UNCSA and American Ballet Theatre Expand Educational Partnership

The School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) and American Ballet Theatre (ABT) have extended and expanded their partnership, adding opportunities for students that will enhance their readiness and career opportunities as they forge their dance careers.

UNCSA has been an exclusive educational affiliate of ABT since 2011, through which all UNCSA faculty are certified in the ABT National Training Curriculum (NTC) from primary through partnering levels, and ABT dancers and staff come to UNCSA to work with students and present master classes. The expanded partnership will add opportunities for UNCSA student dancers to learn the NTC during their regular course of study, providing critical teaching skills that will serve graduates as they pursue their dance careers.

Both organizations will benefit from an annual faculty exchange program. This fall, UNCSA welcomes ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School faculty member Cornell Callender for a week of instruction, while the ABT JKO School will host UNCSA faculty member Jennet Zerbe. Additionally, UNCSA students will have the opportunity to audition on campus for the ABT Summer Intensive and will be considered for scholarships.

Also, as part of the partnership, a position has been added for one UNCSA B.F.A. student to participate in American Ballet Theatre’s Internship Program each fall semester. The student will assist the National Training Curriculum team and support ABT student examinations. The ABT Internship Program was established in fall 2010 to provide preprofessional nonprofit work experience for university students and recent graduates.

“We are thrilled to be extending our valuable partnership with American Ballet Theatre, an organization that UNCSA has had close ties to throughout its history,” said Endalyn T. Outlaw, dean of the School of Dance at UNCSA.  “The new elements of our partnership will provide our students with expanded career opportunities in pedagogy and arts administration, an area of focus for the School of Dance as we prepare our students for a wide range of career paths. We are grateful to ABT for their continued collaboration and dedication to the dancers of tomorrow.”

“I am especially proud of the partnership between ABT and the School of Dance at UNCSA, with both organizations having played a significant role in my professional journey,” said American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Susan Jaffe. “I’m confident these new programmatic advances will only further enhance the high-level training and support being provided to the next generation of dance professionals.”

The ABT partnership is one of a growing number of professional affiliations in the School of Dance at UNCSA, including the recently launched partnership with Dance Theatre of Harlem which was made possible with funding and programmatic support by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

“At UNCSA we are committed to connecting our students to professional organizations and providing real-world experiences and networking opportunities that will serve them as they embark on their careers,” Outlaw added.

 The ABT National Training Curriculum is a program for the development and training of young students that embraces sound ballet principles and incorporates elements of the French, Italian, and Russian schools of training. ABT’s NTC assists beginning through advanced teachers in training dance students to use their bodies correctly by focusing on kinetics, coordination, anatomy, and proper body alignment. Artistically, the NTC strives to provide dance students with a rich knowledge of classical ballet technique and the ability to adapt to all styles and techniques of dance.

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the 19th century, the finest works from the early 20th century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America’s National Ballet Company®.

The School of Dance at UNCSA is one of the world’s premier dance schools employing a distinctive conservatory approach to developing and teaching talented young performers. Hands-on training from world-class resident faculty members and professional dancers offers a thorough yet nurturing approach for the next generation of performers to become technically sound, artistically sensitive and versatile professional dancers. Students concentrate in either classical ballet or contemporary dance, but train and perform in both, with numerous performance opportunities that allow them to explore a diverse repertory. Additionally, there is an affiliate Preparatory Dance Program in ballet for rising third- through ninth-graders, and summer dance intensives and dance festivals for children and adults. 

American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Susan Jaffe, Photo credit UNCSA