American Ballet Theatre

There are many great Dance Companies, each known for their history, style and

performance, choreographers and dancers.

One of these is the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), based in New York City, and is one of the

leading Ballet Companies in America and also one of the best classical ballet companies in

the world.

You may or may not have heard about the American Ballet Theatre, as when it comes to

ballet, we tend to think about the Royal Ballet, Paris or Russian Ballet or even our own

Australian Ballet Company.

Originally called the Ballet Theatre, it was founded in 1939, and its first performance was on

January 11,1940. The focus was on developing a repertoire of well-known full-length

classics from the past such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Giselle whilst creating new

works and sharing them with the world. In 1957 the company changed its name to American Ballet Theatre.

American ballet companies have a different dance style to those we typically know about in

Europe, and this is due to different ways of training and artistic traditions. American dance

companies focus more on energy, athleticism, speed and dynamic movement; a style

shaped by renowned dancer and choreographer Jerome Robbins and the great George

Balanchine, who is recognised as the father of American ballet and one of the most

influential dancers and choreographers of the 20 th Century.

ABT tours America each year, performing its classical, neoclassical and contemporary

repertoire to 300,000 people and has gone on 30 international tours to 45 countries

appealing to a broad and varied audience, sharing American ballet to the world.

ABT has a focus on the development of American dancers and provides opportunities for

international guest artists to perform in the Company. In 2006, it was recognized as

America’s National Ballet Theatre and a cultural ambassador for American ballet by the

United States Congress.