I grew up as a dancer but decided to move off-stage to be an arts administrator to help young dancers grow up. It was a valuable decision for me which is why I applied for the Education Department internship at ABT. As an international student and dancer, I’m so proud that I can make my dream come true as an intern at ABT. I was honored as the National Training Curriculum intern with the Education& Training department this summer. I cannot imagine how ten weeks passed so fast. I still remember accepting the offer and preparing for my internship start. On the first day, I entered a classic building to take a very old elevator up to the 4th floor Education Department. My colleague Saya and former spring intern Maria were waiting for me. During the first day of training, I began my journey at ABT.
In the beginning, I had no idea how to start various projects and process book orders, but with the encouragement and cooperation of Saya and Molly, everything went smoothly. I have become a professional mailing master, processing several weekly book orders and sending them to the post office. In addition, I learned a lot about data management. Whenever I use FileMaker to track teachers’ information, it’s like conversing with them through data, so this is one of my favorite projects.
I feel fortunate to be able to work in office almost daily. I especially like the working atmosphere of the Education Department, where each team gets along well and is friendly. Every day, I can see the young dancers in the studio, who are hardworking and lovely, which reminds me of myself growing up. Even if continuous teacher training sessions were a marathon, I can meet teachers with different backgrounds and styles. I like to help them to deal with various problems. When I got a teacher’s thank-you letter from California in the mailbox, it made me feel warm hearted and motivated.
During my internship at ABT, I broadened my network with many excellent ballet teachers and dancers and communicated with interns from other departments. This summer working at ABT will be a memory I will cherish forever. Thank you to my NTC team—Molly and Saya, and all colleagues in the Education department, for helping and teaching me a lot; it gave me a sense of belonging in the performing arts industry. I always believe you should pursue on your dreams and don’t give up. With hard work and diligence, you will succeed!
Xuejing Cao
National Training Curriculum Intern (Education & Training)
Summer 2022
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