American Ballet Theatre and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts Open a New West Coast Ballet School

November 28, 2001

American Ballet Theatre and the Segerstrom Center–which have long worked together to present ABT, including some of the company’s world premieres–are partnering to start a ballet school at Segerstrom’s Costa Mesa campus. This news comes as part of the dance education windfall that L.A. is currently experiencing, including the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center at USC and the Colburn School‘s partnership with Jennifer Ringer and L.A. Dance Project. 

ABT’s William J. Gillespie School is part of the company’s push to increase its national exposure and will function as a West coast counterpart to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City. The Gillespie school will take dancers ages 3-14 and will offer a 36 week program. Registration is open for the inaugural year, which begins in September 2015.