National Visiting Fellowship Ballet Teachers

SAB OVERVIEW

The School of American Ballet (SAB) at Lincoln Center, founded by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, is the preeminent ballet school in the country. Our mission is to train professional dancers for careers in classical ballet. We provide the resources for a diverse pool of students to train at the highest level – with 15-25 a year going on to dance for New York City Ballet, our official but independent ballet company, and other major ballet companies worldwide.

SAB has a far-reaching impact on the art form and enriches the lives of each student who comes through its doors, over 800 annually, ages 6 to 18. SAB has approximately 90 part- and full-time employees and an operating budget of $17 million.

The School of American Ballet (SAB) invites U.S.

-based classical ballet instructors with a proven commitment to teaching students from diverse backgrounds to apply for the National Visiting Fellows Program.

Visiting Fellows are invited to attend two all-expenses-paid sessions during SAB’s Winter Term, where they observe a range of SAB classes, meet with faculty to discuss SAB’s curriculum and strategies for progression, teach SAB students and receive faculty feedback, and discuss relevant topics in dance education with administrative staff and faculty. In addition, the home school of each Visiting Fellow receives a monetary award of $5,000 to strengthen existing educational programs or to establish new opportunities for student support.

Applicants will be selected based on various qualifications, including, but not limited to, teaching quality, information about the community served, and the individual’s commitment to serving diverse student populations. The School of American Ballet encourages submissions from diverse applicants. Fellows will be selected and notified by early August 2026.

Applications must be submitted by June 30, 2026.

• Fall:
  October 26-October 31, 2026 (travel to NYC October 25)
• Winter:
  Virtual class observation to take place February/March 2027
• Spring:
  April 26-May 1, 2027 (travel to NYC April 25)

• Observe a complete range of SAB Winter Term classes.
• Attend curricula and technique demonstrations with students and faculty.
• Meet with SAB faculty members to discuss training methods and other relevant topics.
• Serve as a Teaching Assistant for select Children’s Division classes in partnership with an SAB faculty member.
• Provide Zoom access for SAB faculty to virtually observe a live class at your home studio between fall and spring sessions.
• Teach an Upper Children or Intermediate Division class utilizing the SAB curriculum and receive feedback from SAB faculty.
• Meet with School Leadership to discuss administrative operations and building an inclusive environment for today’s ballet students.

• Be at least 21 years old and have a minimum of five years of teaching experience in classical ballet.
• Be currently employed by a U.S.
  
  -based dance academy or studio. Non-U.S. citizens are welcome to apply, if the affiliated school or studio is in the United States. Artistic directors are welcome to apply.
• Have a demonstrated and documented commitment to serving students from diverse backgrounds in ballet.

Include dance training, professional performing experience (if applicable), and teaching experience

The application will ask you to:

• Provide an overview of organization’s training programs and a summary of the student body demographics.
• Include a written description of classes you teach, including class type (ballet, pointe, etc.), class level (beginner, intermediate, etc.), class size, and ages taught.

In a few sentences, explain your interest in participating in the Fellowship and your commitment to providing dancers from underrepresented backgrounds in ballet with opportunities to develop their potential towards professional careers.

Provide a letter from your organization’s artistic leadership endorsing your…