Annual Alumni Celebration
Every year, on the Friday evening of Workshop Weekend, alumni from across generations gather at the School to toast the accomplishments of our performing students, and to reconnect as a community. The evening has become a beloved SAB tradition and there is room for everyone. We hope that you will join us for this year’s Annual Alumni Celebration.
We also look forward to celebrating our honoree, Debra Austin, as she is presented with the 2025 Alumni of Distinction Award.
We look forward to welcoming you back to SAB on June 6!
This event is for guests 21 years of age and older.
2025 Event Details
Friday, June 6, 2025
7:00 PM
Studio One
at The School of American Ballet
Tickets are $50 and fully tax-deductible.
Alumni 21-25 years of age are invited to purchase a reduced ticket at $25.
All proceeds will go towards the Alumni Scholarship Fund, helping the next generation of aspiring dancers. If you can’t attend the cocktail party but want to be a part of this community’s impact, we invite you to make a fully tax-deductible gift to the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Every amount makes a difference, and our students are so grateful for your generosity.
All reception guests must be 21 or older. Note that Workshop Performances tickets will be available to purchase in mid-April.
Alumni of Distinction Awards
The School of American Ballet proudly celebrates that the accomplishments of its alumni community are extraordinary and worthy of recognition. Therefore, in 2024, SAB established an annual Alumni of Distinction Award.
We are deeply honored to announce that the 2025 recipient of SAB’s Annual Alumni of Distinction Award will be Debra Austin.
Debra Austin is a trailblazing icon of American ballet. She began dancing at age 8 and was awarded a scholarship to the School of American Ballet at age 12. When George Balanchine invited her to join the New York City Ballet, at age 16 in 1971, she made history as its first Black female dancer. During her time at NYCB, she left her mark on some of American ballet’s most esteemed works, originating roles in both Balanchine and Robbins choreography. In 1980, she joined Zurich Ballet and toured the stages of Europe, before making history again in 1982, when she became a Principal dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet. She was the first Black woman to hold that title in a major American company.
Although she retired from dancing in 1990, Ms. Austin’s dedication to the art of ballet, and the generations of artists behind her, has remained steadfast. She became a Founding Member of Carolina Ballet in 1997 and has served the organization as a ballet mistress for nearly three decades, sharing her expertise and exuberance with countless dancers. As a founding member of SAB’s Alumni Advisory Committee since 2015, Ms. Austin continues to inspire future ballet dancers in their ambitions for professional dance careers.
We join the ballet community at-large in recognizing the significance of Ms. Austin’s career and are thrilled to be acknowledging her inspiring contributions to American ballet.
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