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Amanda Cobb, Founding Director

​Amanda Cobb brings many skills to her role as Director of Ballet Academy & Movement. From gymnast to ballerina to teacher and Pilates teacher to choreographer to director, all of her 20 years of professional experience have culminated in Ballet Academy & Movement​.

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​With a professional dance career that spanned over 20 years, Ms. Cobb danced with American Ballet Theatre nationally and internationally from 2001–2007, and was a Principal with Washington Ballet, Ohio Ballet, and Ballet Tucson. Ms. Cobb’s diverse background with Alvin Ailey, Gus Giordano, Frank Hatchett, and School of American Ballet, as well as her experience as a competitive gymnast attending the 1992 Junior Olympics, give her a skilled eye like no other.

In the news!

Much thanks to Norb Garrett of San Clemente Times for covering us in the May issue!
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Amanda Cobb; Judy Moore of Segerstrom Center; Renae Williams Niles, Associate Dean, USC Kaufman School of Dance; and Nigel Lythgoe, Co-Founder of American Dance Movement

Ms. Cobb began as a gymnast under Yoichi Tomita, a USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame member, winning numerous state championships on floor and beam routines, and went to the Junior Olympics in 1992. This foundation gave her the strength and discipline that have been a major element in the success and dedication she has demonstrated in every aspect of her life. ​​

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At age 12, Ms. Cobb took her first ballet class at Ballet Arts, affiliated with Ballet Tucson, and fell in love. After training in ballet for a year, she was awarded a scholarship to train in Chicago with the jazz legend, Gus Giordano, and also spent summers at the School of American Ballet and Frank Hatchett. Awarded a special full scholarship to study with Alvin Ailey School in New York City, by age 15 she was living in New York, learning the Martha Graham technique from the legendary Denise Jefferson, and performing with Alvin Ailey II at City Center.

Center feature in Washington Life magazine

Washington Ballet Performance with Brooklyn Mack and others

While performing with American Ballet Theatre from 2001–2007, Ms. Cobb danced the ABT classical repertory, and worked with or performed works by many legendary choreographers, including Balanchine, Makarova, Agnes de Mille, Gelsey Kirkland, Kevin McKenzie, Petipa, Michel Fokine, Lar Lubovitch, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Nicole Fonte, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Anna-Marie Holmes, Kurt Jooss, Christopher Wheeldon, Cynthia Gregory, Wayne Eagling, Anne Marie DeAngelo, and more.

​​Principal roles included Partisan Woman in Jooss's Green Table (ABT), Leto in Balanchine's Apollo (ABT), Kick Girl in George Balanchine's  Rubies (Washington Ballet), Choleric in Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments (Washington Ballet), Tiger Lily in Peter Pan (Washington Ballet), ​Brown Couple in Lila York's Celts (Washington Ballet), Queen in Swan Lake (ABT), Juliet in Jörgen’s Romeo and Juliet (Ohio Ballet), and The Chosen One in Aiello’s Rite of Spring (Ohio Ballet).

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Ms. Cobb, designated a Certified Teacher by ABT in 2015, has taught the highest levels at the American Ballet Theatre William  J. Gillespie School for the past seven years, teaches the ABT California summer intensive ages 12-18 and California ABT Young Dancer ages 9-12 summer intensive, and is also on the faculties for PACE University's Commercial Dance department and  Orange County School of the Arts Classical Conservatory. Additionally, she is certified in Pilates and GYROTONIC® and is a gifted choreographer.  

Ms. Cobb has been fortunate to have had an outstanding performing career and she is just as fortunate to have the privilege of teaching others, sharing her passion and knowledge, guiding students to become their best selves, and providing training that impacts their lives, no matter what they choose to do. 

And so the natural progression was from performing to teaching and now to direction. Her ability to work well with others lends itself perfectly to finding the best teachers and guest teachers to further her vision, and to bringing out the best in all she works with. And vision is one thing Ms. Cobb has always had in spades. 

In 2020, Ms. Cobb conceived and directed the successful Dance Compañía online summer intensives, assisted by ABT soloist, Luciana Paris, and Jonatan Luján. Students from all over the world participated in Zoom classes taught by international ballet luminaries. Each of the three weeks culminated in a student performance gala, with the third week highlighted by a spectacular original piece set on the students by choreographer/ABT soloist, Zhong-Jing Fang. 

​Guest faculty included Marianela Nuńez (Principal, The Royal Ballet), "The Cindies" Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside (Principals, ABT), Misty Copeland (Principal, ABT), Polina Semionova (Principal, Berlin State Ballet, and Professor, Berlin State Ballet School), Paloma Herrera (former Principal, ABT), Devon Teuscher (Principal, ABT), Skylar Brandt (Soloist, ABT), Nilas Martins (former New York City Principal, Balanchine Trust Répétiteur, and YAGP judge), Alaine Haubert (Director, ABT Gillespie School at Segerstrom Center for the Arts), Sean Stewart (ABT Apprenticeship Program Coordinator, Répétiteur, and former ABT dancer), Willy Laury (Artistic Director, Executive Producer, and Founder of ACE Dance Concept), Ana Sophia Scheller (Principal, National Ballet of Ukraine Ballet), ​Skylar Campbell (Principal, National Ballet of Canada), Thomas Forster (Soloist, ABT), Kleber Rebello (Principal, Miami City Ballet), Emily Brombert (Principal Soloist, Miami City Ballet), Anna Liceica (former ABT Soloist, judge and master teacher for YAGP, and Principal Guest Artist with Deutsche Oper Berlin), Jackie Oakley (Corps de Ballet, National Ballet of Canada), and Kelly Leonardi (Faculty, American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School).

Her diverse training and extremely rare background of gymnastics, jazz, modern, and ballet allow her to give her students exposure to the same diversity and high level of training, with only the very best teachers. Her goal is to support her students to become diverse, strong, passionate, and determined people, and know that whatever they put their minds to they can create, whether in dance or in life. ​