Partners | Arts Of America

ARTS OF AMERICA PARTNERS

Arts of America esteemed Partners:

Mark Cortale recently produced the six-time Tony-nominated Broadway premiere of the musical FLOYD COLLINS by Adam Guettel and Tina Landau with Lincoln Center Theater. He is currently launching the UK premiere of TABLE 17 by Douglas Lyons, directed by Zhailon Levingston, opening on September 24, 2026, at Kiln Theatre in London. This romantic comedy began at Off-Broadway at MCC in 2024 and won two Lucille Lortel Awards, one Outer Critics Circle Award, two Audelco Awards, the Joe A. Callaway Award, and had its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse in November 2025. This past winter, he produced the world premiere of the new musical BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOL by Hannah Corneau and Mona Mansour, directed by Michael Greif at Southwark Playhouse in London. In 2024, Mark produced the critically acclaimed three-time Tony-nominated new musical DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES by Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas.

In 2023, Mark celebrated his 12th and final season as Producing Artistic Director of The Art House in Provincetown where he presented artists that included Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster, Jessie Mueller, Christine Ebersole and Megan Mullally. Mark is the Producing Artistic Director of the developmental theatre lab New Works Provincetown which he founded in 2020.

In conjunction with producing partners Jonathan Murray and Harvey Reese, New Works Provincetown has commissioned five works to date including the following shows: THE LAST DIVA with book by Jonathan Tolins, music by Scott Frankel and lyrics by Michael Korie; MAIDEN VOYAGE with book and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and music by Carmel Dean; BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOL with book by Mona Mansour and music and lyrics by Hannah Corneau; LOVE IS STRANGE, with book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messé and lyrics by Nathan Tysen & Daniel Messé and TABLE 17 by Douglas Lyons.

In 2018 Mark produced the Off Broadway world premiere of the musical MIDNIGHT AT THE NEVER GET by Academy Award, Grammy and Golden Globe winner Mark Sonnenblick. The production directed by Max Friedman took place at The York Theatre and was nominated for two Drama Desk Awards and three Lucille Lortel Awards including Best Musical.

Mr. Cortale will be offering a free Consultation/Coaching for a Musical Theater Singer or an Actor.

Under the leadership of Director Iain Webb, Executive Director Joseph Volpe, and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, The Sarasota Ballet has become one of America’s leading ballet companies. Webb and Barbieri have introduced more than 190 ballets and divertissements, including 63 world premieres and 12 American Company premieres, by many of the most important choreographers of the 20th and 21st centuries. The Company has built a reputation for reviving rarely seen ballets while also commissioning new works, including premieres by Jessica Lang, Gemma Bond, and Ashley Page. In 2023–2024, The Sarasota Ballet announced a three-year collaboration with Lang as Virginia B. Toulmin & Muriel O’Neil Artist in Residence, further affirming its role in shaping ballet’s future. Acclaimed nationally and internationally, the Company embarked on its first international tour in June 2024, performing at London’s Royal Opera House for the Ashton Worldwide Festival, with additional appearances at Jacob’s Pillow, The Kennedy Center, New York City Center, and The Joyce Theater.

Named after Assistant Director of The Sarasota Ballet, Margaret Barbieri, the Conservatory offers a pre-professional training experience for talented young dancers. Led by Education Director Christopher Hird and Assistant Education Director Dierdre Miles Burger, the exceptional instructional staff is committed to providing the highest quality dance education in an inclusive and nurturing environment. The Sarasota Ballet School teaches the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum, a breakthrough 9 level program that combines high-quality artistic training with the basics of dancer health and child development. The ABT® National Training Curriculum consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, outcome-based guidelines to provide the highest quality ballet training to dance students of all ages and skill levels. Sarasota Ballet will be offering a scholarship to an outstanding dancer.

American Repertory Ballet (ARB) is New Jersey’s preeminent professional ballet company, presenting classical and contemporary works to engage and inspire audiences. With a distinctive reputation for innovation and individuality, American Repertory Ballet (ARB) is recognized as one of the state’s premier performing arts organizations. ARB is a founding resident company of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center while also performing in major venues across New Jersey and beyond.

Founded in 1963 as part of the Princeton Ballet Society, ARB has been designated a “Major Arts Institution” by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. The Company has also been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council and is frequently voted the Jersey Arts People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Dance Company.”

ARB2, American Repertory Ballet’s second company, is a development company for talented young dancers. The mission of ARB2 is to advance the next generation of artists and ensure that our talented young dancers are ready for the next step in their careers. Dancers in ARB2 will work directly with the main company on a daily basis, training, rehearsing and frequently performing with the professional company. ARB2 often has a repertory of dance designed expressly for ARB2 dancer development, which they will perform at local schools, assisted-care facilities, festivals and outreach events. Princeton Ballet School is the official school of ARB.

ARB will offer one scholarship to its Summer Program or Trainee Program.

Berlin Opera Academy

Berlin Opera Academy empowers emerging artists with real-world experience through immersive training in the most operatically important city in the world. Programs include the Opera School, Opernfest, and Orchestra. Berlin Opera Academy will offer a partial scholarship to an adult Classical Singer.

R-Class pointe shoes are handcrafted Russian ballet shoes trusted by professional and pre-professional dancers worldwide. Designed and manufactured in Russia, R-Class pointe shoes combine traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation to provide exceptional fit, support, and performance. Developed in collaboration with Bolshoi Theatre ballerinas and handmade by expert artisans, R-Class pointe shoes are engineered to meet the demands of today’s dancers. With 12 base models and thousands of customization options, R-Class provides precision fit solutions for every foot type.

Unlike brands with limited model offerings, R-Class provides a structured fitting system designed to match a wide range of foot shapes and technical needs. R-Class now offers a full immersive fitting destination where dancers can be measured, fitted, and supported by expert pointe shoe professionals near Washington DC.

R-Class will offer merchandise awards to winners in the Ballet category of the Arts of America Dance Competition.

Virginia National Ballet is one of the top professional ballet companies in the state of Virginia, with a roster of 26 professional dancers, and a full season of performances at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas and Capital One Hall in Tysons, as well as tours throughout the state and beyond. Recent tours include Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, the Ailey Citigroup Theater in NYC, the Danville Concert Association, the Franklin Park Arts Center, and there is an upcoming tour to the Academy Center of the Arts in Lynchburg. Led by visionary Artistic Director Rafik Hegab, the company produces world premieres each year, and the repertoire is a mix of classical ballets (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Snow White, Aladdin, Aida, La Boheme), Neoclassical ballets (Carmen, Tango Nights, Moonlight, The Four Seasons, Pictures at an Exhibition), and Contemporary and Rock Ballets (Carmina Burana, For those we lost, Led Zeppelin, Bohemian Rhapsody, Life in the fast lane, The Beatles) and more. Virginia National Ballet is offering a full scholarship to a Summer Intensive, and a full scholarship to a Trainee for the 2027-28 season.

Interlochen was recently named the #1 Best High School for the Arts in America, in addition to receiving an A+ for Academics and an A+ College Preparation. This recognition celebrates what makes Interlochen so exceptional: a community where young artists thrive academically, artistically, and personally. Interlochen includes a Summer Arts Camp, Arts Boarding School, Interlochen Online, and College of Creative Arts. Interlochen will offer partial scholarships to winners in Dance and Music.

The Tonatiuh Gómez Foundation is a Mexican nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of artists and creative leaders. Through scholarships, mentorship, educational programs, and strategic partnerships, the foundation supports talented individuals in dance, music, theater, film, and other creative industries, helping them develop successful careers while strengthening Mexico's cultural landscape. Founded by international ballet dancer and social entrepreneur Tonatiuh Gómez, the foundation seeks to inspire extraordinary artistic achievement and expand opportunities for emerging creatives. The Tonatiuh Gómez Foundation will offer a scholarships to a dancer, musician, and/or actor.

The San Diego Ballet (SDB), a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization, was founded in 1991, in close association with Robin Sherertz-Morgan’s San Diego School of Ballet and featuring a strong contemporary repertory created by resident choreographer, Javier Velasco.

Historically, SDB…

was the first ballet company in San Diego to offer salaried positions to dancers
was the first dance company in Southern California to be given permission to stage the works of George Balanchine and Frederick Ashton.
was the first ballet company in Europe and the Western Hemisphere to present a complete production of Soviet Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev’s Seven Beauties,

In addition to full length productions of The Nutcracker, Giselle, Don Juan, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Sleeping Beauty, and Romeo & Juliet, SDB has a large varied repertoire which includes many ballets set to Latin American, Jazz, and popular music scores, as well as pieces done to spoken text. The San Diego Ballet has collaborated with the San Diego Symphony, the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego Camarada, and the San Diego Children’s Choir during their seasons as well as dance organizations such as Culture Shock and others. The San Diego Ballet will offer a scholarship to one dancer.

Throughout her career as a serious ballet student turned professional ballerina with American Ballet Theatre, April Giangeruso has longed to create inventive dance and activewear fashion that can cross over into everyday life. April and her mother Kathy, a talented award-winning seamstress, collaborated on how to achieve the most perfectly fit leotard with personality to match. The resulting leotards were affectionately named "Momtards" by April's fellow American Ballet Theatre ballerinas. Specializing in bold prints which are handpicked to appeal to all tastes, Chameleons are high quality, high fashion, and most importantly fun and flattering to wear. What dancer doesn't want to be called a Chameleon? Now you can have the style to match! Chameleon will be offering a prize TBA.

@chameleonactivewear

#ChameleonbyAG #GetYourChameleonOn #ThisIsChameleon

American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria

As the leading summer music program in Europe, AIMS is a one-of-a-kind experience. The program is designed to prepare you for a career as a professional musician. In six weeks of intense training, you’ll work on every aspect of your craft, studying opera and lieder repertoire, and performing with renowned European conductors. Many participants feel they learn more in a summer at AIMS than in a year or more at school. And it all takes place in Graz, one of the most beautiful small cities in all of Europe. AIMS will offer a partial scholarship to an adult Classical Singer.

The Casting Director's Cut connects actors with experienced, working casting directors through one-on-one consultations, career coaching, audition guidance, and professionally edited demo reels designed to meet current industry standards. Their experts help performers strengthen their marketing materials, refine their career strategy, and present themselves at the highest professional level. Selected finalists at Arts of America will have the opportunity to receive exclusive services from The Casting Director's Cut, providing invaluable insight from industry professionals actively casting film and television projects.

Hugh Wooldridge: Director and Writer, Producer and Masterclass Leader

Hugh Wooldridge has produced, directed, devised and designed lighting for theatre, television and large-scale musical events all over the world. He also teaches and gives MasterClasses internationally in the UK, Denmark, Italy, Australia, South Africa and the United States. Read his complete Bio on the Judges page, or a PDF here.

Mr. Wooldridge will be teaching a Master Class at the Finals and offering an opportunity to one of the Dramatic Arts winners.

Dwight Global Online School was named the top online private high school in the United States by Niche. They are committed to academic excellence, personalized learning, and innovation. Dwight Global Online School represents the latest Dwight innovation. Through a combination of live video conferences that bring students together with instructors and each other, and on-demand resources that students can access any time, to personal Oxford/Cambridge-model tutorial sessions, Dwight Global extends the mission of developing global leaders to students everywhere in the world. Moreover, we encourage all of our students to participate in a robust, integrated program of residential education that provides students with the opportunity to come to campus several times a year. For many families, this means that a world-class education no longer requires saying goodbye to their children or limiting them to a purely online school. Dwight Global is a perfect solution for young musicians and dancers who need the flexibility of online schooling while pursuing their careers. Dwight Global is a partner with YAGP. Dwight Global will offer partial scholarships to selected Finalists of Arts of America.

Singur Ballet is a premier ballet school located in the heart of New York City, led by famed dancers and teachers Evgenia Singur and Bat Udval. Thier mission is to inspire and nurture the next generation of dancers, fostering a passion for ballet through exceptional training and artistic excellence. They are dedicated to creating a supportive and disciplined environment where each student can reach their full potential, both technically and artistically, preparing them for a successful future in the World of Ballet. Their experienced faculty, many of whom are distinguished professionals in the Ballet World, are dedicated to guiding each student on their unique way, ensuring they build a strong foundation, and develop discipline. They strive to create a community where passion meets purpose. They are preparing Their students not only for a career in Ballet but also for a life enriched by the values of perseverance, grace, and artistry. At Singur Ballet, each student is encouraged to dream big, work hard and dance with heart.

Each of their students become the next generation of classically trained ballet dancers through the principles and aesthetics of the Vaganova Method of Classical Ballet. Singur Ballet is offering a scholarship to their summer intensive to a select ballet dancer.

The ON STAGE Dance Academy and Company was founded by Laura Álvarez and Hazem Zakaria in 2017. The Academy is located in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Zakaria and Alvarez have many years of international experience as international principal dancers and master teachers. Students receive professional training certified by both the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Academia de Danza is offering a full scholarship to their Summer Intensive and a full scholarship for their year-round program.