Be Our Guest – Meet SAB’s Recent Guest Teachers

A valuable asset to any dancer is versatility. As such, the School of American Ballet regularly augments the syllabus for our advanced students by inviting a wide variety of guest teachers into our studios each year. From artistic directors to recent alumni, classical repetiteurs and contemporary style experts, SAB’s roster of guest teachers offers our students an enriched artistic curriculum.

The School strives to prepare our advanced students for employment in ballet companies that feature both classical and contemporary works in their repertoires. To that end, SAB offers frequent variations and masterclasses with guest teachers who represent a range of contemporary techniques and styles. Recent offerings have included Forsythe, Cunningham and Taylor experts, and contemporary dance artist/choreographer Kyle Abraham.

Additionally, SAB regularly invites guest instructors who have notable professional performing experiences with classical works from choreographers such as Marius Petipa and August Bournonville. The aim is to provide students with a plethora of information on different styles that will help them navigate the landscape of classical and contemporary ballet repertoire.

SAB welcomes many of our own alumni as guest teachers as well, allowing them to share their skills with the current class of dancers, often leading a variations class in a Balanchine work they themselves have performed. It’s always exciting to have a recent alum back in our studios where they not only connect with our students but reconnect with their own teachers and peers among our full-time faculty.

Finally, the School’s artistic leaders invite numerous outside company directors—many of whom are alumni themselves—to teach (or observe) classes throughout the year. This provides our Capstone students with unique, personal exposure to potential employers outside of open audition calls.

Here’s a quick look back at just a few of our guest teachers over the past Winter Term. Each lent their own expertise and gave our students new in-class experiences both challenging and fun.

View the full 2019-20 Roster of Guest Faculty