Founded in 2022, the Asian American Ballet Project is the very first Asian American ballet company, ever. Our mission is to present Asian American dancers on stage together in all Asian American productions. We aim to tell stories from our unique perspectives and transform how audiences see Asian Americans in performance, from unexpected to accepted.

Together

This company provides the unique opportunity for Asian American ballet dancers to work alongside artists with the same racial background. All of the dancers, choreographers, and administrative staff are Asian American. In mainstream companies, we rarely - if ever - have this experience. On the contrary, we are used to being the ONLY Asian American dancers in the corps, in the studio, in the dressing rooms, etc. This experience can feel isolating. AABP offers a supportive community to these dancers, celebrating their talents, and valuing their backgrounds.

Telling

AABP will showcase the work of up and coming AAPI choreographers who will have the unique opportunity of setting their works on all-Asian American casts. Instead of overlooking the race of our dancers, our ballets will acknowledge our racial identity, long ignored in classical ballet. We also seek to claim our space in the classical canon. AABP will perform ballets that have never been performed solely by Asian Americans. We will rework traditional favorites in ways that will help us connect to the stories and share our retellings in an authentic way.

Transforming

As individual dancers our power is limited. As a united company, we will shift expectations and norms. The creation of an Asian American ballet company is an important milestone for our race. Though we have been in this country for centuries, we are still treated as outsiders, perpetual foreigners. Having our own company allows us to claim a little piece of America as our own. AABP’s dancers will engage new audiences, inspire young people, and become role models.