tuition for the Virtual Summer Intensives is due in full at the time of enrollment.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor
American Ballet Theatre has a limited number of full and partial scholarships for the 2022 In-Person and Virtual Summer Intensives. All students are considered for merit-based scholarships at the time of audition. There is no application process. American Ballet Theatre will notify scholarship recipients at the time of acceptance.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor Summer Intensive Auditions
Dancers may audition in person at one of the sites on our National Audition Tour, submit a video audition, or audition via Virtual audition on Zoom. Participation in the ABT Summer Intensive is by acceptance only. Students may only audition once each year. Online pre-registration is required for all auditions. Please consider the following:
- Dancers auditioning on the National Audition Tour will be considered for acceptance to both the in-person Summer Intensives programs in New York and/or ABT’s Virtual Summer Intensive Sessions.
- Dancers submitting a video audition will be considered for acceptance to both the in-person Summer Intensives programs in New York and/or ABT’s Virtual Summer Intensive Sessions.
- Dancers auditioning via a Virtual Audition on Zoom will be considered ONLY to ABT’s Virtual Summer Intensive Sessions.
Please note that dancers who audition live via Zoom will NOT be able to be considered for our in-person New York Summer Intensive.
Auditions are open to dancers of all genders who have achieved intermediate or advanced levels of ballet training. Applicants for all Summer Intensives must turn 12 by June 27, 2022 and be no older than 20 on June 27, 2022.
Visit the Audition Information Page for important details, audition guidelines and the National Audition Tour and Virtual Audition Tour schedules.
Audition Information
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