ABT Incubator to Take Place in November

ABT Incubator, American Ballet Theatre's in-house choreographic program, is scheduled for November 12–22, 2024. Nurturing ABT's in-house talent, the 2024 ABT Incubator will feature six choreographers from its ranks of dancers. 

Choreographer auditions for the 2024 ABT Incubator were held in June in front of a selection panel comprised of ABT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe; ABT dancer and Incubator Director Jose Sebastian; ABT Associate Artistic Director Clinton Luckett; Artistic Director, ABT Studio Company, Sascha Radetsky; and Artistic Director, ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Stella Abrera. From the audition, six choreographers were selected – Madison Brown, Claire Davison, Zhong-Jing Fang, Camila Ferrera, Melvin Lawovi, and Duncan Lyle.  

Davison, Fang, Lawovi, and Lyle have all previously choreographed for ABT Incubator.  

On selecting a mix of veteran and first-time choreographers, Sebastian said, “It is always thrilling to watch artists stretch themselves and explore new terrain, and that's what it is all about. ABT Incubator is an ABT gem dedicated to the mission of creating opportunities for these emerging artists to hone their craft. I feel privileged to be a part of it.” 

During the November workshop period, each choreographer will have the chance to create new works on ABT dancers. Each will be provided with studio time, a stipend, and mentorship, in support of their new pieces. 

Jaffe said, “It is encouraging to see our dancers lean into their classical training in creating new pieces. There is something beautiful in their efforts to keep ballet new, fresh, and relevant, while still honoring the tradition and the technique of the art form.” 

Two private viewings of the 2024 ABT Incubator creations will be held on Friday, November 22 at ABT's 890 Broadway Studios.  

Madison Brown (she/her) Madison Brown is originally from Wellington, Florida. She began her dance training at the age of two and at the age of 10 joined Lents Dance Company and The Art of Classical Ballet. In 2018, Brown performed contemporary pieces on NBC's World of Dance. Brown won the Legacy Award at Universal Alliance and was the National Outstanding Dancer for New York City Dance Alliance in 2015, 2017, and 2019. In 2019, Brown also won the gold medal at the World Ballet Competition, the Youth Grand Prix Award at YAGP in Tampa, and the bronze medal at YAGP Finals in New York City. Brown was an ABT National Training Scholar from 2018-2021 and joined the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in 2021. She joined ABT Studio Company in January 2022. In 2022, Brown danced with Mariah Carey in a piece choreographed by James Whiteside for the Global Citizen Festival. She performed the Young Creation Award-winning solo Do You Care? by Aleisha Walker at the 2023 Prix de Lausanne competition. Brown became an apprentice with the main Company in November 2023 and joined the corps de ballet in July 2024.  

Claire Davison (she/her) was born in Boulder, Colorado. Davison received her initial ballet training at the Boulder Ballet School on full scholarship.  She attended the Boston Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, School of American Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School summer programs on scholarship.  Davison was awarded third place at the Denver Ballet Guild Young Dancers Competition and was a finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix competition in New York City in 2009.  Davison was recognized as an international Young Medalist and performed at the International Ballet Festival of Miami.  She joined the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in 2010 and received the Ron and Toby Altman scholarship at that time. Davison joined ABT as an apprentice in November 2012 and the corps de ballet in June 2013. Davison has created three works for ABT's choreographic workshops: Mais Oui, Dansez! (2014) for The Innovation Initiative and Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (2019) and Eve (2022) for ABT Incubator. Other choreography includes One of Us (2019) for Boulder Ballet, in collaboration with composer Paul Fowler, and Por Ti (2021), with 3AM Theatre, Jeff Seal, and Tyler West, for the Kaatsbaan Summer Festival. In 2021, she was a selected choreographer for New York Theatre Ballet's LIFT Lab. Davison received a 2021 Bindlestiff Family Cirkus First of May Award, a grant she used to create the one-woman show Crash Test Dummy in 2022.  Also in 2022, Davison choreographed Time Within A Time for American Repertory Ballet, set to the music of Fleetwood Mac, and collaborated with the Lenape Center.  

Zhong-Jing Fang (she/her) was born in Shanghai, China, and received her early training at the Shanghai Ballet School where she trained for seven years. Before joining ABT Studio Company in 2002, Fang graduated with a major in ballet from the Performing Arts College of Shanghai Drama University. In 2000, Fang was the winner of the famed Prix de Lausanne, and winner of the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Prize at the Ninth International Ballet Competition in Paris. In 2001, Fang won First Prize in the Junior Division of the Helsinki International Ballet Competition and first place in the Junior Division of the Shanghai International Ballet Competition. Fang joined the main Company as an apprentice in April 2003 and became a member of the corps de ballet in January 2004. She was promoted to Soloist in September 2018. Fang has created three works for ABT Incubator, including The Final Frame (2011), An Observation of the Dress Code (2019), and The Unforeseen (2021). 

Camila Ferrera (she/her) was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, and is very proud of her Cuban and Argentine descent. She began her training under the instruction of her mother, Sonia Grimaldi, and continued her training at the School of American Ballet under the direction of Kay Mazzo, performing in many of New York City Ballet's productions from 2005-2008. In 2008, Ferrera was accepted into the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School under the direction of Franco De Vita. Ferrera was a recipient of the Mae L. Wien Scholarship at the ABT JKO School for outstanding talent, ability, and promise. She also attended ABT's summer intensives from 2008-2012 and as a National Training Scholar in 2011. In 2014, Ferrera joined the Joffrey Studio Company at the Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago and was promoted to the main company the following year at the age of 18. She also toured with the Royal Swedish Ballet under the direction of Johannes Öhman. Ferrera then joined Indianapolis Ballet (IB) in its inaugural season as a founding member. She is a certified teacher in all levels and partnering of the ABT National Training Curriculum and has taught at universities including University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) in Ohio and Facultad de Artes UNT in Argentina. Ferrera joined the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre in March 2022.  

Melvin Lawovi (he/him) was born in Toulouse, France, and began dancing in a small studio in his hometown. At age 10, he joined VM Ballet School, under the direction of Vinciane Ghyssens and Matthew Madsen. In 2015, he appeared on Season 2 of the French television show Prodiges and won the Golden Award. Lawovi has participated in many international competitions including in Grasse, Cannes, Biarritz, and Toulouse, winning gold medals and special prizes in each. He participated in the IBStage International Summer Program and Gala and spent summers training at The Royal Ballet School and Varna International Ballet Competition. In 2018, Lawovi finished first place at the Youth America Grand Prix semi-finals in Barcelona. Lawovi joined American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in January 2018, became an apprentice with the main Company in December 2019, and joined the corps de ballet in September 2021. Lawovi created Soirée Nocturne for ABT Incubator in 2021. 

Duncan Lyle (he/him) was born in Melbourne, Australia, and began his training at Camberwell District Ballet with Janina Ciunovas, Susan Thomson, Toivo Taves, and Barbara Nimmo. In 2007, he was accepted into The Royal Ballet School from which he graduated in 2010. He performed the role of Franz in Coppélia as a guest with The Russian Choreographic Academy in Melbourne in 2009. Lyle joined the corps de ballet of Boston Ballet in 2010 before joining the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre in 2012. Lyle created The Same Cage for ABT Incubator in 2018. 

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