BIOGRAPHY

Gerard Ebitz was trained at the School of American Ballet in New York, the Miami Conservatory, and the National Ballet School in Toronto. He danced professionally with the New York City Ballet from 1974-1981 and was a founding member of the Miami City Ballet. He was a principal dancer with the Zurich Opera Ballet from 1981-1984 and the Pacific Northwest Ballet 1984-1985. As a teacher and choreographer, he has worked with the Carlisle Project and was commissioned to choreograph a work on the Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. The National Choreographic Plan has recognized his work and he was awarded a 1992-1993 and 1997-1998 Individual Choreographic Fellowship from the State of Florida. Mr. Ebitz was the Artistic Director of Ballet Randolph from 1990-1993. He choreographed for Rochester City Ballet; Ballet Jorgen in Toronto, Canada; Santa Fe Dance Foundation in New Mexico; and Tsoying Performing Arts School in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In the fall of 2021, he was invited to teach company classes with New York City Ballet. Also in 2021, he began setting his choreography on trainees at the Richmond Ballet, as well as teaching in the Richmond Ballet school and their company classes.

In Florida, his work has been performed by Dance Alive! in Gainesville, and at the Douglas Anderson School for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville. In Miami, he choreographed for Ballet Randolph, Freddick Bratcher & Company, Juegos del Arte, Acme Acting Company, Armour Dance Theatre, and solo artist Rosario Suarez. In addition, he had the pleasure of staging and choreographing for various directors through Miami-Dade College. Beginning in 2000, he taught and choreographed for sixteen summers at the Charlotte Ballet Summer Program in Charlotte, North Carolina. In recent years, he has taught at the Ballet School in Savannah, Georgia, the University of Miami Theatre Department, and as principal faculty member at the Miami City Ballet School from 2013-2017. In 2006, Mr. Ebitz was a recipient of a Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship grant for study in Budapest at the National Hungarian Dance Academy. He was on the Dance Department faculty at the New World School of the Arts in Miami from1988 to 2021.

CURRENT WORK

Gerard Ebitz is currently active setting choreographic works on professional and student companies. He also is being scheduled for master classes, summer intensives, and guest residencies.

CHOREOGRAPHIC APPROACH AND TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Personal Statement from Gerard Ebitz

My choreographic style is multifaceted, encompassing a broad range of dance and movement. Of course, I have been influenced by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, but I have also greatly admired the choreography of Jose Limon, Jiri Kylian, and many others. As a result of my work in Europe, there is perhaps a more intimate feeling to some of my pieces that builds upon a strong sense of musicality and design. Having worked with highly trained, professional dancers, as well as with very young students, I truly enjoy the collaborative process with all levels of dancers, creating new works that utilize each artist’s strengths and style. I encourage dancers to take risks and to feel supported while exploring the collaborative process. Many of my pieces can be adapted to the number and gender ratio of different casts. For several works, I am open to alternatives in lighting, costume, and set design.

My teaching philosophy encompasses the belief that as dancers strive to acquire basic skills, technique, and build strength, they must never lose sight of the love and joy of dance. Attention to breath, suspension, phrasing, and musicality are equally important to placement, alignment, turn-out, and flexibility. The ideal class would be a balance and challenging on all these levels. Building on my training at the School of American Ballet, as well as working with many other diverse and sometimes contradictory masters, I firmly believe that students should explore learning environments from teachers with contrasting views and approaches. A personal goal of mine is to create an environment that is a safe place for a dancer to fail and to celebrate their moments of success.