Kaatsbaan Cultural Park announces Kaatsbaan Ballet Intensive Auditions

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park is pleased to announce the Kaatsbaan Ballet Intensive (KBI), from July 3 - August 26, 2023. For more information and to register to audition, visit https://kaatsbaan.org/kaatsbaan-ballet-intensive.

KBI is a great opportunity to train with a specially curated group of accomplished international dance artists in group ballet classes. Along with newly appointed KBI Artistic Director Paloma Herrera, faculty and guest teachers include Martine van Hamel, Kevin McKenzie (ABT, Artistic Director), returning KBI teacher Lorin Mathis, as well as Beth Ferrell, Gonzalo Garcia, Gillian Murphy, Luciana Paris, and Adrienne Schulte, among others. Training will include daily ballet technique classes, and opportunities to fine tune classical solos and corps de ballet repertoire.

This unique training program is designed for young dancers between the ages of 13 and 19 - who have at least two years of pointe work - to develop exceptional technical skills, artistic refinement, and a sophisticated approach to repertoire, with the ultimate goal of preparing attendees for a career in the arts.

Auditions will be held in December 2022 and January 2023. There are three options for how to audition:

In Person

January 14 & 15, 2023 in New York City

Four in-person audition classes taught by KBI Artistic Director Paloma Herrera, with ABT's Kevin McKenzie in attendance.

Live Zoom

Eight days available between December 11, 2022 and January 29, 2023.

Video Submission

Accepted December 1, 2022 through March 7, 2023.

Dancers have the choice between two- or three-week sessions, either as a residential student in onsite boarding (limited availability) or as a day student, in the beautiful Hudson Valley in Upstate New York. Three-week sessions are $7,110 for residential students and $3,735 for day students, and two-week sessions are $4,760 for residential students and $2,510 for day students. KBI has a no refund policy. Insurance may be purchased upon registration.

Session I (3 weeks)

July 3 - July 22, 2023

Session II (3 weeks)

July 24 - August 12, 2023

Session III (2 weeks)

August 14 - August 26, 2023

Tuition Includes:

Daily classes with world renowned faculty, 6 days per week 

All-star faculty including Beth Ferrell, Gonzalo Garcia, Paloma Herrera, Kevin McKenzie, Lorin Mathis, Gillian Murphy, Luciana Paris, Adrienne Schulte, and Martine van Hamel

Pianists collaborating with dancers throughout the program

End of session showcase, featuring classical repertoire and KBI dancer material developed under the guidance of Choreography Guest Artist.

A limited-edition leotard or pair of shorts from the Chameleon by April Giangeruso Kaatsbaan collection

Housing and Meal Plan Includes:

Housing at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park's Dancer's Inn, fully supervised

Full meal plan (includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

Activities, including on and off-site trips

Laundry & incidentals

Email balletintensive@kaatsbaan.org for all questions.

All participants in KBI 2023 must be fully vaccinated, and those eligible to receive a Covid booster shot must do so. Negative Covid tests will not be accepted as an alternative to vaccination.

Chameleon by April Giangeruso is the official sponsor of Kaatsbaan Ballet Intensive 2023.

Paloma Herrera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began her training at the age of seven. In January 1991, having just turned 15 years old, she moved to New York and continued her studies at the School of American Ballet. After only six months, she joined the American Ballet Theatre and, in 1995, became the youngest Principal Dancer in American Ballet Theatre history at age 19. She has appeared in ballets ranging from Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, and Swan Lake, to Apollo, The Prodigal Son, and Stepping Stones. She has appeared as Guest Artist with great ballet companies around the world, including New York City Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Teatro Colon, and National Ballet of Cuba, to name a few. She retired from American Ballet Theatre at the end of November 2015, right before turning 40. Since that, she moved back to her home, Buenos Aires - Argentina, and continued to teach all over the world. In 2016 she wrote her autobiography that was presented at Feria del Libro in 2017 , that same year also launched her own perfume "Paloma Herrera" and in 2019 "Paloma Herrera Passion" her second fragrance . In Argentina she received the award: Konex de Platino, Maria Ruanova and distinctions by the Honorable Camara de Diputados de La Nación , Medalla del Bicentenario by the government of the Buenos Aires city, among many others, and since 2012 she is a member of the gallery of popular idols of the Argentine Government House. She also served as the artistic director of Ballet Estable del Teatro Colon from 2017-2022, where the company grew immensely under her leadership.

About Kaatsbaan Cultural Park

Kaatsbaan Cultural Park continues to deepen its mission to provide an extraordinary environment for cultural innovation and excellence with two annual outdoor festivals, year-round education programs, and creative residencies for artists at all stages of their professional careers. As both an incubator for creativity and presenter for diverse world-class artists in dance, theater, music, film, poetry, culinary, media, and visual arts, Kaatsbaan provides artists with state-of-the-art dance studios, accommodations, an indoor theater, and two outdoor stages. Sitting on 153 Hudson River-adjacent acres, Kaatsbaan is free of urban facilities' space and time constraints, allowing for exciting levels of artistic exploration, creative action, and achievement – just two hours north of New York City. Kaatsbaan Cultural Park is committed to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts as it aims to present, promote, and embrace programming that accurately reflects its society. We encourage a broadly diverse group of individuals to participate in our programs and join our Board and Staff and insist on being inclusive of all peoples regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, socio-economic background, physical or mental ability. For more information, please visit http://www.kaatsbaan.org.