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Boston School

Boston Ballet Founder E. Virginia Williams opened a ballet school in 1953 with the vision of establishing the highest quality facility in the region. The program was officially incorporated as School in 1979 and since then has grown from a small, regional dance studio into one of the largest ballet schools in North America.

Boston Ballet School, the official school of Boston Ballet, provides dance education and ballet training to over 5,000 students annually, and operates three state-of-the-art dance facilities in the South End of Boston, Newton, and Marblehead.

Through the vision and leadership of Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen, and under the stewardship of Director , it is Boston Ballet School’s goal to inspire and sustain a love of dance through continuous education. The breadth and depth of the dance education that the School provides, coupled with the expertise of its faculty and connection to a world-class company, makes Boston Ballet School a unique model among dance schools.

Boston Ballet School provides dance education and ballet training through four core programs, designed with a progressive, age-appropriate curriculum for toddlers to adults. The School runs its programs 50 week per year and each program has both a school-year (10 month) and summer session (13 weeks).

1. With an age-appropriate movement curriculum, the Children’s Program introduces children to the joy of dance and provides a foundation for the further study of ballet (for children 16-months to age 7). 2. The Program, for ages 8 to 18, provides a comprehensive dance education through a progressive ballet curriculum from elementary through advanced levels. 3. The audition-only and highly competitive Pre-Professional Program is a rigorous training program designed to prepare students for a professional performance career with Boston Ballet and in the ballet industry. The program attracts talented students from around the world, who compete, along with upper-level students, for the few open spots in this program each year. 4. The Adult Dance Program offers open classes in ballet, a number of five or ten-week workshops designed for both beginner and experienced students, and master classes taught by master faculty or Boston Ballet dancers. It is recommended that true ballet beginners attend the Intro to Ballet workshops prior to open classes.

The School’s annual Next Generation performance showcases the Pre-Professional students on the cusp of entering the professional dance world and celebrates emerging talent and youth in the arts in Boston. Boston Ballet School is dedicated to providing the highest quality of comprehensive dance education for all and creating the next generation of versatile and well-rounded dancers for Boston Ballet and the field.

Education and Community Initiatives

The mission of Boston Ballet’s Department of Education and Community Initiatives (ECI) is to work with the Greater Boston community to make ballet accessible to everyone. Boston Ballet’s vision is to cultivate and educate a new generation of life-long arts advocates and participants through a commitment to education, collaboration, inclusion, and innovation. Each year, Boston Ballet connects with over 4,000 individuals in the community to cultivate a love of dance and the arts through education programs, community events, workshops, and performances. All of the programs and initiatives are designed to include individuals with multiple learning styles and abilities. ECI promotes movement exploration in a safe, supportive environment that encourages social and emotional growth. The highly-qualified faculty has extensive background in teaching and dance education and the curriculum integrates the arts with core academic learning standards and incorporates multiple styles of dance that reflect a diverse community.

Education programs include: • Citydance - -- Established in 1991, Citydance annually provides up to 3,000 third grade students from over 50 Boston Public Schools with a tuition-free introduction to dance education. The program cultivates an appreciation of movement, enhances cultural awareness, and fosters creativity and self- expression. • Adaptive Dance - -- Established in 2002, Adaptive Dance provides creative movement instruction for up to 150 individuals with disabilities ages 2 through adult. Classes are taught by Boston Ballet School faculty and supported by licensed physical therapists and professional musicians. Students can engage and explore in a safe and supported studio environment as they develop movement, musicality, and personal/social growth. • ECI on Location - -- ECI on Location offers movement instruction to local school and community sites for students in grades three and up. Schools and organizations can choose specific areas of focus based on the unique needs of the population they serve. Offerings include Taking Steps (for girls), Boys in Motion (for boys), and Mix’d Rep (mixed gender programming for all ages and all abilities). The program also includes opportunities to see a wide range of Boston Ballet performances each year.

Workshops and trainings include: • Community workshops offer participants exciting ‘‘behind-the-scenes’’ experiences, exploring the varied facets of our organization from movement to marketing. Our workshops are designed for school groups, youth organizations, corporations, and more. • Adaptive Dance teacher training provides two full days of hands-on experience in the studio and classroom to train and prepare educators, studio owners, and service providers to teach Adaptive Dance to students with disabilities. • Storytimes offer interactive movement experiences to children of all ages. Participants hear the story of a famous ballet, create movement, and explore costumes.

BIO: Mikko Nissinen, Artistic Director

Hart Artistic Director’s Chair

Mikko Nissinen was appointed Artistic Director of Boston Ballet and Boston Ballet School in 2001. Nissinen began his dance training at age 10 with the School, and launched his professional dance career at age 15 with the Finnish National Ballet. He continued his studies at The Kirov Ballet School in St. Petersburg, Russia, graduating in 1980. Nissinen danced professionally for 19 years with the Finnish National Ballet, , Basel Ballet, and as a with Ballet. His vast repertoire ranged from classical to contemporary works, and he performed as a guest artist with many companies and partners for numerous international galas.

Nissinen directed the Marin Ballet in San Rafael, California from 1996 to 1998, and Alberta Ballet in Calgary, Canada from 1998 to 2001, also serving as Alberta Ballet’s Executive Director from 1999 to 2000.

As Artistic Director of Boston Ballet, Nissinen has defined the Company’s image, cultivating a dynamic collection of classical, neo-classical, and contemporary repertoire, ranging from full-length classical , to masterworks by , to new works and world premieres by some of the finest contemporary choreographers today. In 2016, Nissinen and Boston Ballet established a long-term partnership with William Forsythe, allowing the Company to cultivate a rich collection of his work. This three-part repertoire balance has established the Company as one of the leading dance organizations in the U.S., acclaimed for its excellence, artistic innovation, and versatility. Under his direction, Boston Ballet has toured to Canada, Finland, London, New York City, South Korea, Spain, and Washington D.C. Under Nissinen’s regime, The Boston Globe called Boston Ballet’s transformation one of the ‘‘biggest arts stories of the decade.’’

For Boston Ballet, Nissinen has choreographed Act III (2006) and (2004), and the Company has performed his since 2004. This award-winning production was re- envisioned and re-choreographed in 2012, receiving critical acclaim.

Nissinen serves as Artistic Director of Boston Ballet School, the largest ballet school in North America. He served as Executive Director of Boston Ballet in 2008 for a year and a half. His broad knowledge of dance, its history, and arts organization business leadership make him a popular presenter at conferences and universities worldwide. He was a fellow at the 2002 Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a member of the New York Choreographic Institute’s Artistic Committee and an advisory board member of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. He is the recipient of the 2007 United Nations Association of Greater Boston Leadership Award, the Finlandia Foundation’s 2008 Arts and Letters Award, and Boston’s Guide for the Arts 2009 Ambassador for the Arts Award.

BIO: Margaret Tracey, Director, Boston Ballet School

Margaret Tracey joined the faculty of Boston Ballet School in 2005 and was appointed Director in 2007.

Born in Pueblo, Colorado, Tracey began ballet studies with her mother, Nancy Tracey, at age 6. In 1982, she was accepted as a student at the School of (SAB), the official school of (NYCB). At SAB, she was the recipient of an Atlantic Richfield Foundation scholarship (1982-85) as well as a Princess Grace Foundation award (1985-86) that cited her ‘‘exceptional promise and dedication to excellence.’’

In 1986, Tracey joined the NYCB corps de ballet, launching a celebrated 16-year stage career. A principal dancer from 1991 until her 2002 retirement, she excelled in the Balanchine repertoire, appearing frequently in such core works as , , , Coppélia, , , , , and Who Cares?, among others. She was also featured in a range of ’ ballets, including Afternoon of a Faun, The Four Seasons, and The Goldberg , and created a role in the choreographer’s Ives, Songs (1988). She originated roles in works by Richard Tanner, William Forsythe, Ib Andersen, Trey McIntyre, and NYCB in Chief , including his Les Petits Riens, Fearful Symmetries, Zakouski and his production of The Sleeping Beauty, in which she appeared both as Princess Aurora and Princess Florine. With NYCB, Tracey toured in Europe and Asia, appeared in the ‘‘Live from Lincoln Center’’ PBS series, and danced the Marzipan Shepherdess in the 1993 film of Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. As a stager, she has set Martins’ Zakouski on the and Bavarian State Ballet and his Fearful Symmetries on . During her tenure with Boston Ballet, she has staged a number of Balanchine works including Concerto Barocco and Symphony in C for the Company, as well as Scherzo a la Russe, Scotch Symphony, and , and Robbins' Fanfare for the School’s annual Next Generation performance.

Profiled in a 2009 issue of Dance Teacher magazine and recognized by the Jerome Robbins Foundation in 2011, she has been instrumental in designing a curriculum that emphasizes comprehensive ballet training and overall excellence along with a well-rounded approach to dance study.

Drawing on her teaching experience, studies in psychology, and ties to community clinicians, Tracey instituted a comprehensive Wellness Program at Boston Ballet School. She also established Next Generation, a year-end performance showcasing Pre-Professional Program students, which has become an annual highlight that spotlights the School as a leader in local and regional arts education. Tracey has further distinguished the School by fostering pre-professional exchange programs with the Royal Danish Ballet, the National Ballet School of Canada, and Palucca University of Dance in Dresden, Germany, as well as building strong cooperative relationships with such local institutions as Lasell College, Endicott College, and Northeastern University. Recently the School has been recognized as a Partner School of the prestigious , and participated in the Assemble International 2017 in Toronto, Canada.

BIO: Meredith (Max) Hodges

Max Hodges joined Boston Ballet as Executive Director in 2014, and leads the company in partnership with Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen.

Hodges has a wide range of experience that combines both the nonprofit arts and the for-profit management industries. Prior to joining Boston Ballet, Hodges served as Executive Director of Gallim Dance, a New York-based contemporary dance company that tours worldwide to venues that include Guggenheim Works & Process, the Spoleto Festival, and the Theatre National de Chaillot in Paris, France. At Gallim, she worked in partnership with Artistic Director Andrea Miller to increase performance activity and the company’s artistic profile, while significantly increasing revenue. At the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Hodges worked in a variety of roles, most recently as a Project Director leading strategic development, membership, and technology initiatives. She has also worked as a Senior Associate Consultant with Bain & Company in Boston and New York, consulting for clients in multiple industries, including private equity and consumer products.

Hodges is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, and is an Arts Professional-in- Residence at Harvard University. She has been a panelist at the Dance/USA Annual Conference, gave a TED Talk at TEDxBroadway 2016, and lectures on arts entrepreneurship at The Juilliard School.

BIO: Dave Czesniuk, Managing Director, Boston Ballet School

Dave Czesniuk joined Boston Ballet in 2016 to partner with Boston Ballet School Director Margaret Tracey in leading the School’s vision, strategy, and continued growth. As Managing Director of one of the largest ballet schools in North America, Czesniuk oversees a $9 million annual budget and supervises employees throughout three studio locations, serving over 5,000 students a year.

Working closely with the senior leadership team, Czesniuk is supporting new business development, sustainable programming, and expanding Pre-Professional recruiting efforts internationally.

Czesniuk also oversees the Department of Education and Community Initiatives (ECI), helping further advance Boston Ballet’s vision to cultivate and educate a new generation of lifelong arts advocates and participants through the commitment to education, collaboration, inclusion, and innovation.

Prior to joining Boston Ballet School, Czesniuk was Assistant Dean of Partnerships and Alliances and Executive Director of Community Engagement at Northeastern University, where he led strategic partnerships and expansion into new markets through business development, alumni engagement and recruitment initiatives. During his 12-year tenure at Northeastern, Czesniuk was responsible for developing and implementing a unique matrix strategy for converting college best practices and operations into new business-to-business relationships and markets. Czesniuk also brokered key relationships between academic faculty and the Department of Defense to support the establishment of a new Center for the Advancement of Veterans and Servicemembers.

Czesniuk began his career in leadership education at the United States Military Academy at West Point as a Performance Enhancement Consultant. In this capacity he taught classes, and conducted training with West Point Cadets, Division I Athletes, and the U.S. Army to improve their athletic, academic, and military performances. Czesniuk has also held a number of volunteer leadership and board positions with national nonprofit organizations. Czesniuk holds an MBA from Northeastern University, a Master of Arts in counseling from Marist College, and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Marist College.