Yael Levitin Saban

In 1992, Yael proudly represented Israel at the prestigious Concours de Paris Dance Soloist Competition, earning a silver medal for her outstanding performance. Her artistry continued to captivate audiences globally as she toured with Bat-Dor. In 1994, driven by a desire to expand her horizons, Yael moved to the United States, where she brought her expertise to esteemed companies such as Ballet Hispánico of New York, Complexions, and Connecticut Ballet.

In 1999, Yael’s journey led her to Chicago, where she became a principal dance member of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago with whom she performed creations by world renowned choreographers such as Jiri Killian, Nacho Duato, Twyla Tharp, Ohad Naharin and many others. She toured globally for five years.

In 2004 Yael joined the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Her contributions at the Lyric went beyond performance choreographing several productions, including Strauss’s Salome, which was staged not only in Chicago but also at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Dallas Opera, and the Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto, Japan.

Yael started her academic journey in 2008 as an adjunct faculty member at Columbia College sharing her vast dance performance knowledge with students teaching ballet, modern, contemporary, dance while formally earning her BA in Dance balancing her role as an educator, dancer and choreographer.

Returning to the Greater New York area in 2014, Yael embraced a new role as ballet mistress with Ballet Hispánico of New York, where she continued to shape and inspire the next generation of dancers. Additionally, she toured with the Kibbutz Dance Company as ballet teacher. Alongside her professional work, Yael pursued her MFA in Dance at Hunter College while acting as an adjunct faculty member at both Hunter and Marymount Manhattan college and worked at many studios in the greater NY area and operated her own dance studio.