Kat Wildish grew up in Tampa, Florida, and shot from the beach to the balletic big time at the age of 15.  She toured the southern United States as a member of Ballet Gala, on stage with such superstars as Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, Cynthia Gregory, and Fernando Bujones.  She went on to study at the School of American Ballet, on a two-year full scholarship from the Ford Foundation.  She is one of those rare ballerinas who has appeared with both New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.

In NYCB, she danced works by George Balanchine.  Balanchine even hand-picked her to perform in one of his last works, Adagio Lamentoso.  She was asked by Mikhail Baryshnikov to join ABT.  There, she performed in more traditional ballets like Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Sleeping Beauty.  He created the role of the “knitting lady” for Kat and Julie Kent was one of her assistants!  Kat has also performed with the Zurich Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, the American Dance Machine, and countless others.

Kat has been teaching throughout her performing career and beyond.  She brings many styles to the studio, from her own extensive studies of Balanchine, Vaganova, Cecchetti, Royal Ballet, and ABT.  She is an ABT® Certified Teacher of Primary through Level 7 and Pas de Deux (the highest levels) of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.  She even participated in the development of the Training Curriculum.

Her New York classes are four-and-five to a barre.  She was recruited to teach in Pace University’s renowned Commercial Dance Program.  She teaches master classes throughout Europe and Asia each year.  Many study with her privately for competitions, Broadway, and the big screen.  Her students have been seen on stage in Aladdin, Chicago, The King and I, Disney’s Frozen, King Kong, The Radio City Rockettes, and countless TV and movie productions.  Kat also produces several NYC theater showcases each year, with casts up to 250 dancers!

To study with Kat is to be the beneficiary of superlative technical training, a lifetime of accumulated ballet lore, and a generous, elegant spirit.  She prepares her students not only to dance beautifully, but to live with grace, harmony, and presence.