Joan Beatson
Director of Advancement

JOAN BEATSON is a native of Wilmington, Delaware and started her dance training at age five. Joan graduated cum laude from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN with a B.A. in Dance. She joined the FSBT faculty in 2009, teaching all levels of ballet as well as company class, and served as childrens’ ballet mistress for company productions including The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty.

In 2016, Joan became Director of the School. She oversaw the creation of the Choreography Workshop with choreographer Viktor Plotnikov and the expansion of the Summer Intensive program. Ensemble pieces created during the Choreography Workshop placed in the Top 12 at 2017 and 2018 Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York, and Mr. Plotnikov’s piece Hope won the Gold Medal at the 2018 World Ballet Competition. Joan also oversaw the creation of FSBT’s Satellite Program at the Dupont Country Club for Young Dancers.

As School Director, Joan was proud to be part of FSBT’s collaboration with the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children making FSBT the first arts organization in the country to receive their Shield of Protection. The Shield of Protection is a unique program designed by the Beau Biden Foundation’s experts in law, education, and law enforcement to help ensure schools and youth-serving organizations have the best policies, procedures, and programming in place to help protect children from all forms of child abuse and neglect.

Joan has over 25 years of experience in non-profit administration and grantwriting and has worked at many local non-profits, including the Delaware Theatre Company, the Music School of Delaware, United Way of Delaware, and Wilmington Montessori School. Her goals as Director of Advancement are to help FSBT grow its presence in the community and continue to fulfill its mission of bringing the highest possible standards of ballet performances, training, and outreach to Delawareans.