2023 ABT Incubator to Feature Live Public Performance at Pace University's Schimmel Center

In its fifth official installment, ABT Incubator, American Ballet Theatre's in-house choreographic program, is scheduled for January 3-13, 2023. During the two-week workshop, selected choreographers will create new works on ABT dancers. The resulting pieces will be presented on January 13, 2023, at 6:00 P.M. EST at the Schimmel Center at Pace University's New York City campus. This will be the first time ABT Incubator will be presented for live public viewing.

Choreographer auditions for the 2023 ABT Incubator were held in early November, in front of a selection panel comprised of ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, incoming ABT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe, ABT dancer and Incubator Director Jose Sebastian, ABT Associate Artistic Director Clinton Luckett, and Acting Artistic Director, ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School Stella Abrera. From the audition, five choreographers were selected - Eva Alt, Mark Caserta, and Roderick George, as well as ABT dancers Tyler Maloney and Luciana Paris. During the January workshop period, these five will be provided with studio time, a stipend, and mentorship, in support of the creation of their new pieces.

In addition to being the first public presentation, 2023 ABT Incubator provides a unique opportunity to watch and engage with American Ballet Theatre in their home city during the winter months. ABT Incubator general admission tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite for $15.

Pace University requires that each person attending the event provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19, or results of a PCR or rapid antigen test. All visitors are highly encouraged, but not mandated, to wear a face covering while on Pace University campus, regardless of vaccination status. Please read the full Audience Safety Policy here.

Eva Alt (she/her) is a dance artist based in New York City whose works span disciplines across practice, choreography, teaching, writing, new media, and performance. Her work asks fundamental questions about the standard boundaries of the dance world and challenges the way audiences perceive the career of a dancer. Alt received her training at the Boston Ballet School, performed with the Boston Ballet and BalletMet, and danced works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. In 2021, she choregraphed, curated, and produced How Beautiful Everything Is Before It Gets Its Name, a group dance show that explored the place in between rehearsal and performance. Since 2018, she has taught her own ballet classes for all levels in downtown New York City and developed a community around recreational dance for adults. Her forthcoming solo show Eva Alt will take place at NY Live Arts in 2023.

Mark Caserta (they/them) was born and raised in Southwest Philadelphia and received their BFA in Dance & Ballet Performance from the University of the Arts, School of Dance. They danced professionally with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Les Ballets Jazz De Montreal (BJM), and Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Caserta has been awarded the Philadelphia Rocky Award for Outstanding Dance Performance, the Pennsylvania Ballet Choreography Award, and Choreography Awards from Youth American Grand Prix. Caserta has been commissioned by Gibney Company, Whim W'Him Contemporary Dance Seattle, DanceWorks Chicago, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, Kit Modus, Peridance Youth Ensemble, PA Ballet II, The Ailey School, Pace University, and University of the Arts, School of Dance. Currently, Caserta is Artist in Resident at University of the Arts, School of Dance, Contemporary Faculty at Gibney Dance NY & Peridance Capezio Arts Center, a guest artist with MindLeaps, and a freelance educator, dancer, and choreographer. Mark founded BigKid Dance in 2018.

Roderick George (he/him) was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and spent his formative years training at Ben Stevenson's Houston Ballet Academy, The Alvin Ailey School, and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). He has danced for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Basel Ballet/Theater Basel, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, and The Forsythe Company. George's choreographic work has been shown at Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, the DanceLab at Ballet Basel, the Ballet Basel School, and The Suburbia project with the GöteborgsOperans Danskompani. Eager to delve into deeper creative explorations with a growing group of close artistic collaborators, George founded kNoname Artist in 2015. Most recently, George was a YoungArts Fellow Winner for the 2021-2022 season, allowing him the opportunity to further develop The Missing Fruit, an upcoming evening-length kNoname Artist production set to premiere in 2023.

Tyler Maloney (he/him) was born in Wyckoff, New Jersey and started his training at a young age in different styles of dance including jazz, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, and later ballet at the local YMCA. At the age of 11, Maloney went to American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive and was accepted into the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, where he trained for the next four years. In 2010, Maloney performed the role of the Nutcracker Boy in the premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's The Nutcracker at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Maloney joined ABT Studio Company in 2013, became an apprentice with the main Company in December 2015, and joined the corps de ballet in April 2016. His repertory includes the Mandarin and one of the Three Ivans in Aurora's Wedding, Leading Gypsy in Don Quixote, the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, Harlequin in Ratmansky's Harlequinade, Let Me Sing Forevermore, Harlequin and Mother Ginger in Ratmansky's The Nutcracker, the Indian Prince and a Fairy Cavalier in Ratmansky's The Sleeping Beauty, and The Boy in Whipped Cream.

Luciana Paris (she/her) was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and began her ballet training at the age of seven with Elena Perez. From 1991-1996 she studied at the Colon Theater Superior de Art Institute with Katty Gallo and Raul Candal. In 1996, Paris was invited by Maximiliano Guerra to join Ballet Camara and tour with the company in Argentina. She then joined the Teatro Colon Ballet as a soloist where she performed the role of Red Riding Hood in The Sleeping Beauty. In December 1996, Paris joined Julio Bocca's Ballet Argentino as a principal dancer and became Bocca's dance partner. Paris joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in October 2001 and was appointed a Soloist in August 2015. In 2012, American Ballet Theatre designated Paris as a Certified Teacher.

For more information, please visit: www.abt.org/abtincubator

ABOUT AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT's repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company.