Intensive Summer Program

PBT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe returns for her third PBT School ISP!

Susan will be instrumental in the program, bringing with her the expertise of her illustrious professional dance career with American Ballet Theatre and years of experience as a leader in dance education. Dancers in the 2022 ISP may be considered by Susan Jaffe for apprentice positions with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre company.

Susan will be joined by School Director Marjorie Grundvig and other School Faculty members who bring unique perspectives from a diverse range of professional dance companies and experiences.

2022 Intensive Summer Program Artistic Team:*

Susan Jaffe, PBT Artistic Director
Marjorie Grundvig, PBT School Director
Janet Popeleski, School Principal
Eun Young Ahn, School Principal
Christopher Budzynski, School Faculty
Erin Halloran, former PBT Principal Dancer, current School Faculty
Christine Schwaner, School Faculty
Jamie Murphy, Modern and Contemporary
Yoland Collin, Company Pianist
Ellen Gozion, Full Time Pianist
Kuan-Yi Lu, Full Time Pianist & Music Coordinator
Juliet Winovich, Full Time Pianist
And more!

Carrie Cheng

Carrie Cheng was born in Miami, Florida and started her training with Thomas Armour of the Miami Conservatory. She continued her training under Dulce Anaya and the Jacksonville Ballet Theater. She earned a BFA in ballet from the University of Utah with a full four-year scholarship. She has danced professionally with numerous companies including the Utah Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Boston, North Atlantic Ballet and Ballet Concerto and has made guest artist appearances throughout the United States, Mexico and Taiwan. She has been a guest teacher for summer ballet programs such as Texas Ballet Theater, Pittsburgh Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Ballet Theatre of Boston. Internationally, she has taught in Taiwan and Macau, China. Cheng has been adjunct ballet faculty at Texas Christian University, Tarrant County College and has served on the board of directors for the Dance Council of North Texas and currently The Talon Cultural Foundation. Cheng is the Director of Ballet at Fort Worth Country Day and Artistic Director of The Ballet Conservatory of Fort Worth Country Day. She received a National Honor Roll’s Outstanding American Teachers Award in 2005-2006 and Teacher of the Year award at Texas Ballet Theater School in 2013 and 2015. Carrie is an ABT* Certified teacher who has successfully completed the ABT* Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of the ABT* National Training Curriculum. In 2017 she was awarded the FWCD Master Teacher award in Fine Arts for distinguished teaching in the Arts.

Li-Chou Cheng

Mr. Cheng was born in Shanghai, China. He started his professional training at the age thirteen at the Beijing Dance Academy.  In 1961 he joined the Beijing Central Ballet and in 1975 he served as a company ballet master and rehearsal director. After immigrating to the United States in 1980 he held position as Assistant professor at the University of Utah and Arizona State University. In 1988, he was invited by Bruce Marks to join Boston Ballet as a Principal teacher for both the company and the school. Mr. Cheng served as Ballet Master in residence at TCU since 1990. In 2006 he was promoted to Professor of Professional Practice in Ballet and in 2018 he retired after he worked for TCU 28 years. In 2020 he served as a visiting Professor of Ballet at Texas Tech University. Mr. Cheng is in demand nationwide as a master teacher. He has frequently worked with many ballet companies and their summer dance programs such as Pittsburgh Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, Ballet West, Ballet Met, Ballet Austin, Indianapolis Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Ballet Oregon, Lexington Ballet and Walnut Hill School of Arts. He also taught for many universities such as Bucknell University, Butler University, Brigham Young University, North Carolina School of the Arts, University of Iowa, Richmond University, University of Wisconsin, University of Wyoming and Virginia Commonwealth University. His international teaching experience includes the The Beijing Dance Academy, National Ballet School of Canada, Mexico Institute of Arts, Taipei National University of Arts, Taiwan Cloud Gate Dance Company, Taipei Dance Forum, Pen-Wa School of Ballet in Macau. In 2019 he taught for the Beiing Central Ballet and restaged a classical pas de deux for the company. He was invited as a Master teacher work for the America College Dance Festival Association and the America Regional Ballet Festival. He has been an adjudicator for the Southeast Regional Ballet Competition. He received the Larry White Dance Educator Award from Dance Council in 2007.

Pollyana Ribeiro

Originally from Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Pollyana Ribeiro began her dance training at the age of three with Hortencia Mollo. She also studied with Tatiana Leskova at the Municipal Theatre in Rio de Janeiro. After winning three consecutive gold medals at the festival de Joenville, she was awarded a scholarship to the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida. In July 1992, Ribeiro won the gold medal at the International competition in Helsinki, Finland. At age 16, she began her professional career with the Boston Ballet and later was promoted to principal dancer there. She was a strong fixture at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School from 2005-2014. In 2014 Ribeiro joined the prestigious San Francisco Ballet School. During her time with San Francisco Ballet, Ribeiro was featured in the February 2016 issue of Dance Studio Life, where she was recognized as one of the “fresh voices that enrich the offerings at the San Francisco Ballet School.” The Brazilian Consulate has awarded Ribeiro a trophy in honor of her excellence in the arts. Ribeiro’s Repertoire includes many lead roles in works by Nureyev, MacMillan, Cranko, Balanchine, Sir Fredrick Ashton, Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Tywla Tharp, Rudy Van Dantzig, Peter Martin, Christopher Wheeldon, Jerome Robbins, Maina Gielgud, Stanton Welch, Daniel Pelzig, Paul Taylor. She has performed principal roles in such classical ballets as: La Bayadere, Giselle, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet, Cranko’s Taming of the Shrew and Onegin; MacMillan’s Winter Dreams; Ashton’s La Fille mal Gardee; and Welch’s Madame Butterfly. Ribeiro’s Neoclassical Repertoire includes such ballets; Balanchine’s Danses Concertantes, Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, Who Cares?, Serenade, Divertimento No. 15, Theme and Variations, and Ballo della Regina; Tharp’s Brief Fling, Waterbaby Bagatelles, and In the Upper Room; Duato’s Without Words and Jardi Tancat; Kylian’s Falling Angels; Robbin’s Interplay; Forsythe In the Middle Somewhat Elevated; Taylor’s Company B; and Wheeldon’s The Four Seasons and Corbantic Ecstasies. Ribeiro’s reputation in the world of dance has afforded her international acclaim and recognition. She has graced the international stages of Spain, France, Japan, Korea, Buddapest, Prague, Montreal, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Brazilia. She has had the pleasure of working with such directors as Bruce Marks, Anna Marie Holmes, Miko Nissenen, Terrence Orr, Dennis Marshall, Marjorie Grundvig, Helgi Tomasson and Patrick Armand.

Robert Moore

A native of Indiana, Robert began his dance training at the age of ten with the White River Ballet School in Noblesville, IN. Moore continued his training, receiving a full scholarship to the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida. Upon graduation in 1996, Moore started his professional career with the Boston Ballet. After nine successful years with Boston Ballet as a company member and summer intensive instructor, he joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2006 as a soloist where he was the first American to dance the lead role in John Neumeier’s ballet “Street Car Named Desire.” Known for his expertise in partnering, Moore was a popular faculty member with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. In 2014 he accepted a principal position with the Smuin Ballet Company in San Francisco, CA where he furthered his contemporary element in ballet. Moore’s Repertoire includes many lead roles in works by Balanchine, Cranko, Kylian, Neumeier, MacMillan, Christopher Wheeldon, Val Caniparoli, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Helen Picket, and Ben Stevenson. He has performed in such classical ballets as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Les Corsair, Don Quixote, Copellia, Gisselle, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet. In 2004 Robert, was invited to dance the lead role in John Cranko’s, Onegin, with the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His Neoclassical ballet repertoire includes such ballets as Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Serenade, and Agon; Taylor’s Company B; Tharp’s Upper Room; Whelldon’s Firebird, and Four Seasons; and Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias and Tutto Eccetto il Lavandino; and Kylian’s Return to a Strange Land. Moore has had the pleasure of working with such directors as: Bruce Marks, Anna Marie Holmes, Miko Nissenen, Richard Cragun, Terrence Orr, and Celia Fushille.

Curriculum & Schedule

Daily classes in classical ballet technique, pointe, and variations will be supplemented with weekly offerings in contemporary, cross-training, jazz, modern, partnering, and repertoire. The program includes a variety of seminars and workshops on topics like careers in the arts, dance history, diversity in dance, injury prevention, meet the artist, music theory, nutrition for the dancer, social media etiquette. The program concludes with virtual class observation opportunities via Zoom for all levels Tues.-Fri. of the last week, plus an in-person repertoire viewing opportunity for every level on the last Friday. 

A sample (Level 4) weekly schedule may look like this:

Tuition and Housing

A $500 non-refundable tuition deposit, applicable towards total tuition, is required with completed registration form. The program tuition is $2,690 for the ISP.

Supervised dormitory housing is available for students at our dormitory partner, Chatham University. Housing is $2,990, and includes room, meal plan, laundry, and daily transportation to and from PBT Studios for classes. Housing is limited and awarded on a first-come basis to enrolled students upon receipt of a $500 non-refundable housing deposit.

Students 21 years and older must find alternative housing.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School reserves the right to modify housing arrangements based on the needs of the program. Approximately 20 students between 17-20 years of age may be placed in our Byham House dormitory – assignments for which will be communicated in late March. Learn more about Byham House here.

ISP move-in will be: June 26.

PBT School recognizes that housing availability may change depending on the state of the pandemic in 2022 and what we determine is a safe option for students. PBT School reserves the right to modify housing arrangements based on the needs of the program.

About Chatham University Housing

Chatham University is situated on 35 park-like acres in Pittsburgh’s popular Shadyside neighborhood. ISP students are housed in Fickes and Woodland halls, both of which are supervised by PBT School staff and open to students 12+. Both halls offer residents use of study areas, lounge, residential computer lab and laundry facilities on each floor. Room types include singles, doubles, triples and quads. Students housed at Chatham also enjoy access to its state-of-the-art Athletic and Fitness Center, featuring a heated indoor pool, weight room, training center, gymnasium and dance studio. The campus is located just 2.1 miles from PBT School. Take a virtual tour here.

Scholarship & Financial Aid

Merit-based scholarships are awarded at the discretion of the School Director and faculty.  Limited financial assistance / work study is also available.  Applications are only considered after successful registration and payment of non-refundable $500 tuition deposit. Deposits and  tuition and housing payments are non-refundable after each payment due date has passed.

When will I be notified about my audition results?

Students typically receive a letter within three weeks of their audition date. Each candidate is evaluated on an individual basis, so students from the same audition could receive their evaluation letter on different dates. If you expressed interest in more than one program, you may receive this information on a separate date.

What will my level assignment be? 

Levels are not assigned before the start of the program. All students will take a placement class within the first two days of the program. Students will be placed in an appropriate level relative to the skill set of the entire ISP group – a benchmark that faculty members believe provides the most challenging and comprehensive program for the individual student. Level placement is at the discretion of the school directors.

How can I spend my free time during ISP?

The Intensive Summer Program follows a rigorous, comprehensive curriculum over the course of five weeks. But, PBT School believes it’s important to balance the intense curriculum with opportunities to unwind. The program offers planned outings on Sundays to destinations ranging from theaters and dances to amusement parks and sporting events.

Commuter students welcome, too!  We encourage all students to take part in the activities planned for our residential students. Students will be able to register for each activity in their family portal. These activities will be solidified closer to the program start date.

How do I apply for the school-year Pre-professional Program? 

During our National Audition Tour, participants may elect to be considered for our year-round Pre-professional program by checking the appropriate box on the audition registration form. In addition, PBT School often schedules a Pre-professional Division audition week. Contact the PBT School office for more information.

What’s the difference between the “Company Experience” workshop and the Intensive Summer Program?

Our Company Experience workshop gives students a two-week preview of the life of a professional dancer. This highly selective program is designed for dancers 16+. In addition to daily technique class, dancers learn new choreography and repertoire and work closely with company dancers, PBT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe other members of the artistic team, and special guests. Company Experience takes place two weeks prior to the start of the Intensive Summer Program, and offers an effective complement to the five-week program.

We look forward to seeing you at PBT Studios this summer!