American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City, founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. 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.
History 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. Chase began developing the company's repertoire of well-known full-length ballets, as well as original works, amidst financial issues. In 1945 Oliver Smith joined Ballet Theatre and became co-director with Chase.
In 1957 the company changed its name to American Ballet Theatre.Horst Koegler, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet (1977), p. 15. 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.In 2016, Kara Medoff Barnett was appointed as the Executive Director of American Ballet Theatre.
McKenzie stepped down from the company in late 2022, as announced in 2021. Susan Jaffe took over the company at the end of 2022. Ratmansky departed the troupe in June 2023.
Artistic staff
Artistic directors Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith (1940–1980) Mikhail Baryshnikov (1980–1989) Jane Hermann and Oliver Smith (1989–1992) Kevin McKenzie (1992–2022) Susan Jaffe (2022–present)
Executive director and CEO Rachel S. Moore Executive director (2003–2011) CEO (2011–2016)
Executive director Kara Medoff Barnett (2016–2021) Janet Rollé (2021–2023) Barry Hughson (2024–present)
Resident choreographers Antony Tudor (1940–1950) Alexei Ratmansky (2009–2023)
Music directors, conductors, concertmasters (partial list) Joseph Levine, (1911–1994) (conductor and musical director) (1950–1958) Ormsby Wilkins (music director) (current) Charles Barker (principal conductor) (current) David LaMarche (conductor) (current) Benjamin Bowman (concertmaster) (current)
Production Department
Abe Fender, Technical Director (1940) Michel Delaroff, Production Manager (1951-1952) Nananne Porcher, Technical Director (1959, 1976-1977)) Daryl Dodson, Technical Director (1964-1967) George Bardyguine, Technical Director (1971-1973) Dan Butt, Production Manager (1979-1976) Lawerence Sterner, Assistant Production Manager (1981-1992) David G. Lansky, Assistant Production Manager (1994-1995), Production Manager (1996-2005) N. James Whitehill III, Associate Production Manager (1996-2005) Director of Production (2006-2023) Richard Koch, Technical Director (2013-current) Sidney Wolf, Assistant Production Manager (2017-2019)
Dancers
American Ballet Theatre has four levels within the company. They are (in ascending order): apprentice, corps de ballet, soloist, and principal.
Principals
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 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 DanceRoyal Ballet School ABT Studio Company20072020Isaac Hernández The Rock School for Dance Education ABT Studio Company2025N/A Joined as PrincipalSan Francisco BalletDutch National BalletEnglish National BalletCatherine Hurlin Scarsdale Ballet StudioWestchester Dance AcademyJacqueline Kennedy Onassis SchoolABT Studio Company20142022Chloe MisseldineOrlando Ballet SchoolABT Studio Company20212024 Gillian Murphy University of North Carolina School of the ArtsColumbia City Ballet19962002 Kyiv 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 SchoolABT Studio Company20062012Mariinsky Ballet Christine Shevchenko The Rock School for Dance EducationABT 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
Soloists
NameNationalityTrainingJoined ABTPromoted to SoloistOther companies (incl. guest performances)Sierra ArmstrongUNSCAABT JKO School20162025Jarod Curley Frederick School of Classical BalletNext Generation BalletJohn Cranko School20182024 Zhong-Jing Fang Shanghai Ballet SchoolShanghai Drama University 20042018Lea FleytouxConservatoire Municipal Camille Saint-SaensEcole National Danse MarseilleABT JKO School20182024Patrick FrenetteGoh Ballet AcademySchool of American Ballet2013Carlos Gonzalez El Conservatorio Profesional de Danza ForteaEl Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma2016Breanne Granlund Ballet Academy of TexasABT Studio Company2022Sung Woo HanSun-hwa Arts Middle SchoolRoyal Ballet School2013Fangqi LiBeijing Dance AcademyThe National Ballet of ChinaABT Studio Company20182024Betsy McBrideBallet Academy of TexasTexas Ballet Theater School20152022Texas Ballet TheaterTakumi MiyakeRoyal Ballet School20212025 SunMi ParkSun-hwa Middle and High School of the ArtsKorea National Institute of Gifted ArtsABT Studio Company2022Jake RoxanderStudio Roxander Pennsylvania Ballet IIABT Studio Company2024Jose SebastianSchool of American BalletABT Studio Company20062025
Former dancers The following is a partial list of former dancers with ABT, listed by their highest rank prior to leaving the company.
Former principal dancers
Stella Abrera (1996–2020) Ivan Allen (1950s–1960s) Alicia Alonso (1943–1948) Nina Ananiashvili (1993–2009) Victor Barbee (1975–2003) Mikhail Baryshnikov (1974–1978) Patrick Bissell (1977–1987) Julio Bocca (1986–2006) Karena Brock (1973–?) Leslie Browne (1976–1993) Erik Bruhn (1949–1958, 1961–1972) Fernando Bujones (1972–85, 1990s) Maxim Beloserkovsky (1994-2012) José Manuel Carreño (1995–2011) Lucia Chase (1940–1960) Misty Copeland (2000-2025) Ángel Corella (1996–2012) Eleanor D'Antuono (1961–1981) Anton Dolin (1940–1946) Irina Dvorovenko (1996–2013) Royes Fernandez (1957–1972) Alessandra Ferri (1985–2007) Carla Fracci (1967–?) Alexander Godunov (1979–1982) Guillaume Graffin (1988–2005) Cynthia Gregory (1965–1991) Cynthia Harvey (1974–1986, 1988–1996) Susan Jaffe (1980–2002) Julie Kent (1993–2015) Gelsey Kirkland (1974–1984)
Ruth Ann Koesun (1946–1969) John Kriza (1940–1966) Robert La Fosse (1977–1986) Harold Lang (1943–1945) Annabelle Lyon (1939–1943) Natalia Makarova (1970–1986) Vladimir Malakhov (1995–2008) Alicia Markova (1941–1946) Bruce Marks (1961–1968) Kevin McKenzie (1979–1991) Amanda McKerrow (1982–2005) Kathleen Moore (1982–2006) Veronika Part (2002–2017) Kirk Peterson (1974–1980) Danilo Radojevic (1978–1993) Johan Renvall (1978–1996) Keith Roberts (1987–1999) Ethan Stiefel (1997–2012) Nina Stroganova (1940-1942);(1954-1955) url https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-11-mn-14226-story.html Marianna Tcherkassky (1970–1996) Ashley Tuttle (1987–2004) Martine van Hamel (1970–1992) Edward Verso (1962–1968) Michele Wiles (1998–2011) Diana Vishneva (2005–2017) Marcelo Gomes (1997–2018) Roberto Bolle (2009–2019) Sarah Lane (2004–2020)
Former soloists
Kristi Boone (2000–2014) Ethan Brown (1981–2004) Gabrielle Brown (1980–1996) Sandra Brown (1987–2003) Tener Brown (1979–1986) Carmen Corella (1998–2007) Erica Cornejo (1998–2007) Royes Fernandez (1950–1953) George de la Peña (1970s–1985) Joaquín De Luz (1997–2003) Lisa de Ribere (1979–1984) Melissa Hayden (1945–1947) Yuriko Kajiya (2002–2014) Elaine Kudo Anna Liceica (1996–2007) Carlos Lopez (2001–2011) Charles Maple (1972–1983) Jared Matthews (2002–2014) Simone Messmer (2002–2013) Monique Meunier (2002–2007) Carlos Molina (1998–2007) Sascha Radetsky (1995–2014) Amy Rose (1979–1992) Gennadi Saveliev (1996–2012)
Former corps de ballet
Maria Bystrova (2000–2010) Caroline Duprot (2009–2011) Tobin Eason (2002–2012) Alt URL Aino Ettala (2010) Jeffrey Golladay (2003–2012) Melanie Hamrick (2004–2019) Meaghan Hinkis (2010–2011) Carrie Jensen (2000–2009) Clinton Luckett (1992–2002) Joseph Phillips (2008–2013) Brendali Staana EspirituFaculty , American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School at Segerstrom Center for the Arts Isaac Stappas (2000–2011) Sarawanee Tanatanit (2002–2008) Mary Mills Thomas (2008–2011) Melissa Thomas (2002–2009) Katharine Wildish (1985–1987) Bo Busby
Repertoire
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.