Growing up as a dancer, I dreaded the thought of taking one final bow onstage and hanging up my dance shoes forever. In my mind, I thought that this would permanently shut any window of opportunity to be involved in the dance community. When this day finally came on my college graduation day, I refused to let this thought become a reality. Standing at the crossroads of a new beginning, I found the world of arts administration to be the perfect segway into my life offstage. And soon enough, I landed my first internship opportunity in my graduate studies here at ABT.
Of course, the opportunity to intern at ABT fulfilled my mission to stay connected to the dance world. But more importantly, it introduced me to the labor of love that happens offstage in a performing arts organization. Since I had no prior experience working for a dance company, I was so excited to learn more about ABT’s leadership and organizational structure. To say it takes a village to run America’s National Ballet Company is in fact an understatement – and there wasn’t a moment that went by where I wasn’t impressed by the smart, diligent, and passionate people that I met along the way.
Working in Membership was an incredibly rewarding experience because I got to witness the impact ABT has on the community. Helping members answer their customer service inquires showed me how so many people are touched by the work ABT does and thus want to extend their generosity to the organization. And when I say that this passion runs so deep, I mean that families have held onto the same MET seats for multiple generations! Knowing that ABT means so much to so many made all of the hark work I put into the internship even more worth it. I truly will miss working with the Membership Team!
Ultimately, I am so grateful for this internship opportunity because it gave me a strong foundation of skills that I can build upon as an arts administrator. Specifically, working in Membership provided me with so much insight on career pathways in Development in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. I fully intend to explore these options and feel empowered by the network of people this internship has given me. All in all, I feel humbled to leverage my professional career in a way that upholds the social responsibility of giving back to the community that made me who I am today. And I sincerely hope my career path leads me back to ABT in one way or another at a future time.
Natalie Farrell
Membership Intern
Spring 2022
abtinterns 
Leave a Reply