ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School Appoints Aubrey Lynch, Rubén Martín & Caridad Martinez to Faculty

Aubrey Lynch has been appointed Dean of Faculty and Student Affairs for the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Rubén Martín has been appointed Principal Teacher for the School and Caridad Martinez has been appointed as faculty member. The appointments, effective July 12, 2021, were announced today by Cynthia Harvey, Artistic Director of the ABT JKO School.

As Dean of Faculty and Student Affairs, Aubrey Lynch will lead efforts to build and sustain an inclusive school community environment with programming that supports the success of the whole dancer at all stages of artistic, physical, social, and emotional development. Working closely with the staff and faculty of the ABT JKO School, Lynch will oversee student recruitment and admissions, as well as all aspects of student life for the School and ABT Studio Company to provide students with valuable guidance and mentorship to help them thrive inside and outside of the studio. The Dean will work alongside ABT's engagement team to encourage talented students from diverse backgrounds to attend the ABT JKO School.

Lynch joins ABT from The Harlem School of the Arts where he served as Dance Director and Chief Education and Creative Programs Officer. Prior to his career in arts management, Lynch was one of the last dancers hand selected by Alvin Ailey to join the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He was also an original company member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and an original cast member of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of Disney's The Lion King, later becoming Associate Choreographer and then Associate Producer for the show.

Rubén Martín has been appointed Principal Teacher of the ABT JKO School. Martín was born in Spain and trained at Estudio de Danza de María de Ávila. He performed with English National Ballet for four years and joined San Francisco Ballet in 2000, rising to the rank of principal dancer in 2006. He has performed as a guest artist with National Ballet of Canada and Dutch National Ballet, among other leading companies, and served as a guest teacher at companies around the U.S. and worldwide, including Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, English National Ballet, and National Ballet of Spain. Martín was principal men's teacher at San Francisco Ballet and most recently served as ballet master at The Washington Ballet.

Caridad Martinez joins the ABT JKO School faculty following an esteemed career as a performer and dance educator. Martinez was a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Cuba, and a protégé of Fernando and Alicia Alonso. She is a renowned expert on the methodology of the Cuban Ballet School and served as Director of the Cuban Ballet School in Mexico. Martinez was distinguished with the honorary membership of the Dance Educators of Mexico and Dance Educators of America. In the 1980s, she led The Havana Ballet through a theater creative concept that transformed the performing arts in Cuba. Martinez has received numerous awards for her dance and theater choreography, including an award from The Association of Writers and Artists in Cuba for two consecutive years. She has choreographed for the Hispanic Heritage Awards, and for the acclaimed Julian Schnabel film Before Night Falls. Most recently, Martinez directed the Brooklyn Ballet Conservatory and serves as ballet teacher at the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center.

Speaking of the appointments, Cynthia Harvey said: "I am delighted to welcome these three exceptional new faculty members to the ABT JKO School. Each comes with their personal strengths which will enhance the school positively. With the appointment of Aubrey Lynch, we hope to fortify the student experience and to increase our training pipeline by welcoming talented students who represent the diversity of our country, with the goal of shaping American Ballet Theatre's future roster of artists.

Rubén Martín comes to us as Principal Teacher, and his duties will encompass teaching throughout the school as well as ABT Studio Company. His experience as a teacher and director of repertoire will be invaluable, as ABT dancers are expected to be storytellers as well as accomplished dancers. In Martín, we gain a teacher with deep experience as a mentor and artist. Caridad Martinez is a pedagogue with supreme knowledge and schooling. Her reputation as a teacher is renowned, and I am proud to continue the classical tradition in our school with someone whose training had its seeds with one of the founding members of American Ballet Theatre, Alicia Alonso. After leaving Cuba, Martinez has made her own indelible mark with her progressive methodology and open-minded approach to training."

For more information about the ABT JKO School, please visit ABT's website.