American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is one of the world’s great ballet companies. It dances all forms of ballet, but tends towards grand classical ballets. ABT Studio Company is a second company of future star dancers and choreographers that dances more contemporary ballet.
American Ballet Theatre in New York City
ABT’s home theater is the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, where it dances a full summer season. It dances a brief fall season at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater.
Summer Season 2024
American Ballet Theatre’s Summer 2024 Season explores the many forms of love in Cranko’s “Onegin,” the New York Premiere of McGregor’s “Woolf Works,” McKenzie’s “Swan Lake,” MacMillan’s “Romeo and Juliet,” and Wheeldon’s “Like Water for Chocolate,” and an ABTKids family performance; at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center; from June 18 – July 20, 2024. abt.org
JUNE
![American Ballet Theatre "Onegin" (Gene Schiavone/ABT)](https://www.newyorklatinculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/American-Ballet-Theatre-Onegin-courtesy-Gene-Schiavone-ABT-1200x675-1-1024x576.jpg)
Onegin
American Ballet Theatre dances John Cranko’s “Onegin” (1965), based on Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin,” to Tchaikovsky, with costumes by Santo Loquasto; at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center; from Tuesday-Saturday, June 18-22, 2024. From $33. Calvin Royal III dances Lensky on June 19 and the 22nd matinee. abt.org 🇺🇸
Woolf Works
American Ballet Theatre dances the New York Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s “Woolf Works” (2014) to music by Max Richter. The award-winning ballet is based on the works of renowned feminist author Virginia Woolf who pioneered writing in a stream of consciousness that mirrors modern life. Her writing is a kind of dance on paper, so it flows into dance quite naturally. It’s at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center; from Tuesday-Saturday, June 25-29, 2024. From $33. abt.org 🇺🇸 🇦🇷 🇧🇷 🇮🇹 🇪🇸
JULY
Swan Lake
American Ballet Theatre dances Kevin McKenzie’s “Swan Lake” (2000) after Petipa and Ivanov, to Tchaikovsky. “Swan Lake,” the classical ballet of classical ballets, tells a story of love that reaches beyond the limits of death. It’s at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center; from Tuesday-Saturday, July 1-6, 2024. From $33. Daniel Camargo, Herman Cornejo, Calvin Royal III, Jose Sebastian, Hee Seo, and Joo Won Ahn dance in various performances. abt.org 🇺🇸 🇦🇷 🇧🇷 🇰🇷
Romeo and Juliet
American Ballet Theatre dances Kenneth MacMillan’s “Romeo and Juliet” (1965) to Prokofiev. It’s at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center; from Tuesday-Saturday, July 9-13, 2024. From $33. Daniel Camargo, Herman Cornejo, Carlos Gonzalez, Calvin Royal III, Hee Seo dance in various performances. abt.org 🇺🇸 🇦🇷 🇧🇷 🇰🇷 🇪🇸
Like Water for Chocolate
American Ballet Theatre dances Christopher Wheeldon’s “Like Water for Chocolate” (2022) to music by Talbot. This is one of the great Magical Realism love stories of all time. The family cook is so powerful that her emotions fill her cooking and those who dine on it. Blocked from marrying her love, her meals are full of emotions, sometimes to comic effect. When she finally spends a night with her love, their entire home is consumed with fiery passion. Many Americans think Magical Realism is a literary construct, but it is the reality of traditional life in the Latin world. It’s at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center; from Tuesday-Saturday, July 16-20, 2024. From $33. Daniel Camargo, Herman Cornejo, Carlos Gonzalez, Calvin Royal III, Joo Won Ahn, and SunMi Park dance in various performances. The July 19, 2024 performance celebrates Herman Cornejo’s 25th Anniversary. abt.org 🇺🇸 🇦🇷 🇧🇷 🇰🇷 🇪🇸
BAAND Together Dance Festival 2024 Brings Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispánico, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and New York City Ballet to Summer For the City at Lincoln Center
DAVID H. KOCH THEATER, Lincoln Center, Manhattan 🇺🇸 🇦🇷 🇧🇷 🇨🇴 🇨🇺 🇸🇻 🇭🇹 🇮🇹 🇲🇽 🇵🇷 🇪🇸 🇻🇪
ABT Studio Company Steps Into the Future of Dance and Choreography at The Joyce Theater
JOYCE THEATER, Chelsea, Manhattan 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇨🇦 🇯🇵 🇵🇭 🇰🇷 🇻🇪
World Ballet Day 2023 Takes You Behind the Scenes at the World’s Leading Ballet Companies
STREAMING, November 1, 2023 ~ See some of the world’s most famous dancers, in the world’s most famous ballet companies, backstage at some of the world’s most famous theaters.
🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇨🇺 🇫🇷 🇨🇦 🇮🇹 🇿🇦 🇪🇸
American Ballet Theatre
ABT dances two seasons at Lincoln Center:
- Metropolitan Opera House (Summer)
- David H. Koch Theater (Fall)
The Company formed out of the Mordkin Ballet. Mikhail Mordkin (1880-1944) was a former Bolshoi ballet master. Ballet Theatre was founded by Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith in New York City in 1939. The Company changed its name to American Ballet Theatre in 1957. It moved to the Metropolitan Opera House in 1977. U.S. Congress named it “America’s National Ballet Company” in 2006. Susan Jaffe became artistic director in 2022. @susanjaffeofficial
Mikhail Baryshnikov was artistic director from 1980-1989. Danish Principal Dancer Kevin McKenzie became artistic director in 1992. Alexie Ratmansky, former Bolshoi Ballet Director and MacArthur Fellow, was artist-in-residence from 2009-2023.
In 2004, ABT’s ballet school became the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. American Ballet Theatre was designated “America’s National Ballet Company” by the U.S. Congress in 2006.
Latin Dancers at American Ballet Theatre
ABT is a leader in ballet diversity. Some dancers achieve global fame and even enter popular culture.
2023-24 Principal Dancers of Color:
- Daniel Camargo is from Sorocaba, Brazil. 🇧🇷
- Misty Copeland from Kansas City, Missouri became ABT’s first Black Principal Dancer in 2015. She is the most famous American ballet dancer since Baryshnikov. Copeland started ballet late as a teenager, but danced her way to the top ~ even through a leg fracture, with incredible artistry and poise. She is the “Firebird.” Misty isn’t dancing much now, but broke the mold for all dancers of color and is very generous with the next generation. Thank you Misty! 🇺🇸
- Herman Cornejo, a student of Julio Bocca, is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. It’s generally accepted that we don’t all experience time in the same way. Cornejo has more seconds in his internal clock than most people. It’s beautiful to watch him stretch and fold time. 🇦🇷
- Calvin Royal III is from Tampa, Florida. He does a lot of work with the next generation. 🇺🇸
- Hee Seo is from Seoul, South Korea. She won the Switzerland’s Prix de Lausanne and New York City’s Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) in 2003. 🇰🇷
- Joo Won Ahn is from Wonju, South Korea. He won New York City’s Youth American Grand Prix in 2013. After joining ABT Studio Company in 2013, he moved to ABT in 2014, and was promoted to Principal in 2020. 🇰🇷
2023-24 Soloists:
- Luciana Paris, Julio Bocca’s former dance partner, is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Editor Keith: I once danced a tanda of tango (3 songs) with Luciana. It was one of the best dances of my life. She is very light and fully expresses every motion. I’ll never forget it. 🇦🇷
Director of Repertoire Carlos Lopez is from Madrid, Spain. @carloslopeznewyork 🇪🇸
ABT Legends
Mikhail Baryshnikov, the iconic ballet dancer of the 1970s and 80s, is Latvian. He danced for ABT from 1974-78 right after defecting from the Soviet Union, and returned as an artistic director from 1980-89. His never-ending leaps stick in the mind. He just stuck in the air. Baryshnikov collaborated with so many artists that he lifted the entire dance scene.
Desmond Richardson became ABT’s first Black Principal Dancer in 1997. He created leading roles in “Othello” and “Remanso.”
Carlos Acosta, 2003 guest artist, was the first Black principal Royal Ballet dancer. 🇨🇺
Julio Bocca (Interview), the “Latin Baryshnikov,” was a Principal dancer from 1985-2006. 🇦🇷
Tickets and More Information
Tickets are sold by presenting theaters.
X @ABTBallet
Facebook @AmericanBalletTheatre
Instagram @abtofficial @abtschool