Celebrating 90 Years of Excellence 1934
1948
1959
New York City Ballet debuts at
With funding from the Ford Foundation,
Lincoln Kirstein open the School of
New York City Center with dancers
SAB is able to expand its scholarship
American Ballet on Madison Avenue
almost entirely made up of students
program and establish a precursor
in New York City, a first step to
from the School of American Ballet.
to the National Audition Tour.
shaping the future of ballet in America.
After some initial failed attempts,
Balanchine and select faculty traveled
SAB has long since been considered
Balanchine and Kirstein’s dream
across the United States to recruit
one of the world’s leading ballet
of establishing an American ballet
students nationally, further expanding
training academies.
company is realized. Since then, SAB
the School’s reach and influence
has been the official school of New
beyond New York City.
Swope
On January 2, George Balanchine and
York City Ballet, providing highly Swope
trained dancers for what has become
Swope
America’s largest ballet company.
1997 SAB establishes an annual Student Choreography Workshop, allowing students to explore the art of choreography by creating new works on their peers. The School has since enhanced this program offering resources to further encourage exploration of choreography. This workshop has inspired the choreographic talents of some of today’s leading choreographers, most notably Justin Peck, Lauren Lovette and Gianna Reisen.
2000’s
Throughout the 2000’s, SAB increases its commitment to diversifying the student body. In 2009, SAB begins holding free family friendly performances in NYC neighborhoods. And in 2012, SAB launches a formal diversity, equity and inclusion initiative with the ultimate goal of impacting the diversity of professional stages nationwide. This ongoing commitment permeates all facets of the School and leads to the establishment of a full time staff role dedicated to DEI in 2012 and the start of SAB’s National Visiting Fellows and Principal Guest Teacher programs.
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