The BalletTech School - choreographer Eliot Feld's New York City Public High School for Ballet - Brief Article

Dance Magazine, August, 1999 by Susan Elia

It's fun," says Jessica Fields, an eighth grader at the Ballet Tech School. "It's different from a normal school because you have the chance to do dance as well as academics. Most people here want to be professional dancers."

Founded in 1978 by dancer and choreographer Eliot Feld, the New York City Public High School for Ballet--or the Ballet Tech school, as it's known--is the country's only public school for ballet. Feld's staff auditions more than 35,000 New York City students in more than 450 schools citywide. The school finds kids who have the desire and potential to become professional dancers and gives them the support and training to fulfill their talents.

"It's really like one big family here," Jessica continues. "I really like it because it's smaller, so you get more attention from the teachers, and here you get to dance." Jonathan Sulaiman, a ninth grader, agrees. "Even though we argue sometimes, we always come up to each other and say `I'm sorry' or whatever."

When students at the Ballet Tech school are in the third to fifth grades, transportation to and from the studios in downtown Manhattan--as well as classes, shoes, and leotards--is free After fifth grade, dancers who prove that they have the talent and passion to become professionals are invited to attend Ballet Tech school full time. There are about eighty kids in the entire school. "It's a small school and everybody knows everybody," says Michel Adut, a fifth grader. "Here I know the kids in the high school and they know me."

Located one floor below the airy, bright dance studios, the school offers a rigorous academic curriculum for students in grades six through twelve. "My favorite thing about school is that l not only get an education, but l get to dance," says Jessica. "I really love that school and dance are incorporated."

One of the best things about the Ballet Tech school is the opportunity to perform. Kids Dance, made up entirely of students, is a performing arts troupe that debuted in 1994. The group performs works choreographed by Feld, as well as classics by Balanchine and contemporary works from choreographers like David Parsons, at the Joyce Theater in Chelsea. The kids also get the opportunity to work with Feld when he choreographs and rehearses.

"You don't really think much of working with Eliot Feld because you see him every day," says Jonathan. "But when you stop and think about it--how famous this man is--and he's taking so much time out of his day to work with you and teach you, that's pretty great. He's really funny, too." Jessica agrees: "He becomes like your friend and starts joking around and he tries to make everything he does fun.

"The school's rep is really eclectic, so you go from the most classical ballet you could see to modern stuff from Mr. Feld. He always wants you to express yourself, and he wants you to show what you're feeling. It's really hard, but once you get up there, it's so much fun and all the hard work pays off."

Ballet Tech is also the name of the professional-level company that is made up entirely of graduates from the school. Most of the kids want to dance for the first company when they get older. According to Michel, "A lot of people think `Wow' when they look at the first company, but it's a lot of hard work to get to be where they are. But even though it's hard, we really want to get there, too."