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 Ballet and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Mr. Ebitz was the Artistic Director of Ballet Randolph from 1990-1993. He has choreographed for Rochester City Ballet; Pennsylvania Youth Ballet; Ballet Jorgen in Toronto, Canada; Santa Fe Dance Foundation; and Tsoying Performing Arts School in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2022, he was honored to teach company classes with New York City Ballet. His choreography was set on trainees at the Richmond Ballet, as well as taught in the Richmond Ballet school and company classes.

His choreography has been performed by Dance Alive in Gainesville, by the Douglas Anderson School for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville, Ballet Randolph, Freddick Bratcher & Company, and Armour Dance Theatre in Miami. He was twice awarded an Individual Choreographic Fellowship from the State of Florida. Beginning in 2000, he taught and choreographed for seventeen summers at the Charlotte Ballet summer program in Charlotte, North Carolina, and taught as principal faculty member at the Miami City Ballet School. Mr. Ebitz was a recipient of a Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship grant for study in Budapest at the National Hungarian Dance Academy. He was an Associate Professor Senior on the Dance Department faculty at the New World School of the Arts in Miami from 1988 to 2021. Now as an independent choreographer and teacher, he is an active guest artist with several companies and schools.

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.