SAB Hosts First Alumni of Distinction Awards at its Alumni Cocktail Reception in June

The School Of American Ballet will invite alumni to join them, toasting SAB's milestone 90th Anniversary and presenting the first-ever Alumni of Distinction Awards at SAB's Alumni cocktail reception on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 7pm. The cocktail reception will be held at the School Of American Ballet, 165 West 65th Street, New York, NY. Tickets are available for purchase by the alumni. All proceeds will go towards the Alumni Scholarship Fund, helping the next generation of aspiring dancers.

The School of American Ballet proudly celebrates that the accomplishments of its alumni community are extraordinary and worthy of recognition. As part of the 90th Anniversary Celebration, SAB has established an Annual Alumni of Distinction Award.

These annual awards will be a powerful storytelling tool for our community as we aim to not only lift your accomplishments for a larger audience, but also to Illuminate the influence and impact that you have had on the communities and cultures of your lives. They will also give us the important opportunity to explore openly how a foundation in classical ballet training at SAB contributes to broadly defined success both on stage and off. The first two recipients will be honored at the Anniversary Alumni Celebration on Friday, June 7, in person at SAB.

All alumni and their guests (21 years of age and older) are invited to join as we honor our two inaugural Award recipients, photographer Rosalie O'Connor and actor, singer and dancer Hinton Battle (1956-2024)

The School Of American Ballet (SAB) is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the official school of George Balanchine's New York City Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the age of six, with professional vocational ballet training for students aged 11-18.

Graduates of the school achieve employment with leading ballet companies worldwide, most notably in the United States with the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. According to SAB, alumni of the School of American Ballet supplies over 90% of New York City Ballet.

Some noted alumni include Maria Tallchief, Tanaquil Le Clercq, Jacques d'Amboise, Jillana, Allegra Kent, Arthur Mitchell, Patricia McBride, Edward Villella, Suzanne Farrell, Kay Mazzo, Helgi Tomasson, Fernando Bujones, Gelsey Kirkland, Heather Watts, Merrill Ashley, Jock Soto, John Clifford, Peter Boal, Kyra Nichols, Darci Kistler, Patrick Bissell, Damian Woetzel, Ethan Stiefel, Wendy Whelan and Paloma Herrara, as well as celebrities Ashlee Simpson, Macaulay Culkin, Vanessa Carlson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Megan Mullally and Broadway favorites Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Charlotte d'Amboise, Lawrence Leritz and Chita Rivera.