A new partnership between the Janklow Arts Leadership Program in the College of Arts and Sciences and Atlanta Ballet creates a unique opportunity for a student to get hands-on arts experience. The new program, which starts in July 2017, follows the same pattern as Janklow internships with the Florida Grand Opera in Miami and the Seattle Art Museum. One student will receive a fellowship that includes a year of academic coursework at the University, followed by a yearlong internship at Atlanta Ballet.

“This extended relationship creates an internship that is integrated with and complements the student’s studies,” says Mark Nerenhausen, professor of practice and founding director of the Janklow Program. “It allows the student to develop a deep professional relationship with the organization and its staff. The student also gains a much better understanding of the organization, the larger context in which it operates, and the issues it faces while participating in meaningful projects that really contribute to the organization.”

While studying on campus, the fellow will receive online and Skype mentoring from Atlanta Ballet staff as well as research projects related to his or her coursework. At the completion of the academic year, the student will then join the ballet for an extended on-site internship to work on the implementation of projects researched the previous year.

Founded in 1929, Atlanta Ballet is the longest continuously performing ballet company in the United States, as well as the official Ballet of Georgia. “Although a renowned leader in the promotion and education of dance, Atlanta Ballet’s roots have been firmly grounded in the community and play a vital role in the city’s cultural growth and revitalization,” says Arturo Jacobus, president and CEO of Atlanta Ballet. “We are committed to connecting the community with this amazing art form, which would not be possible without the combination of our talented dancers onstage and the dedicated administrators behind the scenes.”

Janklow strives to give students opportunities to work with top-tier companies and organizations that exercise the best practices defined in the classroom. “As a leading arts institution and one of the nation’s premiere ballet companies, Atlanta Ballet is a fantastic fit for this program,” Nerenhausen says.

The Janklow Program is a 15-month, 39-credit master’s program that trains leaders of nonprofit and for-profit organizations in the creative and performing arts. Based in the Department of Art and Music Histories, the program is named for Morton L. Janklow ’50, one of the country’s most influential literary agents and arts advocates.

The internship program began with a partnership with the Seattle Art Museum in 2015, and the Florida Grand Opera internship started the next year. Janklow also has local partnerships with Point of Contact Gallery, the Red House and Friends of Syracuse Chamber Music.

“As a premiere ballet company in the Southeast, Atlanta Ballet has an ongoing commitment to educating the next generation of young leaders in the arts community at large,” says Steven Libman, chief advancement officer at Atlanta Ballet. “We are thrilled to partner with Syracuse University and look forward to extending our influence to students in the Janklow Arts Leadership Program and beyond.”

Janklow continues to develop new partnerships, adds Nerenhausen. “We are working to better integrate these internships with the program,” he says. “One of our next steps is to bring together representatives of our partner organizations to benefit from their advice in developing the Janklow Program and these internship models.”

Author: Renee K. Gadoua