School of American Ballet

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The School of American Ballet (SAB) is the official school of the New York City Ballet. It is located in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the United States. Graduates dance with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and others. The school was founded by choreographer George Balanchine, with assistance from philanthropist Lincoln Kirstein, and opened at 637 Madison Avenue with 32 pupils on January 2, 1934. Balanchine and Kirstein wanted to start an American classical ballet company, and needed a source of dancers, and hence a school to train them.

1 Program
2 Faculty
3 Alumni
4 Miscellaneous
5 External links

[edit] Program

Students are chosen through audition. Children's division auditions for the 2007-08 school year included six-year-olds for the first time; previously, the youngest students were required to turn eight in the year they began their studies. Children in the younger divisions are able to perform in various ballets with the company including George Balanchine's famous 'The Nutcracker, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream, Peter Martins's Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty. The most advanced students perform in a workshop at the end of each year where the heads of many prestigious ballet companies choose several of them to join their companies, including New York City Ballet.

The school also hosts a summer program, where it selects around 200 dance students from across the country to train for 5 weeks. This summer program is one of the most selective ballet summer programs in the country. During the summer program, students are divided into six girls' classes and two boys' classes. A small group of students from the summer program may be invited to enroll in SAB's winter term.

[edit] Faculty

The current faculty of School of American Ballet includes, among others, Peter Martins, Kay Mazzo, Peter Frame, Nikolaj Hübbe*, Katrina Killian, Darci Kistler, Olga Kostritzky, Andrei Kramarevsky, Sean Lavery, Susan Pilarre, Lisa de Ribere, Suki Schorer, Jock Soto, Jonathan Stafford, Elizabeth Walker, Sheryl Ware and Gabrielle Whittle.

* returned to the Royal Danish Ballet as artistic director

[edit] Alumni

According to SAB, alumni of the School of American Ballet make up over 90% of New York City Ballet. Some alumni include Maria Tallchief, Tanaquil LeClerq, Jacques d'Amboise, Allegra Kent, Arthur Mitchell, Patricia McBride, Edward Villella, Suzanne Farrell, Kay Mazzo, Helgi Tomasson, Fernando Bujones, Gelsey Kirkland, Heather Watts, Merrill Ashley, Jock Soto, Peter Boal, Victoria Rowell, Kyra Nichols, Darci Kistler, Damian Woetzel, Ethan Stiefel,Wendy Whelan and Paloma Herrera as well as celebrities Ashlee Simpson, Macaulay Culkin, Vanessa Carlton and Madeleine Martin. Nanci Lassalle, current secretary of the board of directors, is also an alumna.

[edit] Miscellaneous

An annual "Winter Ball" is held every year in order to raise school funds. Students are also invited. SAB's "Young Patron Chairmen" of the Winter Ball have included Chelsea Clinton.