Tilly Abbe

After years of touring the world with the San Francisco Ballet, Tilly Abbe started her own school in the basement of her home in 1969. Her dream was to provide a space for young children to build confidence and focus and to learn self-expression through the art of traditional ballet. Five decades, three studios, and tens of thousands of students later, the doors to her beloved school closed. Her loyal following dubbed Miss Tilly's Ballet a "rite of passage," "iconic," and "magical." Tilly Abbe...See more

After years of touring the world with the San Francisco Ballet, Tilly Abbe started her own school in the basement of her home in 1969. Her dream was to provide a space for young children to build confidence and focus and to learn self-expression through the art of traditional ballet. Five decades, three studios, and tens of thousands of students later, the doors to her beloved school closed. Her loyal following dubbed Miss Tilly's Ballet a "rite of passage," "iconic," and "magical." Tilly Abbe and her granddaughter, Callie Lawler, wrote The Big Day at Miss Tilly's Ballet as an ode to all the young dancers who polkaed through her school and performed on the big stage at the renowned Herbst Theatre. See less