The School of American Ballet (SAB), the official training academy of the New York City Ballet, was established in 1934 by legendary choreographer George Balanchine and philanthropist Lincoln Kirstein as the first and most essential step in their quest to create an American classical ballet company.

SAB, located at New York City's Lincoln Center, is today the premier ballet academy in the United States, training more students who go on to become professional dancers than any other school. SAB's former students fill the ranks of the New York City Ballet and other leading US and international ballet companies. The School's alumni roster is a "who's who" of twentieth century American classical ballet, filled with names such as Suzanne Farrell, Arthur Mitchell, Maria Tallchief, and Darci Kistler, as well as Broadway legends Chita Rivera and Hinton Battle. Construction has been completed on two new studios at SAB's Lincoln Center headquarters. The Selux M100 recessed fixtures allowed for seamless and uniform lighting with an architectural focus. The school is part of a renovation of the 50 year-old Lincoln Center. The innovative design of the two glass studios floating inside the building was created by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Lighting designer Suzan Tillotson used M100 and modified M60 luminaires to create a unique ambience for the dance space. A direct view in the mirrors shows a comfortable uniform illumination ideal for the dancers.

architect Diller Scofidio + Renfro

lighting designer Susan Tillotson Design