American Ballet Theatre is a ballet company in New York City. Founded in 1939, it is the most prestigious ballet company in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world. ABT has worked with the greatest dance choreographers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Twyla Tharp. World-famous Russian ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov became the artistic director in 1980. In 1992, former principal dancer Kevin McKenzie became the artistic director. He is Misty Copeland’s director and staunch advocate throughout the events of Life in Motion. McKenzie stepped down in 2022 and was succeeded by former ABT principal dancer Susan Jaffe. By an act of Congress, the ABT was designated America’s National Ballet Company in April 2006.

Every standard professional ballet company is organized into a strict hierarchy based on a combination of skill and seniority.

1. Artistic Director: This position oversees all aspects of selection and training of dancers, promotions, curating the programs and performances, etc. The artistic director often reports to a board of trustees, usually wealthy patrons who provide funding for the company and fiscal and organizational oversight.
2. Ballet Master/Mistress: Below the artistic director are a handful of ballet masters/mistresses, usually former principal dancers who deal with day-to-day training.