ALBUQUERQUE
BALLET COMPANY, INC.
A New Mexico Non-Profit Organization

History | Staff | Schedule | Registration and Tuition

History

Karen Cotter purchased the Krasnoff School of Fine Arts, as it was known,  in 1975.  In 1978 she formed  a New Mexico Non-Profit 501 (c) (3) corporation and the school was renamed,  Albuquerque Ballet Company Inc., (a New Mexico Non-Profit Corporation).

The company has a long history of successful ballet debuts and premieres and was considered to be the top ranked training ground for serious ballet dancers. 

We proudly announce the REOPENING of Albuquerque Ballet Company, Inc., beginning Saturday, July, 26, 2014 with an Open House at our old home, 120 Madeira Northeast, 3rd floor, FOX Executive Offices. Fall classes begin on Monday, August 4, 2014.

Registration will be available at the Open House for those wishing to enroll early.

ABC was the only continual NM touring company with its annual production of Nutcracker.  The company toured such cities as Santa Fe, Bernalillo, Grants, Gallup and Alamogordo. The KiMo Theatre was its permanent home in Albuquerque.  All new works created for the ABC premiered at the KiMo as well as its full length production of Nutcracker every year until its closure in 1996.

The company has delighted audiences with such classics as Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Les Sylphides, Sylvia, Cinderella, Giselle, and Les Patineurs.

The company strives to include the younger dancer and has created and presented such children's ballets, as Winnie the Pooh & Tigger Too, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals and Peter Pan.

The company has always sought the talents of the best teachers  such as Jeremy Blanton, ( Joffrey II, American Ballet Theatre), Petrus Van Muyden, Antoinette Peloso ( Metropolitan Opera Ballet).  It has also included a star-studded array of guest dancers over the years, such as, Hilda Morales (American Ballet Theatre), Eddie Myers (Pennsylvania Ballet), Raymond Perrin (Joffey Ballet and American Ballet Theatre), Dawn Caccamo (Joffrey Ballet), and Sylviane Bayard, (Basel Ballet).

The company is well known for its innovative and challenging introduction of new works created and presented by Artistic Director,  Karen Cotter.  She has some 18 ballets which were created for and danced by ABC dancers and guest artists, the most notable, the world premiere of Kosmos & Kalypso in 1984 which  starred Raymond Perrin, Sylviane Bayard, Terry Eldlefson and Valentina Faye and was guest directed by Jeremy Blanton.  For a detailed list click here.

The new 2014 Staff consists of teachers who received their training at Albuquerque Ballet Company and have, over the years, appeared in the ballets created for the company.  Now they bring their talents to the staff as teachers and choreographers.

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The Staff

KAREN N. COTTER - Founder/Artistic Director
Albuquerque Ballet Company, Inc.

Karen began her formal ballet training at age 8 under Maestro Pianowski (former Ballet Master to Anna Pavlova).  She studied under Dimitri Romanoff of the American Ballet Theatre from 1959 to 1961.  She moved to San Francisco and studied and danced with Harold and Lew Christensen of the San Francisco Ballet Company from 1962 to 1965 at which time she moved to New Mexico.

Karen taught at several Albuquerque ballet schools from1965 to 1975, when she purchased the Krasnoff School of Fine Arts and later formed the Albuquerque Ballet Company, Inc.

Karen's forte is choreography and creating new works.  At present she has some 18 ballets to her credit.  Most of these are taken from travels she has experienced throughout her life.  She also enjoys creating ballets for children based on children's stories. 

ABC was the only company during the 80's and 90's to “tour” its annual production of Nutcracker.  Karen made every effort to involve the dance community in each city ABC toured, holding auditions and selecting local dancers to be part of the production.  For more data see ballets.

GEORGIA MAEZ - Associate Director/Senior Teacher Albuquerque Ballet Company, Inc.

Georgia began her ballet training in 1976 at the then, Krasnoff School of Fine Arts under Senior Teacher, Vera Moravek.  She joined Albuquerque Ballet Company Inc., shortly thereafter and served as a Principal Soloist and Ballet Mistress under its Director, Karen Cotter.  She danced  major roles as Principal Soloist in ballets including Nutcracker, Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, Keri, Cinderella, Sylvia, Les Sylphides, Paquita,  and Gaite Parisenne, to name a few.

She has also taught for New Mexico Ballet Company and Ballet Theater of New Mexico where she served as Artistic Director for the Youth Ballet Company.

Georgia's teaching expertise covers all levels of training and for the past 30 years she has also assisted with the choreography and  staging of numerous ballets.

ANNA MARIE URIOSTE - Senior Teacher
Albuquerque Ballet Company, Inc.

Anna Marie began her ballet training at Albuquerque Ballet Company. Inc. in 1978.  In 1982 she was accepted to Eglevsky Ballet in New York City where she studied under Edward Villella, Melissa Hayden, Lori Klinger and Leda Eglevsky.  She took on several new dance forms, modern under Mark Bogarts and jazz with Michael Rivera, former CATS dancer.  While in New York she participated in a professional dance workshop with The American Dance machine under Lee Theodore.  After moving to California in 1986 she began Hip-Hop classes with Jimmy Locust, Background Dancer for Janet and Michael Jackson and attended several dance workshops with Jimmy DeFore, Dance School in Costa Mesa, Ca., Bob Fosse Dance, Irvine, CA and Fullerton (CSUF) Dance Workshop.  She was also a dancer for the In Cahoots Dance Team in Fullerton, CA.  She appeared in, Captain America and Gremlins.

She has taught for such company's as Disney Dance Group, Los Angeles Dancers & Company and Studio of the Performing Arts, Los Angeles, while living and performing in California.

Her dancing roles at Albuquerque Ballet Company, Inc. include such ballets as Coppelia, Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Devine Bird, Kosmos & Kalypso, and Gaite Parisenne.

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Schedule of Classes
FALL—2014

Registration and Tuition

PLEASE fill out your registration form in its entirety, sign and return to Karen Cotter.

Make sure you read our official brochure for other information pertinent to becoming a student at Albuquerque Ballet Company. Inc.  If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask a member of your Staff for the answers.

We accept checks, cash and credit cards.  There will be a $30.00 charge for any returned checks.

All tuition is due and payable on the first of each month.  Late charges will be incurred for past due tuition. 

There are no refunds for missed classes; classes must be made up in another existing class, no exceptions.

Albuquerque Ballet Company, Inc. has a limited number of scholarships available and does make every effort to extend financial assistance when extenuating circumstances warrant. We also offer reduced “family” rates for more than one student per family attending ABC.

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Tuition