Our 2024 Lecture Demonstrations at a Glance

Hot off the heels of their 90th Anniversary Ball performance, several of our Advanced Division students went right into performances of The Beauty of Ballet, our delightful lecture demonstration program which we present annually in venues across the boroughs of New York City. This year, we caravanned to the Claire Tow Theater in Brooklyn, the Queens Theatre in Queens, and the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture in the Bronx – tutus in tow and ready to showcase how our students train to become ballet dancers for audiences of all ages.

The program is hosted by SAB faculty member and Children’s Division Manager, Katrina Killian, and gives attendees a glimpse at the fundamental structure of an SAB ballet class, with students demonstrating the basic positions, barre, and center exercises. It then segues into a series of excerpts from beloved story ballets such as Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty, alongside Balanchine repertory favorites like Stars and Stripes, Agon, and Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux. The presentation concludes with all the performers returning to the stage for a Q&A session and a chance for our audience members to get to know the students and ask them questions about their training.

Tailored for families and young children, these free lecture demonstrations precede SAB’s annual auditions for children 6 to 10 years old, with the hope that the performances may inspire those new to ballet to come to an audition either at SAB’s Lincoln Center headquarters or at one of our community audition locations around the city. Ms. Killian even encourages the audience to participate in select ballet moves – a charming element of the show which is nothing less than thrilling for many a budding dancer and may just whet their appetite to learn more.

But regardless of whether the program inspires someone to start ballet classes for the first time, inspires them to support dance as a patron, or simply initiates a new ballet fan, the experience is just as rewarding for our performing students. Not only do they get to perform exciting repertoire, but they get to connect with the audience and feel a sense of giving back to our vibrant NYC community. This is why The Beauty of Ballet remains one of our favorite annual traditions at SAB!

Thank you for everyone who joined us at this year’s performances!