Princeton Ballet Society
Founders Audreé & Bud Estey |
American Repertory Ballet and
its affiliate Princeton Ballet School are both maintained
by the Princeton Ballet Society. The Princeton Ballet
School, founded in 1954 by Audreé Estey, is one of the
largest not-for-profit dance schools in the nation. Headed
by School Director Mary
Pat Robertson, Princeton Ballet School enrolls 1,200
students annually for classes in its studios in Cranbury,
Princeton and New Brunswick. The school regularly places
its graduates in professional dance companies, both in
the United States and abroad.
In 1963, Mrs. Estey established the Princeton Regional
Ballet Company. It became the professional Princeton Ballet
Company in 1978 and quickly grew into a vital young company
of national promise. In 1991, the company was renamed
American Repertory Ballet, a name more clearly reflecting
its artistic image and status as a nationally recognized
ballet company. |
| American Repertory Ballet is New
Jersey's leading dance company and one of the
state's major arts organizations. Since 1987,
it has been designated a Major Arts Institution
by the New
Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of
State, also receiving a Citation of Excellence
for 1998-2003 - the only dance company to receive
both honors.American Repertory Ballet is the Resident
Dance Company at the New Brunswick Cultural Center
and McCarter
Theatre in Princeton. It is also a Principal
Affiliate of the New
Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. |
Graham Lustig's Dialogues.
Photo: Eduardo Patino |
The company regularly performs throughout the state
and tours both nationally and internationally. In addition,
ARB performs at the Joyce
Theatre, New York City's premiere venue for contemporary
dance. Its powerful dancers perform both established
masterpieces by great American choreographers such as
George Balanchine as well as cutting edge works by choreographers
such as Val Caniparoli, Kirk Peterson, Dominique Dumais,
Salvatore Aiello, Susan Hadley, Mark Godden, Amy Seiwert,
Ginger Thatcher, ARB Ballet Mistress Elaine Kudo, and
Artistic Director Graham Lustig. |
American
Repertory Ballet is committed to helping ensure the
survival and accountability of dance as an art form
through educational initiatives. DANCE
POWER, ARB's visionary partnership with New
Brunswick Public Schools, has provided thousands
of New Brunswick children with tuition-free, sustained
classical training since 1986. Innovative programming
for all constituents includes classes for adults and
children with disabilities. |
Mrs. Estey
Teaching class |
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