My experience with the “ABT Magic”

When I was 17 years old, I remember the first day I stepped into 890 Broadway. I was a young plucky ballet dancer who was excited to begin her month-long stay in New York City for the first time for ABT’s Collegiate Summer Intensive. At this point in my life, I was at a crossroads. I was just starting to think about college applications and didn’t know if dance was my career choice. Being at ABT completely changed the course of my life – I had realized during that intensive that dance was decidedly just a passion, and not necessarily my future. It was also during that stay in New York that I fell in love with the city, and on one of my days off during that month, I got on a bus to Queens and toured St. John’s University for the first time. Little did I know that I’d be sitting here, writing this blog post, so many years later after graduating with two degrees from St. John’s University, and having fulfilled the dream of being at ABT once again. 

When I was a freshman at St. John’s I first learned about the ABT intern program. I could not believe that it hadn’t occurred to me before, if I wasn’t dancing as a career, I could work on the administrative side of a dance company. I spent my days dreaming of various ballet and performing arts organizations to whom I would send my resume and hoping I would get an intern offer – this went on for years. I had many other internships and great opportunities, but I never seemed to be able to land an ABT role. I had given up on applying for a while, but it struck me last fall that I should give it one more go. I submitted my marketing internship application and was hoping to get an interview to land the role for my last semester of schooling ever. I think this was my second dose of ABT magic, the timing was perfect, and I finally got the job.  

This semester was filled with a variety of projects. Even though I was fully remote, and the company was on tour, there was excitement to the work I was doing as I’d never had before. At this point in my life, I had decided that maybe the arts industry wasn’t for me, however, this internship completely reinspired my passion for the dance world. I am so proud of all the marketing projects I completed, especially the Like Water for Chocolate group sales research and outreach. This project focused on creating more awareness for this premiering ballet and driving ticket sales, I am happy to have played a part in allowing this new show to be viewed by content creators, minority groups, and interns at other companies. Other inspiring intern tidbits included watching videos of past performances, hearing from dancers in weekly marketing meetings, and to top it all off I attended the Fall 2023 photo shoot at 890 Broadway. While the photoshoot days were tiring, I was thrilled to meet the principal dancers and an Artistic Director that I have looked up to and idolized for so long. I felt a part of the ABT family – seeing the dancers dance and work in such a collective to create beautiful campaigns for our upcoming fall season is something I will always cherish experiencing. 

People talk about the ABT magic, I’ve heard stories of how everything that could possibly go wrong at a show goes wrong, but somehow ABT can pull it off. I believe that I got a dose of the ABT magic. I’m so grateful for this internship and all the ways that ABT has shaped my life and career choices. 

Jennifer MacIntyre

Marketing Intern

Spring 2023

Plié

Plié, (French: “bent”), knee bend in ballet. It is used in jumps and turns to provide spring, absorb shock, and as an exercise to loosen muscles and to develop balance. 

Plié was also the only ballet dance move I was familiar with prior to joining ABT. Ballet was never something that piqued my interest as a child. I was not at all flexible, and I still can’t touch my own toes after all these years. After months of working in the marketing department, I’m gradually learning a new language: ballet, a visual language of the elegant art form, but also a language that stands for passion and dedication. 

People think that working in marketing for a prestigious ballet company like ABT is all glitz and glamour, with endless shows, events, and dazzling spotlights. But, in reality, day-to-day work is more like doing Pliés to conserve energy and momentum while preparing for the next season, rather than constantly reaching high on pointed shoes. 

The marketing internship at ABT provides a unique opportunity to gain experience in the operations of a world-renowned ballet company. I was exposed to the various aspects of marketing in the arts through this program, learning essential skills and techniques that can be applied to careers in arts management and beyond.

Bella Wang

Marketing Intern

Spring 2023

One Step Forward

The little girl in a pink tutu smiling at her mom as she leaped into the air would have never imagined one day; she would be interning at American Ballet Theatre. At age 7, returning to Korea from San Diego, I never danced ballet again and thought I would never do anything relevant to the beautiful art form. Now at age 24, pursuing a Master’s in Performing Arts Administration, I have just finished my first internship at American Ballet Theatre as a Marketing Intern. The past four months have been an unforgettable journey; it was more than everything I could ask for. 

I had always been passionate about marketing, frankly without knowing what marketing meant and the role it played in the performing arts industry. Taking classes only gave me a general idea, and I craved hands-on marketing experience. Initially, I believed marketing was all about numbers and promotion, helping the organization increase sales by creating content. Through my time at ABT, I understood better the role of marketing and how to develop myself to become an efficient marketer. 

Two things that stuck with me and I will keep in mind in my future career developments are storytelling and the amount of collaboration that happens. While talking to my mentor, Steven, he mentioned the importance of understanding the consumer’s buying journey and how marketing promotes shows through storytelling. I enjoyed analyzing post-show surveys and connecting them to the audience’s demographic data. Another lesson I learned during my internship was the importance of collaboration between different departments. Attending marketing meetings, I could see the interactions between the marketing, press, and development teams. It was fascinating to see the different teams collaborate to achieve a common goal, and I enjoyed watching the various content created for the patrons. 

My internship at ABT was indeed an unforgettable experience. Everyone was genuinely interested in helping me, and there were many moments when I felt my voice was being heard. Thank you to everyone at ABT for giving me this incredible working experience! 

Kate Lee

Marketing Intern

Fall 2022

Transition to Behind the Scenes

At age 3, I attended my first ballet class and at age 18, I took my final bow. When I decided to attend college instead of pursuing a professional dance career, I never thought I would be able to keep ballet and my love for dance in my everyday life. As the Marketing Intern for American Ballet Theatre this summer, I learned that there actually is a way to stay connected to dance as a member of the arts administration field and there is no better place to pursue this passion than at America’s National Ballet Company.  

As the Marketing Intern during the first season at the Metropolitan Opera House since 2019, it was a crazy and exciting time to join ABT. Almost immediately, I was thrust into the fast-paced work environment and already seeing my contribution have an impact. This isn’t a job where you just sit around waiting for work as an intern, there is always something important to do – especially during the Met Season. I spent most of my days curating posts for ABT’s Facebook page, editing videos from special events and the season for organic and paid social media, using Rival IQ to analyze social media metrics from the Met Season, and always picking up random tasks like creating email contact lists or reformatting something wonky. My biggest project was the Silent Disco event at Lincoln Center on June 18^th and June 25^th. I was responsible for curating promotional posts and emails, attending the events to capture content, and creating videos to re-cap the event on Facebook and YouTube. Having the opportunity to spearhead a promotional event on social and get to execute all aspects of the event for marketing was extremely educational and even more importantly, super fun! There is nothing more gratifying than seeing work that you have created all over American Ballet Theatre’s social presence – as a lifelong superfan of ABT it makes me giddy every time.  

Besides the overwhelming amount of real-world experience that I gained in digital marketing, it is the relationships I built and the memories I made that will leave the biggest impression. From the first day, the entire marketing team took me under their wing and made me feel like a part of the family. I cannot thank my supervisors, Britt and Steven, enough for their guidance and trust in me these past three months. During my time as an intern, I got to work and attend the ABT Summer Gala, dance under the disco ball at Lincoln Center (twice) and create lasting friendships with the marketing team all at the same time – it never really felt like work.   

I hope that I can return to the ABT Family again in the near future and continue working with the most inspiring and determined group of people I have ever met. Thank you ABT for a spectacular summer full of more surprises and beauty than I ever anticipated.  

Emma Guido  

Marketing Intern

Summer 2022 

At a Silent Disco at Lincoln Center

9 Months with ABT

Walking through the halls of 890 Broadway never ceases to remind me how lucky I am to be apart of ABT’s family. The pictures on the walls, the classical music being played live while company dancers stretch and rehearse, and the hustle and bustle of the JKO students on the 4th floor, running into Gillian Murphy in the elevator, it all culminates into one big inspirational experience. 9 months of ABT, 4 months in office, and 4 months remote. At this point, I can probably say I’ve done it all, or at least it feels like it.

This internship marked my second with the ABT teams. The first I spent in 890 working with Education, and the second I spent with the Marketing Team remotely. From initially coming back from COVID and into the office, to our first live performances at Lincoln Center, there were moments that were inevitably stressful, but equally as fulfilling. In January, I started working under Brittany and Steven, who are two of the managers in the marketing department. The marketing team was incredibly welcoming to me, and never let my hard work go unnoticed. One of the coolest opportunities I got to take part in, was the development and execution of our Summer 2022 Campaign. Within my first weeks in this new role, I was thrown into the deep end, as the team worked tirelessly to make ends meet and finalize the nitty gritty details. Everything from creating Google ads, to photoshopping backgrounds, and discussing music choices for the campaign video, were things my team dealt with during this time frame. Needless to say, there was no room for me to just be an intern. I knew I had to deliver work that matched the dedication of the rest of the team.

I will never forget how kind the entire staff at ABT was to me and my fellow interns. I have created some of the most amazing relationships with people in the Marketing Department, and the other interns in the program. From Cynthia Harvey saying hi to me from across the room as she taught the Pre-Professional Division students, to joking with Brittany and Steven over zoom calls, my internship is definitely something I will never forget. Thinking about the enormous network I was able to build during my time here, makes me excited for my future. I can’t wait to return to 890 soon and say hi to the familiar faces behind the masks.
Emma Zordan
Marketing Intern
Spring 2022

We Dance with Pride

A prominent part of my internship this semester was assisting in the planning of ABT’s inaugural Pride Night celebrations. The performances were a part of the Company’s Fall 2021 Season at the David H. Koch Theater. 2020 and 2021 were years of firsts and big changes for everyone. While navigating the world of digital and in-person, ABT embarked on its first Pride Night performances celebrating the ballet Touché choreographed by Christopher Rudd and danced by Calvin Royal III and João Menegussi. The male pas de deux explores queer love and confronts emotions of pain, fear, vulnerability, and unapologetically portrays love, lust, and passion. 

I was tasked with researching LGBTQIA+ organizations to invite to the event which included a photo exhibition by Quil Lemons, performance by Lypsinka, and Q&A moderated by Tommy Dorfman. Once I compiled the list, I drafted and sent invitation emails. I learned the important skill of finding the correct tone for an email, balancing being personable and professional, as I represented America’s National Ballet Company® – no pressure(!). 

As an intern, sitting in on Zoom meetings with multiple departments was very educational. While people were a wealth of knowledge about how to put on a show, everyone was still finding their footing as this was the first in-person season inside a theater since the pandemic started. A lot of heart and soul went into these nights. 

I attended the Saturday evening performance on October 30, 2021. There was so much love and compassion in the audience. When the dancers took their bows, the audience went wild and cheered with a standing ovation prompting more very deserved bows. It was not lost on us that the venue in which this event was held has a long history of exclusivity and privilege, thus making the night even more meaningful in that it honored and embraced marginalized communities.  

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such a close-knit, creative, and supportive team. Pride Night was truly lifechanging and I, like many others, look forward to see how ABT continues to collaborate with and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.  

Paloma Brooks 

Marketing Intern 

Fall 2021 

Reminiscing on My ABT Experience

As I finish up my internship with the marketing department, I am reminiscing on the various projects that I did. I came into the internship wondering how I would fit into such a large organization and curious as to how I would be impactful to the organization. I would be lying if I said that I was worried about being swallowed by its structure. However, I can confidently say that not only was I not swallowed by it, but I could see the direct impact of my projects withing the organization.  

Each project I worked on were tailored to my interests and skills, so my projects did not necessarily mirror the other intern in my department. One of my projects involved improving a heat map of sold seats in past season that is filterable by both year and performance in excel. This not only improved my skills in excel but the sheet is now used to easily compare sales from different seasons by the Marketing Manager. My other projects involved anything from creating a comp ticket reservation system, to analyzing ABT social media content to find the best forms of content. These projects were equally impactful in the organization and were both educational and engaging. 

Each Friday all the interns gathered for a meeting which featured incredible guests. Some speakers included the dancers and directors from each department who gave a presentation, and we were offered the opportunity to ask questions. There were also master classes on resumes, cover letter writing, and interview strategies. 

After working with the marketing department for several months I can say that everyone in the company is very kind, welcoming, and knowledgeable about what they do. Interacting with other interns was equally special, we all came from unique backgrounds which offered great opportunities to meet and converse with peers that will be lifelong connections. 

Luckily, I was an intern during the fall season. Not only did I work many performances, but I attended several shows every week. When I was working it was wonderful interacting with patrons and other staff. It was an instance where I would be able to talk with staff members from the development, education, press, and other departments. When the lights dimmed, and the performance started it was a privilege to know that I was involved in creating this performance at Lincoln Center. 

Austin Rannestad 

Marketing Intern 

Fall 2021 

Opportunities Galore!

One would think being an intern at American Ballet Theatre, America’s National Ballet Company, would be opportunity enough. However, that is just the beginning! This summer during the 75^th Anniversary season I am lucky enough to be a marketing intern for ABT. This includes working in the company’s offices and selling merchandise at The Metropolitan Opera House.

One of the first great parts of being intern at ABT is the intern exchange program. As part of an intern exchange program with the Roundabout Theatre Company we took a backstage tour of the Met with ABT’s general manager David Lansky, learned what it takes to tour a major ballet company around the world, and got to see the new restaging of The Sleeping Beauty by Alexei Ratmansky. But that’s not all.

Every week, all of the ABT interns gather for morning meetings and we are lucky enough to have guest speakers. We had the chance to meet former ABT Principal Dancer Ethan Stiefel, every dancer’s dream. He gave great insight into the transitions dancers make after their performance career. We also the pleasure to meet with Valentino Carlotti, who is on the Board of Trustees for ABT and Misty Copeland’s sponsor. Specifically he is the Co-Chair of the Finance Committee and is extremely involved with the company. He spoke about his background – where he went to school and his current career. However, his love for the arts and view on life was truly inspiring. Among his great advice he said, “You do have thoughts, ideas, and perspectives! Don’t be afraid to speak. Form your narrative”. Like I said, inspirational.

Lastly, the best thing about this internship is that I get to combine both of my majors and passions: arts administration and dance. Experts in both fields surround me and I’ve learned so much in such a short time. It’s a great time for time for dance and it’s a great time for summer internships.

Ashley Alvarez

Marketing Intern

Summer 2015

Ashley on the stage of the Met