Photo by Katie Aaberg
By Katie Aaberg
Meet our new costume shop manager, Ronald Altman. Originally from northern Wisconsin, he has lived and traveled all over the US and abroad. His interest in dance and costuming started almost simultaneously early in his life: In high school he developed an interest for costuming and soon after started his dance career in college. Ron went on to dance with several dance companies including, Duluth Ballet, Academy of the Tidewater Ballet, Joffrey Concert Group, North Carolina Dance Theater, St. Louis Ballet, and New York Theater Ballet. Apart from this, Ron has danced in countless guest performances across the US, and in Japan and Iceland.
In total, he danced for over 20 memorable years, all while refining and developing his costume-design skills. Unlike other performers, Ron simultaneously worked in the studio and in the costume shop. During his time as a performer he created countless costumes for short dance works and full length ballets. While in New York, he worked with costume designer Barbara Matera Ltd. to create costumes for Broadway musicals such as Beauty and the Beast, Sunset Boulevard, Damn Yankees, Carousel, Crazy for You, and A Christmas Carol.
Photo by Katie Aaberg. “I am thrilled to be working with a ballet company I have observed for years.”
He received his Masters Degree in Dance from Ohio State University and joined the faculty and staff at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2017. During his time in Nebraska, he worked as the costume shop manager for theater and dance, and taught costume design, costume technology, costume history, and ballet technique classes.
Ron’s unique background of both being a performer and costume designer will be valuable in the upcoming season. He states that he has “great empathy for the dancers – having been one myself – and recognize the importance of functionality in a costume. I want the dancers to feel good and comfortable in what they are wearing.”
Welcome, Ron! We are excited to present his work to you in our upcoming season.
