Faculty for 2016-17 School Year at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School Announced

Faculty for the 2016-17 school year at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) School was announced today by ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie and ABT JKO School Artistic Director Cynthia Harvey. Joining the faculty this year as Principal Guest Instructor is former ABT Principal Dancer Ethan Stiefel. Also returning to train the next generation of dancers is former ABT and New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Robert La Fosse. Both Stiefel and La Fosse will teach students in the ABT JKO Pre-Professional Division.

Under the artistic direction of Cynthia Harvey, the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School provides the highest quality ballet training, consistent with the stylistic requirements of ABT under the guiding principles of ABT's National Training Curriculum. The ABT JKO School serves over 400 students with a Pre-Professional Division for dancers ages 12-18 and a Children's Division for dancers ages 3-12. Classes include classical ballet technique, pointe, partnering, men's class, character, modern technique, variations, ballet history and Pilates. Students also participate in the ABT JKO School Wellness Program. The ABT JKO School faculty is comprised of members of ABT's artistic staff, distinguished teachers and alumni from ABT and renowned companies throughout the world.

"For my inaugural year as Artistic Director of the ABT JKO School, I've assembled a top-tier list of instructors who can continue the legacy of the School's mission to train the next generation of excellent artists," said Ms. Harvey. "The faculty for this year are individuals whose careers I've long admired and whose teaching methods I've observed over the years as some of the best the field has to offer."

Incoming faculty include Karin Averty, formerly Premier Danseuse of the Paris Opera Ballet, and Fabrice Herrault, world-renowned teacher formerly of the Hamburg Ballet and Royal Winnipeg Ballet. ABT alumni Elizabeth Ferrell, Leann Underwood and Karen Uphoff, as well as Ms. Harvey, will join the existing faculty of former ABT dancers, Harriet Clark, Mikhail Ilyin and Flavio Salazar. Former ABT Principal Dancers Amanda McKerrow, Lupe Serrano and Martine van Hamel will serve as guest instructors.
Rounding out the new faculty are Kristen Stevens and Jaime Hickey, both teaching for the Children's Division, as well as former principal of the Moiseyev Dance Company, Larisa Calero, who will teach character dance. Returning faculty for the Children's Division include Sophie Alpern, Alexis Andrews, Jenna Bitterman Rodica Bordeianu, Carla Flores and Sonia Jones. Adjunct faculty include Marianne dello Joio, Allison Eggers, Jean Freebury, Eleanor Hullihan, Adrienne Hurd, Clarice Marshall and Keith Sabado.

For more information on the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, please visit www.abt.org/education/jko_school.asp

Northern Trust is the Leading Corporate Sponsor of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School.