The creation of the New York City Ballet in 1948 is a milestone in the history of the School of American Ballet, for it marked the realization of George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein’s primary goal in founding SAB: to create an American ballet company. Since then, the School and NYCB have been intimately linked. For the past seven decades, SAB has been the official training academy of New York City Ballet.

SAB alumni comprise almost all of New York City Ballet’s world-class dancers. NYCB does not hold open auditions and very rarely invites professional dancers not trained at SAB to join its ranks. Instead, the School and Company’s artistic director annually selects up to 10 SAB students to undertake year-long apprenticeships with New York City Ballet. The Apprentice Program is jointly administered by SAB and NYCB, with apprentices maintaining access to the School’s resources and support while earning the equivalent of a first-year corps member salary prorated according to the number of performances assigned. The School actively supports apprentices’ transition to professional life through the Apprentice Mentorship Program, which partners new apprentices with Company dancers who volunteer to educate and support apprentices throughout the year. The majority of NYCB’s apprentices receive invitations to join the Company by the end of the apprentice year.