When it came time to reflect and think of a word to describe my experience as an intern for American Ballet Theatre, so many adjectives came to mind. Out of all the words though the one I think described it best for me was “Unprecedented”. This was my first real time away from home, on my own and my first real internship that was not in my hometown in Georgia. Even my last four years of college were in Georgia. So, when it came time for me to be an intern at American Ballet Theatre all the way in New York, it was new for me. I had my doubts about working at a company that only seemed real through dreams, but all those doubts disappeared my first day there. Working at ABT specifically with the National Training Curriculum has been a dream come true. Myself and my amazing co intern (Maddy!!) spent our time learning about a different side of what ABT had to offer which was its education side. We got to help make sure all the training sessions ran smoothly, processing exams and maintaining records. Sounds like minimal work but I got to see the importance of every little piece come together to make these sessions flow. My mentors Sonia Jones, Meghan Love and Molly Schnyder were the best to work with. They took the time to answer all my questions, were always patient and encouraging! They challenged me to do some projects I had never done before and with their guidance I felt confident in everything that was presented to me. I felt they were invested in me and they really made me feel like I was a part of the team. I was thankful that I got paired to work with such great women.
In addition to working with the National Training Curriculum team, as an intern we had our weekly intern meetings where we were led by Mr. Dennis Walters, the director of education and training. I learned so much about the inner workings of the American Ballet Theatre and how to run such a successful nonprofit organization. Also, with these meetings Dennis gave great lessons on resume building and cover letter writing. I learned marketable skills that I can now keep with me for years to come. Also, as an intern I got to help with the pre-professional workshops and got a behind the scenes look at what the MET season is like for ABT!
So, here I am now reflecting on my time and I say all of this was unprecedented because this was an unparalleled experience than any of the internships I have had. I learned so much more than just basic office skills. I learned that American Ballet Theatre is more than their extraordinary dancers, but they are an intricate group of individuals weaving together unrivaled magic.
Aliyah P. Miller
National Training Curriculum Intern
Summer 2018
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