How does one even start to talk about their time as an ABT intern? As previous interns have attested to, ABT’s internship program is fulfilling, inspiring, and rewarding. As a New Yorker, I grew up loving ABT, and getting to see the process behind what happens on stage has made me fall even more in love. I truly got to see ABT’s mission at work and to see everyone’s dedication to the work they do.
ABT’s marketing team is surprisingly small, but as an intern, it also means that you get to work on a whole range of projects. The marketing team handles everything from social media to box office sales to New York Times ads and more. It was particularly eye-opening to be a part of the team during a time of transition, and it’s exciting to see the company’s new direction.
I started the semester off with mostly box office-based projects, both long term and short term. I learned about using Tessitura, kept track of group sales orders, and helped with calculating benchmarks. I was also able to sit in on meetings, both within marketing itself and also with other departments. This really helps to show the entire process of making stuff happen at ABT.
My mentor, Steven Koernig, was extremely flexible and adapted my work to balance my interests with the department’s needs. For anyone with an interest in marketing or who is unsure about what they want to do, I highly recommend working with Steven because he’s great at making this internship rewarding and a learning experience.
A few of my favorite projects included: drafting eblasts and newsletters, drafting social media posts, inventorying ABT performance videos (who doesn’t love getting to watch ballets all day at work?), and helping to finalize the Met ‘18 brochure. It’s amazing that in one day I can spend a few hours looking at numbers on Excel and then spend another few hours looking through photos or formatting an email. And for me, seeing the brochure always makes me happy, not only because it’s beautiful but also because I helped to catch to mistakes before it was sent to the printer, and I consider it my legacy at ABT.
Even though the entire experience was valuable, I actually think my favorite part of the internship (besides getting to see dancers walking the same halls as me most weeks!) was getting to meet people across ABT and to witness all the work they do. During intern meetings, I got to meet other interns who are doing amazing things and are going to go places. We also got to talk to employees outside of our departments and learn about what they do. And on a day-to-day basis, I got to see moments of celebration when hard work paid off. The energy when the new website launched or when the first Met ‘18 ad was printed or when I saw ABT’s Time Warner Center takeover fills me with so much happiness and pride because I also saw all the moments behind it that made it happen.
It’s bittersweet to be leaving ABT, but I’m leaving with new skills, a continued and growing love for ballet and the arts in general, and a greater understanding of what happens behind the curtain. I can’t wait to see where the company is headed next.
Jessica Sun
Marketing Intern
Spring 2018
abtinterns 
Leave a Reply