Kathleen Mitchell received her early training in Seattle, Washington at what is now the Cornish College of the Arts. She continued her training on full Ford Foundation scholarships to the School of American Ballet and the academic school Professional Children’s School. Full scholarships also allowed her to train at the Pennsylvania Ballet School and to complete her training at the San Francisco Ballet School.
Mitchell joined Boston Ballet’s Faculty in 2003 after an illustrious twenty years with the San Francisco Ballet as soloist, faculty member, and ballet mistress. She works exclusively in the Trainee and Pre-Professional Program and stages repertoire for both the Boston Ballet School Ensemble and the annual Next Generation performances. Mitchell teaches company class, and has also worked as rehearsal assistant for Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker.
Mitchell is also Boston Ballet’s Shoe Manager. Her extensive knowledge of how to fit pointe shoes has helped both professional dancers and students find the pointe shoe that best allows proper use of the foot.
Throughout her performing career, Mitchell was featured in both classical and contemporary works by Ashton, Balanchine, Bintley, Caniparoli, Lew Christensen, D’Amboise, Forsythe, Kudelka, Donald MacKayle, Mark Morris, Jerome Robbins, Michael Smuin, and Helgi Tomasson. She was also a guest artist with Alonso King’s Lines Contemporary Ballet, the San Francisco Opera, and danced as a member of the Lawrence Pech Dance Company.
Invited by Helgi Tomasson to join the Faculty of the San Francisco Ballet School, Mitchell taught at all levels and staged numerous ballets from Repertoire. In addition to staging ballets by Balanchine, Christensen, and Tomasson, she staged all student roles in San Francisco Ballet productions such as Giselle, La Sylphide, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake,and The Sleeping Beauty.
Mitchell’s students have joined companies both nationally and internationally. These include Alabama Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Met, Ballet West, Ballet Tucson, Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance, Lines Contemporary Ballet, Miami City Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Nashville Ballet, New York City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Orlando Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, Richmond Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Smiun Ballet, Trey McIntyre Project and Zurich Ballet.
Mitchell acts as a guest teacher for the Cecchetti Council of America and taught for the Harvard Dance Department. She has taught at various summer programs across the U.S. and in Canada.
In 2003, Mitchell earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California.
