United Ballet Theatre’s Joseph Gatti Takes His “Athletes of Art” Mission to His New Academy
February 5, 2021

Injuries can be a turning point in any dancer’s career, but for Joseph Gatti, it was the catalyst for creating his own ballet company, United Ballet Theatre. Since its launch in 2018, UBT has been centered on cultivating “athletes of art,” with an emphasis on daily cross-training and physical therapy to prevent injuries and increase career longevity. Now, Gatti is expanding that mission further with the launch of United Ballet Theatre Academy, which opened February 1 in Orlando.

Gatti, a former principal dancer with Cincinnati Ballet and Corella Ballet, always had the idea of opening an academy, but the company had been sharing space with Orlando’s Xplosive Dance Academy. During the pandemic, Gatti began to look for a permanent space as he knew that more buildings might become available. Meanwhile, he also learned that former colleagues from his apprentice days at Orlando Ballet, husband and wife team Andres Estevez and Zoica Tovar, had just relocated to Orlando. Estevez had most recently served as ballet master and rehearsal director for BalletMet, and Tovar was on the faculty for the student division and trainee program. Gatti invited the Cuban-born pair to teach company class, and both he and the dancers of the company instantly connected with their teaching style.

With the couple’s help, Gatti was able to lease the right space that would house both his company and school in November. The following month, Gatti announced the launch of UBT Academy, appointing Estevez and Tovar as co-directors.

A New Approach

Academy students will experience the same method utilized by UBT’s company members, called the “Gatti Method,” alternating days of low- and high-intensity exercises and with conditioning built into the daily routine. Gatti developed this method after sustaining a severe foot injury several years ago, which caused him to take a hard look at how typical ballet companies operate. He noticed that the intense daily class and rehearsal schedules left little room for ample conditioning, rest and recovery.

“The Gatti Method will help students establish athletic conditioning early on in order to avoid injuries later in their careers,” says Tovar. “Through the classical ballet curriculum Andres and I have put together, we will also develop their artistic skills drawn from our experience with the Cuban and Vaganova methods.”

Using the Gatti Method, students might incorporate equipment, like resistance bands, for barre combinations to create more challenging exercises that improve placement, rotation and extension. On certain days, students may do longer jump combinations (e.g., one and a half to two minutes long) to increase stamina. Even the length of technique classes may be different compared to other ballet studios. For instance, a typical level-one technique class (around ages 7 to 8), may only last 45 minutes to an hour at some schools. At UBT Academy, the class will be extended to an hour and a half—one hour being dedicated to technique, followed by stretching and conditioning, with a break in between.

“It’s never too early to prepare students to understand their bodies and enjoy exercise,” says Gatti.

A full studio is dedicated to fitness equipment with four Pilates reformers, a Pilates tower and cadillac, and medicine balls. It also houses a VertiMax V8, a small platform with resistance cords that extend out to 30 feet to improve cardio and vertical jumps, used by many professional athletes. The equipment will be available for students to use under staff guidance and supervision.

Gatti is quick to point out that the Academy is not meant to be a rehabilitation center. “Ballet is an athletic career, and our goal is to prevent injuries by giving our students the proper training regimen,” he says. As with other professional ballet schools, Gatti hopes the Academy will serve as a good stepping-stone for UBT’s next generation of company members.

The city is also home to Orlando Ballet School. Is there room for two pre-professional ballet schools in the same city? Gatti thinks so. “We are so different in our training approach and repertory,” he explains . “In England, for example, you have both The Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet. Two can exist, so I say the more, the merrier.”

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