PRINCETON, N.J. – This summer marks the 30th anniversary of Princeton Ballet School’s renowned international Summer Intensive Program.  Princeton Ballet School’s five week Summer Intensive is one of the oldest programs of its kind in the United States, and takes place this year from June 27-July 29.  The program’s distinguished faculty and quality facilities provide talented dancers from around the world with professional level ballet training.

Students attending the program were selected during auditions that took place last winter across the United States, as well as in Paris and Rome.  Expected attendees will travel from across the U.S. and from France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada and Israel to participate in the program.  The students will live on Princeton University’s campus while attending class six days a week at the Princeton Ballet School’s studios in Princeton, NJ.

Princeton Ballet School Director, Mary Pat Robertson, and American Repertory Ballet Company Director, Douglas Martin, will conduct the program alongside Princeton Ballet School’s impressive array of permanent and guest faculty who include Kyra Nichols, former principal ballerina with New York City Ballet, and long time guest teacher at Princeton Ballet School; Kathleen Moore, former principal ballerina with American Ballet Theatre, and current American Repertory Ballet teacher and senior faculty member; Katie Glasner, former dancer with Twyla Tharp, and current Associate Professor of Dance at Barnard College; Mary Barton and Maria Youskevitch, senior faculty members and ballet mistresses of American Repertory Ballet Workshop; and many special guests, including Princeton Ballet School alum Michael Mindlin, currently dancing in the Broadway production of Mamma Mia.

The Princeton Ballet School Summer Intensive will culminate with a performance on July 29 at the McCarter Theatre Center’s Berlind Theater in Princeton, NJ.  This highly anticipated performance will include student choreography orchestrated by Katie Glasner, as well as choreography by Mary Barton and Janell Byrne.  The performance will also feature an excerpt from Don Quixote as re-staged by Maria Youskevitch and work by American Repertory Ballet Director Douglas Martin.

“Summer Intensive is one of my favorite moments of our year,” says Princeton Ballet School Director Mary Pat Robertson.  “It’s so gratifying to see such talented young dancers, whom I have found and gathered here from all over, being so enthusiastic about new ideas and new friends.  These concepts and friendships with teachers and peers will last them throughout the coming year, as they return to their home studios and countries.” 

Princeton Ballet School also runs two programs for younger dancers.  Summer Intensive Intermediates for 11-14 year old dancers takes place at the school’s studios in Cranbury, NJ, while Summer Intensives Juniors is held on the Princeton University Campus.

Photos from last year's Summer Intensive Courtesy of George Jones and Claudia Harris

About Princeton Ballet School

Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet, has gained a national reputation for its excellent dance training since its founding in 1954 by Audrée Estey. Princeton Ballet School currently enrolls more than 1500 students, starting at age three and includes a large open enrollment division for adults. Mary Pat Robertson, Director, ensures that the school provides the atmosphere and training that nurtures both the prospective artist and the dance student who studies only for the inherent rewards – self-discipline, physical fitness, and an appreciation of movement and music. Programs offered at the school include special classes designed exclusively for boys, in addition to the children’s ballet classes for which the school is well known. Adult classes include ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, and Pilates. 

Princeton Ballet School has studios in Cranbury, New Brunswick, and Princeton. The Princeton facility, designed by the late architect Ralph Lerner, features four large studios, each with a shock-absorbent floor and non-slip dance surfaces. The Cranbury facility, also designed by Mr. Lerner, has two studios, fitted with the same specially designed dance flooring, and echoes the Princeton facility in design. The third facility in New Brunswick,  features one studio, and houses the administrative offices and the Company. 

Many of Princeton Ballet School’s faculty members have performed professionally; others have attained graduate degrees in dance education and have won awards for their teaching. All are committed to the School’s philosophy of dance education. In addition to dance classes for all levels and ages, the school is noted for its PLUS program, the Professional Training Program (for high school students) and its performance wing, the ARB Workshop. These programs help develop young dancers who aspire to professional careers. Students from the school have gone on to dance in professional ballet and contemporary dance companies in the US and abroad. Graduates have danced with such diverse organizations as the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, STREB, Complexions, Mark Morris Dance Company, Twyla Tharp, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Ballet West, Washington Ballet, and on Broadway.