About Us |

Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino
founded the Joffrey Ballet School in 1953.

The school continues to strive for its founders’ vision by deconstructing dance to allow dancers the ability to perfect their technique and form so it flows naturally and passionately from within. We cultivate the individual artist within you.

The School

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Joffrey Ballet School is to transform passionate dance students into versatile, individualistic artists able to collaborate and evolve fluidly in a fast-changing society.

Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino founded the Joffrey Ballet School in 1953. The school continues to strive for its founders’ vision by deconstructing dance to allow dancers the ability to perfect their technique and form so it flows naturally and passionately from within. We cultivate the individual artist within you.

In more than fifty years of existence, the Joffrey Ballet School has remained on the forefront of American dance education. Graduates of the School have gone on to dance for major classical ballet companies, as well as for numerous modern and contemporary companies, both in the United States and abroad.

The Joffrey Ballet School is the only ballet school in New York City that offers a well-rounded dance curriculum that includes serious training in both classical ballet (technique, pointe, variations, adagio, men’s classes) and contemporary ballet (technique, improvisation, partnering), as well as modern, character, choreography, dance history, music, pilates and yoga. Special workshops are taught by guest faculty to augment the curriculum. All dance classes have live piano accompaniment, and live cello and percussion accompaniment is used in some contemporary and modern classes.

The Joffrey Technique

THE JOFFREY TECHNIQUE

The Joffrey Ballet School fuses multiple styles of balletic training to create a curriculum that is uniquely Joffrey. We have incorporated fundamentals and best practices from these styles to create the American style of dance training that is Joffrey. We have gone many steps further incorporating modern understanding of human anatomy and physiology to minimize dance related injuries while maximizing strength, endurance and flexibility.
The Joffrey dancer is also trained in multiple other forms of dance including Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Character, and so much more.

The Dance Training at the Joffrey Ballet School has been designed into levels appropriate to the age, maturity and dance expertise of each student. Students will elevate to higher levels at the conclusion of each year, in a systematic and progressive manner.

We produce well-rounded, versatile artists that will thrive in today’s dance environment.

History

FOUNDED IN 1953

The Joffrey Ballet School, located in New York City’s Greenwich Village, was founded in 1953 by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino to develop and train professional dancers. The School continues to strive for the founders’ vision of dance based on intensive training that is imbued with a sense of movement, clarity, and exuberant energy.

For more than 57 years, the Joffrey Ballet School has remained on the forefront of American dance education. Graduates of the School have gone on to dance for major classical ballet companies, as well as for numerous modern and contemporary companies, both in the United States and abroad. Joffrey was the first to sanction rock music in a ballet company, beginning with his trailblazing “Astarte” in 1967 and then with “Billboards” set to “Prince’s” music. The Joffrey Ballet continued its rock ballets by Gerald Arpino, the company’s resident choreographer, as well as Twyla Tharp. Peter Pucci and Margo Sappington, both principal choreographers for the ballet, have taught and choreographed for the Joffrey Ballet School in the past three years.

Joffrey’s talent as a teacher was apparent early in his career; soon after moving to New York City from Seattle, he began teaching at American Ballet Theater School and the High School for the Performing Arts. In 1956, Joffrey and Arpino founded their first company, which would share a home with the Joffrey Ballet School at 434 Avenue of the Americas, in the same landmark building where the School continues its mission today.

In the 1960’s, talented students as well as world-renowned professionals from both the ballet, modern and postmodern dance worlds flocked to the School to study with Joffrey and other faculty members, including Rudolf Nureyev, Erik Bruhn, Carmen De Lavallade, and Yvonne Rainer. In the citation of the prestigious capezio Award, conferred on robert Joffrey in 1974, he is commended as “an ardent spokesman for and a stern but loving guide to youth, be they gifted children, teenage students with dreams, or dedicated young professionals, whom he has served as dancer, teacher, director. The School is a testimony to his merit.”

For over 57 years, Joffrey Ballet School students have graduated and gone on to dance with world-class ballet companies, including the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and other companies throughout North America and Europe. Students and graduates have won countless grants and scholarships, including the pre-eminent Princess Grace Foundation Award. Dancers and choreographers from all over the world regard the Joffrey Ballet School as one of the premiere institutions of dance instruction.

Until recently, the daily operations of the school were overseen by Edith D’Addario, Director of the School since 1962.

NASD

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF DANCE ACCREDITATION

The Joffrey Ballet School is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance and meets the US Department of Education standards for a school of vocational training. the trainee program leads to a certificate. The certificate is conferred on Trainees who complete 3450 hours of training – over a minimum of four (4) years and a maximum of six (6) years – and maintain satisfactory progress.

Summer Jobs Year Round Jobs

About Us

Children's Ballet Classes
Ages 2 – 9

Youth Ballet Classes
Ages 8 – 18

Adult Classes
Dance & Fitness, Ages 16 and up

Trainee Programs
Ballet & Jazz and Contemporary, Ages 13 – 25