Американский Балетный Театр: История и Современность

Ballet company

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual eight week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spring and a shorter season at the David H. Koch Theater in the fall; the company tours around the world the rest of the year. The company was scheduled to have a 5 week spring season at the MET preceded by a 2 week season at the Koch Theater beginning in 2020. ABT is the parent company of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and was recognized as "America's National Ballet Company" in 2006 by the United States Congress.

In 1939 Pleasant and Chase committed to the creation of "a large scale company with an eclectic repertory". The pair and a small group from Mordkin Ballet formed Ballet Theatre. Their new company's first performance was on 11 January 1940. It continued to emphasize ballet classics, yet remained challenged by financial issues. During the 1960s and 1970s, the company's prospects brightened due to more favorable private funding. During this period, American Ballet Theatre shifted its ballet focus to the recruitment of star performers. In 1977, the company began its spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House, its new official venue. Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1980 became artistic director for American Ballet Theatre. Baryshnikov staged, restaged, and refurbished numerous classical ballets and, according to the company, strengthened their classical tradition. Baryshnikov was replaced in 1989 by Jane Hermann and Oliver Smith, who remained as artistic directors until 1992, when Kevin McKenzie received the appointment. McKenzie satisfied the demands of the traditional ballet audience by prioritizing full length narrative ballets. He also succeeded in keeping the company afloat during financially unstable times. In 2004 he established an official associate ballet school, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. After a long period of no in house choreographer, McKenzie appointed Alexei Ratmansky as "Artist in Residence" in January 2009. McKenzie stepped down from the company in late 2022, as announced in 2021. Susan Jaffe was appointed was announced as McKenzie's successor, and took over the company at the end of 2022. Ratmansky departed the troupe in June 2023.

American Ballet Theatre has four levels within the company. They are (in ascending order): apprentice, corps de ballet, soloist, and principal.

NameNationalityTrainingJoined ABTPromoted to PrincipalOther companies (incl. guest performances) Joo Won Ahn Y. J. Ballet People AcademySun Hwa Art SchoolKorea National University of Arts20142020 Aran Bell Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet20172020 Isabella Boylston Academy of Colorado BalletHarid ConservatoryABT Studio Company20072014 Paris Opera BalletMariinsky BalletRome Opera BalletBallet Estable del Teatro ColónRoyal Danish Ballet Skylar Brandt Scarsdale Ballet StudioABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis SchoolABT II (now the ABT Studio Company)20112020Daniel Camargo John Cranko School2022N/A Joined as PrincipalStuttgart BalletDutch National Ballet Misty Copeland San Pedro City BalletLauridsen Ballet CenterSan Francisco Ballet SchoolABT Studio Company20012015 Herman Cornejo Instituto Superior de Arte at Teatro ColónSchool of American Ballet19992003 Ballet del Teatro Argentino de La PlataBallet ArgentinoBarcelona Ballet (former Corella Ballet Castilla y León)Compañia de Danza Comtemporánea de CubaBoston BalletNew York City BalletSapporo Ballet Thomas Forster Royal Ballet School Associate ProgrammeElmhurst School of DanceThe Royal Ballet School ABT Studio Company20072020Catherine Hurlin Scarsdale Ballet StudioWestchester Dance AcademyJacqueline Kennedy Onassis SchoolABT Studio Company20142022 Gillian Murphy University of North Carolina School of the ArtsColumbia City Ballet19962002 Kiev BalletMariinsky BalletRoyal New Zealand BalletRoyal Swedish BalletStaatsballett Berlin Calvin Royal III Pinellas County Center for the ArtsAcademy of Ballet ArtsJacqueline Kennedy Onassis SchoolABT II20112017 Hee Seo Sun hwa Arts Middle SchoolUniversal Ballet AcademyJohn Cranko Ballet AcademyABT Studio Company20062012Mariinsky Ballet Christine Shevchenko Pennsylvania Ballet Rock SchoolABT Studio Company20082017 Cory Stearns Seiskaya Ballet SchoolRoyal Ballet SchoolABT Studio Company20062011The Royal BalletDevon TeuscherChampaign Urbana Ballet AcademyVermont Ballet Theatre SchoolJacqueline Kennedy Onassis SchoolABT Studio Company20082017 Cassandra Trenary Lawrenceville School of BalletABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis SchoolABT II (now the ABT Studio Company)20112020 James B. Whiteside D'Valda and Sirico Dance and Music CentreVirginia School of the ArtsBoston Ballet II20122013 Boston Ballet Ballet PhilippinesRoman ZhurbinLaGuardia High SchoolStudio MaestroABT Studio Company20052022

NameNationalityTrainingJoined ABTPromoted to SoloistOther companies (incl. guest performances)Jarod Curley Frederick School of Classical BalletNext Generation BalletJohn Cranko School20182024 Zhong Jing Fang Shanghai Ballet SchoolShanghai Drama University 20042018Carlos Gonzalez El Conservatorio Profesional de Danza ForteaEl Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma20162024Breanne Granlund Ballet Academy of TexasABT Studio Company20162022Sung Woo HanSun hwa Arts Middle SchoolRoyal Ballet School20132022 Blaine Hoven North Carolina School of the ArtsABT Studio Company20042016Betsy McBrideBallet Academy of Texas20152022Texas Ballet TheaterChloe MisseldineOrlando Ballet SchoolABT Studio Company20212022 Luciana Paris Colon Theater Superior de Art Institute20012015 Colon Theater BalletBallet CamaraBallet Argentino SunMi ParkSun hwa Middle and High School of the ArtsKorea National Institute of Gifted ArtsABT Studio Company20222022Jake Roxander Studio RoxanderABT Studio Company20222024Pennsylvania Ballet II Katherine Williams Ballet Royale AcademyJacqueline Kennedy Onassis School20082018

The following is a partial list of former dancers with ABT, listed by their highest rank prior to leaving the company.

Perhaps no other choreographer was as closely associated with ABT as the great British choreographer Antony Tudor, who made his American debut with the company. The other continuous creative force was the legendary Agnes de Mille. She staged the majority of her ballet works with them. Many choreographers have mounted works especially for ABT, including George Balanchine, Adolph Bolm, Michel Fokine, Léonide Massine, and Bronislava Nijinska. Other renowned choreographers who have worked at ABT include Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, and Alvin Ailey. ABT's 1976 production of The Nutcracker starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland was televised the following year and has become a broadcast classic. The main season is held during the spring at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House, with shorter seasons in the fall previously held at New York City Center, now held at the David H. Koch Theater. Performances of Alexei Ratmansky's The Nutcracker during the holiday season are held at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The company tours extensively throughout United States and the world.

The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre (ABT/JKO School) is the associate school of American Ballet Theatre located within the Flatiron District of Manhattan, New York City. The school comprises a Children's Division for ages 4 to 12, a Pre Professional Division for ages 12 to 18, and the preparatory program Studio Company for ages 16 to 20. Cynthia Harvey, a former dancer with ABT, serves as the school's artistic director.