American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie announced that Sascha Radetsky has been named the new Artistic Director of ABT Studio Company, taking over Kate Lydon, who has been serving in the role for 15 years.
Though some probably recognize his face from the classic dance film as heartthrob Charlie in Center Stage or Ross in the darker TV mini-series Flesh and Bone, Radetsky spent many years as a dancer with American Ballet Theatre. He started as an apprentice in 1995, joined the corps de ballet a year later, was promoted to soloist in 2003, took a 2 year break from ABT to be a principal with the Dutch National Ballet, only to return in 2010 and retire from the company in 2014.
Radetsky is no stranger to teaching and dance isn't his only skill. He's a talented writer, and several of his articles have been featured in publications like Vogue, Playbill, and Dance Magazine. He's lectured and taught at prestigious schools such as the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Dance Theater of Harlem, University of California at Santa Barbara, and Ballet West Academy. His path to this new Artistic Director role was only logical since he was already a ballet master for the ABT Studio Company, the Director of the ABT/NYU Master's in Ballet Pedagogy Program, and a Company Teacher for the main company since 2016.
In a statement, Radetsky says he feels "deeply invested in ABT Studio Company, having journeyed from one of its young members to its most recent ballet master. As Studio Company Artistic Director, I’ll strive to strengthen its tradition of cultivating talented dancers and innovative choreography, honor the extraordinary work of my predecessor and help realize ABT’s broader artistic vision.”
Radetsky is taking on quite a significant role in the lives of the 12 talented dancers of the Studio Company, as the program is a bridge between training and professional career.
Here is an excerpt of Radetsky dancing the Pas de Trois in Swan Lake’s Act I (Mongolian Opera Ballet)
And for those of you who want to look back at Charlie with dewy eyes