2016 Auditions Guide
Whether you're a bunhead or a hip-hopper, our guide has just the audition for you. Choose from dozens of upcoming tryouts for the professional company or training program of your dreams.
Ad Deum Dance Company (P/T)
Houston, TX
Contact: Randall Flinn
713.626.5050
addeumdance@gmail.com
danceaddeum.com
Audition dates: TBD (Houston, TX)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern
Bring: headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Akhmedova Ballet Academy (T)
Silver Spring, MD
Contact: Jacqueline Akhmedova
301.602.8222
akhmedovaballet@gmail.com
akhmedovaballet.org
Audition dates: Jan 16, Feb 20, Mar 12 (Silver Spring, MD)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $40
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (P)
New York, NY
212.405.9000
alvinailey.org
Audition date: Apr 25 (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, jazz, modern
Bring: headshot, resumé
American Contemporary Ballet (P/T)
Los Angeles, CA
Contact: Catalina Sis
310.929.5703
acb@acbdances.com
acbdances.com
Audition dates: Mar 6 (New York, NY), Mar 13 (Los Angeles, CA)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, interview, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Videos accepted
American Repertory Ballet (P/T)
New Brunswick, NJ
Contact: Douglas Martin
732.249.1254
dmartin@arballet.org
arballet.org
Audition date: Feb 21 (New York, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, fee TBD
Arch Contemporary Ballet (P/T)
New York, NY
Contact: Felicity D'Ambrough
408.835.0282
arch.ensemble@live.com
archballet.com
Audition dates: Jan 15–18 & May 13–17 (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, contemporary ballet
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $10
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Artifact Dance Project, Inc. (P/T)
Tucson, AZ
Contact: Ashley Bowman
520.235.7638
info@artifactdanceproject.com
artifactdanceproject.org
Audition date: Apr 24 (Tucson, AZ)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ballet, contemporary
Bring: dance photo, resumé
Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida (P)
North Miami Beach, FL
Contact: Ruby Issaev
305.948.4777
auditions@artsballettheatre.org
artsballettheatre.org
Audition dates: Jan 23 (Philadelphia, PA), Jan 24 (Washington, DC), Jan 25 (New York, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Videos accepted
AS Ballet New York Ltd. (P/T)
ASBCompaNY
New York, NY
Contact: Sônia Melo
646.580.7311
asbnycompany@gmail.com
asballetny.com
Audition dates: by appointment (New York, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, interview, modern, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education (P/T)
Atlanta Ballet
Atlanta, GA
Contact: Nicole Kedaroe
404.873.5811
education@atlantaballet.com
atlantaballet.com
Audition dates: Jan 17 (San Francisco, CA), Jan 24 (Houston, TX), Jan 31 (Chicago, IL), Feb 7 & Mar 20 (Atlanta, GA), Feb 20 (New York, NY), Feb 28 (Miami, FL)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, contemporary, improvisation, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $30
Videos accepted
Atlantic City Ballet (P)
AC Ballet's International Trainee/Apprentice Program (T)
Atlantic City, NJ
Contact: Alexandria Pieroni
609.348.7201
info@acballet.org
acballet.org
Audition dates: TBD (London, UK; New York, NY; Rome, Italy)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe, (P) partnering
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $30
Videos accepted
BalaSole Dance Company (P)
New York, NY
Contact: Roberto Villanueva
212.252.2462
info@balasoledance.org
balasoledance.org
Audition dates: TBD (New York, NY)
Styles: all genres, including ballet, ethnic, jazz, modern, musical theater, tap
Audition includes: all genres, including ballet, jazz, modern, pointe, tap; prepared solo
Pre-apply
Ballet 5:8 (P/T)
Frankfort, IL
Contact: Amy Sanderson
312.725.4752
info@ballet58.org
ballet58.org
Audition dates: by appointment (Frankfort, IL)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, interview
Bring: completed application, dance photo, headshot, resumé, $30
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Ballet 180 (P/T)
Paoli, PA
Contact: Kelly Murray Farrell
484.639.9571
info@ballet180.org
ballet180.org
Audition date: May 7 (Paoli, PA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern, pointe
Bring: headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Ballet Academy East (T)
New York, NY
Contact: Julia Dubno
212.410.9140
info@baenyc.com
balletacademyeast.com
Audition date: May 14 (New York, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, $20
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Ballet Arizona (P/T)
Phoenix, AZ
Contact: Laura Cadieux
602.343.6518
lcadieux@balletaz.org
balletaz.org
Audition dates: TBD (Phoenix, AZ)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Videos accepted
Ballet Arkansas (P)
Little Rock, AR
Contact: Erin Anson Ellis
501.223.5150
info@balletarkansas.org
balletarkansas.org
Audition date: Mar 19 (Little Rock, AR)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20
Videos accepted
Ballet Austin (P)
Austin, TX
Contact: Eugene Alvarez
512.476.9151 x128
eugene.alvarez@balletaustin.org
balletaustin.org
Audition dates: Feb 13 & Apr 2 (Austin, TX), Mar 5 (San Francisco, CA), Mar 13 (Chicago, IL), Mar 20 (New York, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, resumé, $25
Ballet Fantastique (P/T)
Eugene, OR
Contact: Hannah Bontrager
541.342.4611
info@balletfantastique.org
balletfantastique.org
Audition dates: ongoing (Eugene, OR)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, interview, modern, partnering, pointe, prepared solo
Bring: audition form, dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Ballet Long Island (P/T)
Ronkonkoma, NY
Contact: Mary Elken Ransom
631.737.1964
balletlongisland@aol.com
balletlongisland.com
Audition dates: Mar 2 & Oct 5 (Ronkonkoma, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Ballet Memphis (P)
Memphis, TN
Contact: Tamara Hoffmann
901.737.7322
auditions@balletmemphis.org
balletmemphis.org
Audition dates: Feb 29 (San Francisco, CA), by appointment (Memphis, TN)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, class, modern
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Ballet Nebraska (P)
Omaha, NE
Contact: Matthew Carter
402.905.0831
audition@balletnebraska.org
balletnebraska.org
Audition dates: Mar 11 & Apr 5 (Omaha, NE)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe, repertoire
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Ballet Quad Cities (P)
Rock Island, IL
Contact: Courtney Lyon
309.786.3779
clyonballetqc@mediacombb.net
balletquadcities.com
Audition dates: Mar 12 (Chicago, IL), ongoing (Rock Island, IL)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, Ballet Quad Cities' repertoire, interview, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20
Ballet San Antonio (P/T)
San Antonio, TX
Contact: Danielle Campbell Steans
210.404.9641
auditions@balletsanantonio.org
balletsanantonio.org
Audition dates: TBD (San Antonio, TX)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $30
Ballet Theatre of Maryland (P/T)
Annapolis, MD
Contact: Dianna Cuatto
410.224.5644
dckessler@comcast.net, btmmgr@balletmaryland.org
balletmaryland.org
Audition dates: Mar 6 & 13; or by appointment, Jan 18–Apr 10 (all Annapolis, MD)
Styles: ballet, character dance, jazz, modern, musical theater, tap
Audition includes: ballet, BTM repertoire (including character dance, jazz, modern, musical theater), interview, partnering, pointe
Bring: 3 references, dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Pre-apply
Ballet West (P)
Salt Lake City, UT
Contact: Heather Thackeray
hthackeray@balletwest.org
balletwest.org
Audition dates: TBD (Salt Lake City, UT)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
BalletMet (T)
Columbus, OH
Contact: Lynette Shy
614.586.8660
lshy@balletmet.org
balletmet.org
Audition dates: Feb 6 (Richmond, VA), Feb 13 (Detroit, MI), Feb 14 (Chicago, IL; Grand Rapids, MI), Feb 21 (Columbus, OH; Nashville, TN), Feb 28 (New York, NY), Mar 5 (Cincinnati, OH; Pittsburgh, PA)
Style: ballet
Bring: $25
Videos accepted
Ballets with a Twist (P)
New York, NY
212.732.1813
info@balletswithatwist.com
balletswithatwist.com
Audition dates: submit materials, by invitation (New York, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, video if available
Pre-apply
BalletX (P)
Philadelphia, PA
Contact: Tara Keating
215.893.9456
info@balletx.org
balletx.org
Audition dates: Feb 28 (Philadelphia, PA), Mar 13 (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $15
Pre-apply
BANDALOOP (P)
Oakland, CA
Contact: Krystal Harfert
415.421.5667
info@bandaloop.org
bandaloop.org
Audition date: Feb 20 (Oakland, CA)
Style: modern
Audition includes: modern
Pre-apply
Boca Ballet Theatre (P)
Boca Raton, FL
Contact: Dan Guin
561.995.0709
dan@bocaballet.org
bocaballet.org
Audition dates: by appointment (Boca Raton, FL)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, jazz, modern, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
BODYTRAFFIC (P/T)
Los Angeles, CA
Contact: Lillian Barbeito
310.923.2766
lillian@bodytraffic.com
bodytraffic.com
Audition dates: TBD (Los Angeles, CA)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, modern, partnering, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, video links
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Bossov Ballet Theatre (T)
Pittsfield, ME
Contact: Jennifer Beane
207.487.5915
bossovballet@mci-school.org
mci-school.org/ballet
Audition dates: TBD (Pittsfield, ME; Syracuse, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $30
Videos accepted
Boston Ballet School Pre-Professional Program (T)
Boston Ballet
Boston, MA
Contact: Kelly Kerrigan
617.456.6260
kkerrigan@bostonballet.org
bostonballet.org/school
Audition dates: Feb 20 & Apr 23 (Boston, MA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: $30
Pre-apply
Broadway Dance Center (T)
Professional Semester
New York, NY
Contact: Bonnie Erickson
212.582.9304 x80
prosemester@bwydance.com
broadwaydancecenter.com
Audition dates: Apr 17 (New York, NY), TBD (Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA)
Styles: ballet, hip hop, jazz, musical theater, tap
Audition includes: ballet, hip hop, jazz
Bring: headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
BrockusRED (P)
Brockus Project Dance
Los Angeles, CA
Contact: Charlotte Smith
562.412.7429
db@brockusred.org
brockusred.org
Audition dates: TBD (Los Angeles, CA)
Styles: jazz, modern
Audition includes: improvisation, interview, jazz, modern, partnering, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Brockus—Bridges (T)
Contact: Kia Hazelwood
562.412.7429
brockus@earthlink.net
bridgesla.org
Audition dates: TBD (Los Angeles, CA)
Styles: jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, interview, jazz, modern, partnering, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Carolina Ballet, Inc. (P)
Raleigh, NC
Contact: Elizabeth Parker
919.719.0800
elizabethparker@carolinaballet.com
carolinaballet.com
Audition dates: by invitation (Raleigh, SC)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, video of performance
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Cary Ballet Conservatory (T)
Cary Ballet Company
Cary, NC
Contact: Mariaelena Ruiz
919.481.6509
director@caryballet.com
caryballet.com
Audition dates: TBD (Cary, NC)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, $20
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Charleston Ballet Theatre Center for Dance Education (P/T)
Coastal Ballet USA
Mount Pleasant, SC
Contact: Jill Eathorne Bahr
843.469.2080
j.eathorne.bahr@gmail.com
charlestonballet.com
Audition dates: TBD (Mount Pleasant, SC)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Videos accepted
Charlotte Ballet (P/T)
Charlotte, NC
Contact: Ruth Gibbs
704.414.2770
rgibbs@charlotteballet.org
charlotteballet.org
Audition dates: Jan 16 (Buffalo, NY), Jan 23 (Chicago, IL; New York, NY), Jan 24 (Washington, DC), Jan 30 (Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA), Jan 31 (Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Pittsburgh, PA), Feb 7 (Raleigh, NC)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, $35
Videos accepted
Charlottesville Ballet (P/T)
Charlottesville, VA
Contact: Caitlin Lennon
434.973.2555
clennon@charlottesvilleballet.org
charlottesvilleballet.org
Audition date: Feb 21 (Charlottesville, VA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, modern, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
ChrisMastersDance (P)
Brooklyn, NY
516.986.8839
contact@chrismastersdance.org
chrismastersdance.org
Audition dates: TBD (New York, NY)
Style: modern
Audition includes: improvisation, modern, partnering
Bring: resumé
Pre-apply
Cincinnati Ballet (P/T)
Cincinnati, OH
Contact: Beth Snyder
513.562.1139
bsnyder@cballet.org
cballet.org
Audition dates: Feb 7 (Houston, TX), Feb 22 (San Francisco, CA), Feb 27 (Boston, MA), Feb 28 (New York, NY), Mar 6 (Cincinnati, OH)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, video highly recommended, $25 or $35 by video
Videos accepted
City Ballet of San Diego (P)
San Diego, CA
Contact: Jo Anne Emery
858.274.6058
info@cityballet.org
cityballet.org
Audition dates: Jan–Apr (San Diego, CA)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, letter of recommendation from current director, resumé
Videos accepted
ClancyWorks Dance Company (P/T)
Silver Spring, MD
Contact: Dr. Adrienne Clancy
301.717.9271
info@clancyworks.org
clancyworks.org
Audition dates: Jun 6–10 (Washington, DC)
Style: modern
Audition includes: modern
Bring: cover letter, resumé
Pre-apply
Cleveland Ballet (P)
School of Cleveland Ballet (T)
Bedford Heights, OH
Contact: Grace Day
216.320.9000
grace@clevelandballet.org
clevelandballet.org
Audition dates: Feb 6 (Pittsburgh, PA), Feb 27 (Cleveland, OH), Mar 13 (Grand Rapids, MI), TBD (Chicago, IL)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Videos accepted
Colorado Ballet (P/T)
Denver, CO
Contact: Brandi Glass
303.339.1631
brandi.glass@coloradoballet.org
coloradoballet.org
Audition dates: Jan 31 (New York, NY), Feb 7 (Denver, CO)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $35
Videos accepted
CoreDance Contemporary (P)
New York, NY
Contact: Rebecca McCormac
347.545.2813
coredancecontemporary@yahoo.com
coredancecontemp.wix.com/dance-company
Audition dates: TBD (New York, NY)
Style: modern
Audition includes: improvisation, interview, modern, partnering
Bring: headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Dallas Black Dance Theatre (P)
Dallas, TX
Contact: Melissa M. Young
214.871.2376
m.young@dbdt.com
dbdt.com
Audition date: Jul 9 (Dallas, TX)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern, repertoire
Bring: application, dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20
Pre-apply
The Dance Institute of Washington (T)
Washington Reflections
Washington, DC
Contact: Ashante Green
202.371.9656
info@danceinstitute.org
danceinstitute.org
Audition dates: Jul 23 & 24 (Washington, DC)
Styles: ballet, hip hop, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: headshot
Videos accepted
Dance Kaleidoscope (T)
Indianapolis, IN
Contact: David Hochoy
317.345.3543
davidhochoy@aol.com
dancekal.org
Audition dates: TBD (Indianapolis, IN)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Dance Theatre of Harlem School (T)
New York, NY
Contact: Kenya Massey-Rodriguez
212.690.2800
krodriguez@dancetheatreofharlem.org
dancetheatreofharlem.org
Audition dates: Mar 6, Jun 4, Aug 20 (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, ethnic, hip hop, jazz, modern, musical theater, tap, West African
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: $10
Videos accepted
Dance Visions NY (P/T)
Great Neck, NY
Contact: Beth Jucovy
516.482.2621
dancevisions.ny@gmail.com
dancevisionsny.org
Audition dates: TBD (Great Neck, NY)
Styles: ballet, Duncan dance, modern
Audition includes: ballet, Duncan dance, improvisation, interview, modern, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Dark Circles Contemporary Dance (P)
Dallas, TX
info@darkcirclesdanceusa.com
darkcirclescontemporarydance.com
Audition date: Mar 13 (Dallas, TX)
Styles: ballet, b-boying, modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, interview, repertoire
Bring: headshot, resumé, $20
Pre-apply
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (P/T)
Dayton, OH
Contact: Ayn Wood
937.228.3232 x115
ayn@dcdc.org
dcdc.org
Audition date: Apr 29 (Dayton, OH)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, interview, jazz, modern, partnering, repertory
Bring: ballet & jazz shoes, dance photo, full-body shot, headshot, resumé, $20 (nonrefundable)
DDCdances (P)
Farmington Hills, MI
Contact: Barbara Selinger
810.444.4553
barb@ddcdances.org
ddcdances.org
Audition dates: Jun (Detroit, MI)
Style: modern
Audition includes: improvisation, interview, modern, partnering
Bring: dance photo, headshot, letter of recommendation, resumé
Pre-apply
DIAVOLO Architecture In Motion (P)
Los Angeles, CA
Contact: Dusty Alvarado
323.225.4290
dusty@diavolo.org
diavolo.org
Audition dates: TBD (Los Angeles, CA; company tour cities)
Styles: acrobatics, modern
Audition includes: improvisation, interview, modern, partnering, strength test
Bring: headshot, knee pads, resumé
Pre-apply
Donna Sternberg & Dancers (P)
Santa Monica, CA
Contact: Donna Sternberg
310.260.1198
contact@dsdancers.com
dsdancers.com
Audition dates: TBD (Los Angeles, CA)
Style: modern
Audition includes: improvisation, modern
Bring: headshot, resumé
Ellison Ballet (T)
New York, NY
Contact: Diane di Stasio
646.385.8485
info@ellisonballet.org
ellisonballet.org
Audition dates: Jan 24 (Boca Raton, FL), Jan 30 (Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL), Jan 31 (Indianapolis, IN; Washington, DC), Feb 6 (Oklahoma City, OK), Feb 7 (Boston, MA; Dallas & Houston, TX), Feb 14 (New York, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, men's technique, pointe
Bring: dance photo, $35
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Eugene Ballet Company (P/T)
Eugene, OR
Contact: Jennifer Martin
541.485.3992
jennifer@eugeneballet.org
eugeneballet.org
Audition dates: Feb 28 (Eugene, OR), Mar 5 (New York, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: headshot, resumé, $20
Felice Lesser Dance Theater (P)
New York, NY
Contact: Felice Lesser
fldtny@aol.com
fldt.org
Audition dates: TBD (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: acting (if role demands it), ballet, improvisation, interview, modern, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Festival Ballet Providence (P/T)
Providence, RI
Contact: Marissa Parmenter
401.353.1129
auditions@festivalballetprovidence.org
festivalballetprovidence.org
Audition date: Mar 20 (Providence, RI)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, fee TBD
Videos accepted
Festival Ballet Theatre (P)
Fountain Valley, CA
Contact: Elizabeth Farmen
714.962.5440
info@festivalballet.org
festivalballet.org
Audition dates: TBD (Fountain Valley, CA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Fort Wayne Ballet (P/T)
Fort Wayne, IN
Contact: Lauren Slocum
260.484.9646
lslocum@fortwayneballet.org
fortwayneballet.org
Audition dates: Jan 16 (Chicago, IL), Jan 17 (Carmel, IN), Jan 23 (Columbus, OH; Gilbert, AZ), Jan 30 & Feb 15–20 (Fort Wayne, IN)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, interview, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20
Videos accepted
Frequent Flyers Productions (T)
Boulder, CO
Contact: Valerie Morris
303.245.8272
valerie@frequentflyers.org
frequentflyers.org
Audition dates: Jan 24, Jun 5, Jul 31 (Boulder, CO)
Audition includes: aerial dance class (horizontal & vertical apparatus), interview, modern, prepared solo, strength & flexibility requirements
Bring: resumé, $75
Pre-apply
The Georgia Ballet (P/T)
Marietta, GA
Contact: Kaitlyn Pack
770.528.0881
kpack@georgiaballet
georgiaballet.org
Audition date: Feb 6 (Marietta, GA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, video links, $25
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Giordano Dance Chicago (P/T)
Chicago, IL
Contact: Sarina Combs
312.922.1332
sarinacombs@giordanodance.org
giordanodance.org
Audition dates (P): Jan 18 (New York, NY), Jan 31 (Chicago, IL)
Audition date (T): Jun 12 (Chicago, IL)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern, musical theater
Audition includes: ballet, jazz
Bring: ballet & jazz shoes, headshot, references, resumé, $10 cash
Gleich Dances (P)
Norte Maar
Brooklyn, NY
Contact: Jason Andrew
646.361.8512
gleichdances@gmail.com
gleichdances.org
Audition dates: TBD (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern, partnering, pointe
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Gwinnett Ballet Theatre (P/T)
Lawrenceville, GA
Contact: Whitney Snuggs
770.237.0046
gbt78@bellsouth.net
gwinnettballet.org
Audition dates: TBD (Atlanta, GA)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, partnering
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
H+ | The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory (T)
New York, NY
Contact: Yvonne H. Chow
800.697.4698
admissions@hdcny.org
hdcny.org
Audition date: Mar 19 (New York, NY)
Styles: hip hop (popping, locking, boogaloo, breaking, rocking, party dance)
Audition includes: improvisation, interview
Bring: $25
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
The HARID Conservatory (T)
Boca Raton, FL
Contact: Janet Trivino
561.997.2677
info@harid.edu
harid.edu/auditions
Audition dates: Jan 17 (Pittsburgh, PA), Jan 22 (Washington, DC), Jan 23 (New York, NY), Jan 24 (Brookline, MA), Jan 29 (Houston, TX), Jan 30 (Boca Raton, FL; Charlotte, SC; Orlando, FL), Jan 31 (Atlanta, GA; Tampa, FL), Feb 5 (Coppell, TX), Feb 6 (Tulsa, OK), Feb 7 (Denver, CO)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, $25
Videos accepted
Hawaii State Ballet (T)
Honolulu, HI
Contact: Gina Surles
808.947.2755
info@hawaiistateballet.com
hawaiistateballet.com
Audition dates: Jun (Honolulu, HI)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo
Videos accepted
Honolulu Dance Studio (T)
Honolulu Dance Company
Honolulu, HI
Contact: Catherine Izumi
808.524.8455
honoluludanceproductions@gmail.com
honoluludanceco.com
Audition date: Dec 3 (Honolulu, HI)
Styles: ballet, hip hop, jazz, modern, tumbling
Audition includes: ballet, hip hop, improvisation, interview, jazz, modern, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Houston Ballet (P)
Houston, TX
companyauditions@houstonballet.org
houstonballet.org
Audition dates: Feb 7 (New York, NY), Feb 14 (San Francisco, CA), Mar 13 (Houston, TX)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Academy/Pre-Professional Program (T)
hbacademy@houstonballet.org
Audition date: May 23 (Houston, TX)
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, $35 in advance or $40 on site
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (P)
Chicago, IL
Contact: Marisa Santiago
312.850.9744
msantiago@hubbardstreetdance.com
hubbardstreetdance.com
Audition dates: TBD (Chicago, IL)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, repertoire
Bring: headshot, resumé, $20
Pre-apply
Inaside Chicago Dance (P)
Chicago, IL
Contact: Ashley Deran
773.296.4909
info@inaside.org
inaside.org
Audition date: Mar 12 (Chicago, IL)
Styles: jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, jazz
Bring: headshot, resumé, $10
Indianapolis School of Ballet (T)
Indianapolis Ballet, Inc.
Indianapolis, IN
Contact: Kara Hooley
317.955.7525
khooley@indyballet.org
indyballet.org
Audition dates: Jan 18 (Detroit, MI), Jan 30 (Chicago, IL), Feb 7 (Indianapolis, IN), Feb 13 (Miami, FL), Feb 19 (Springboro, OH), Feb 20 (Cincinnati, OH), Feb 21 (Bloomington, IN)
Styles: ballet, tap
Audition includes: ballet, tap
Bring: dance photo, headshot, ladies bring pointe shoes, $30
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Interweave Dance Theatre (T)
Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop
Boulder, CO
Contact: Lara Branen
707.322.6217
lara@bjdw.net
interweavedancetheatre.org
Audition dates: Jul 22 & 23 (Boulder, CO)
Styles: jazz, modern
Audition includes: enrollment in designated classes, improvisation, jazz, modern
Bring: headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation (P/T)
New York, NY
212.691.5040
info@isadoraduncan.org
isadoraduncan.org
Audition dates: TBD (New York, NY)
Style: modern
Audition includes: modern
Bring: headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Joffrey Ballet School (T)
New York, NY
888.438.3808
joffrey@joffreyballetschool.com
joffreyballetschool.com
Audition dates: Jan 16 (Interlochen, MI), Jan 16–17 (San Francisco, CA), Jan 17 (Camarillo, CA; New York, NY), Feb 7 & 14, Mar 6 (New York, NY), Feb 27 (Fisher, IN), Feb 28 (Tampa, FL), Mar 5–6 (Folsom, CA)
Styles: ballet, hip hop, jazz, musical theater
Audition includes: ballet, jazz, musical theater, prepared solo
Bring: $40
Videos accepted
Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre/Sean McLeod Dance Experience (P/T)
New York Institute of Dance and Education
New York, NY
Contact: Hana Ginsburg Tirosh
hana.ginsburg@gmail.com
kaleidoscopedancetheatre.com
Audition dates: Feb 6 & May 28 (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, ethnic, jazz, modern, musical theater
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, jazz, modern
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Kansas City Ballet (P/T)
Kansas City, MO
Contact: Victoria Frank
816.931.2232
vfrank@kcballet.org
kcballet.org
Audition dates: Mar 5 (Boston, MA), Mar 13 (New York, NY), TBD (Houston, TX; Kansas City, MO; San Francisco, CA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Kim Robards Dance (P)
Aurora, CO
Contact: LaRana Skalicky
303.825.4847
info@kimrobardsdance.org
kimrobardsdance.org
Audition dates: TBD (Denver, CO)
Style: modern
Audition includes: interview, modern, Robards repertoire
Bring: 3 letters of recommendation, dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Videos accepted
Koltun Ballet Academy (T)
Watertown, MA
Contact: Alexandra Koltun
617.901.3792
info@koltunballetacademy.com
koltunballetacademy.com
Audition date: Feb 13 (Watertown, MA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, $30
Videos accepted
Koresh Youth Ensemble (T)
Koresh Dance Company
Philadelphia, PA
Contact: Sarah Braviak
215.751.0959
school@koreshdance.org
koreshdance.org
Audition date: Aug 28 (Philadelphia, PA)
Styles: jazz, modern
Audition includes: improvisation, jazz, modern
Bring: headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
The Lively Foundation (P)
Mountain View, CA
Contact: Leslie Friedman
650.969.4110
livelyfoundation@sbcglobal.net
livelyfoundation.org
Audition dates: by appointment (Mountain View, CA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, interview, modern, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Los Angeles Ballet (P/T)
Los Angeles, CA
Contact: Lia Metz
lmetz@losangelesballet.org
losangelesballet.org
Audition dates: Feb 28 (Los Angeles, CA), Mar 5 (New York, NY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $30
Louisville Ballet (P/T)
Louisville, KY
Contact: Sara Wheeldon
502.583.3150
info@louisvilleballet.org
louisvilleballet.org
Audition date: Mar 6 (Louisville, KY)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Pre-apply
Madison Ballet (P/T)
Madison, WI
Contact: Alyssa Gunsolus
608.278.7990
info@madisonballet.org
madisonballet.org
Audition dates: TBD (Madison, WI)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
MamLuft&Co. Dance (P)
Cincinnati, OH
Contact: Jeanne Mam-Luft
513.494.6526
dance@mamluftcodance.org
mamluftcodance.org
Audition dates: Jun 6 & 7 (Cincinnati, OH)
Style: modern
Audition includes: improvisation, interview, modern, partnering
Bring: headshot, resumé, $20
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Martha Graham Dance Company (P)
Martha Graham School (T)
New York, NY
Contact: Tadej Brdnik
212.229.9200 x20
tbrdnik@marthagraham.org
marthagraham.org
Audition dates (P): May 14–15 (New York, NY)
Audition date (T): Jul 16 (New York, NY)
Style: modern
Audition includes: modern, partnering
Bring: headshot, resumé, $25 (P), $20 (T)
METdance (P/T)
METdance Company
Houston, TX
Contact: Marlana Doyle
713.522.6375
info@metdance.org
metdance.org
Audition dates: Jan 18 (New York, NY), Feb 20 (Houston, TX)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, jazz, modern, partnering, repertoire
Bring: headshot, resumé, $10
Videos accepted
Miami City Ballet School (T)
Miami City Ballet
Miami Beach, FL
Contact: Christina Soto
305.929.7007
school@miamicityballet.org
miamicityballet.org/school
Audition dates: spring/summer & ongoing (Miami Beach, FL)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, $25
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Michael Mao Dance (P/T)
New York, NY
Contact: Michael Mao
michael@michaelmaodance.org
michaelmaodance.org
Audition dates: by appointment (New York, NY)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ability to understand/take verbal directions, ballet, interview, modern, partnering
Bring: headshot, proof of working papers, resumé
Pre-apply
Michigan Ballet Academy (T)
Grand Rapids, MI
Contact: Joanne Jaglowski
616.710.1666
administrator@michiganballet.org
michiganballet.org
Audition dates: video auditions only, no later than Mar 30
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo
Videos accepted
Minnesota Ballet (P)
Duluth, MN
Contact: Robert Gardner
218.529.3742
balletmaster@minnesotaballet.org
minnesotaballet.org
Audition dates: Apr 9 (Chicago, IL), Apr 16 (Minneapolis, MN)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, video if possible, $15
Pre-apply
Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts (T)
Affiliate of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN
Contact: Jamie Schwaba
507.453.5500
jschwaba@smumn.edu
mnconservatoryforthearts.org
Audition dates: Aug (Winona, MN)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo
Missouri Contemporary Ballet (P/T)
Columbia, MO
Contact: Monique I. Jones
573.219.7134
info@missouricontemporaryballet.com
missouricontemporaryballet.com
Audition dates: Feb 28 (Kansas City, MO), Apr 3 (Columbia, MO)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, interview, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Videos accepted
Nashville Ballet (T)
Nashville, TN
615.297.2966
summer@nashvilleballet.com
nashvilleballet.com
Audition dates: Feb 6 (Columbus, OH; Tampa, FL), Feb 7 (Carmel, IN; Washington, DC), Feb 20 & Mar 3–6 (Pittsburgh, PA), Feb 21 (Dallas, TX), Feb 28 (Nashville, TN), Mar 6 (Madison, AL)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20 online or $30 on site
Videos accepted
Next Generation Ballet (T)
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Tampa, FL
Contact: Claire Florio
813.222.1263
danceprogram@strazcenter.org
nextgenerationballet.org
Audition dates: TBD (Tampa, FL)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern, tap
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Videos accepted
Nickerson-Rossi Dance (P/T)
Signal Hill, CA
michael@nickersonrossidance.com
nickersonrossidance.com
Audition dates: Apr (Long Beach, CA; Philadelphia, PA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, interview, modern, partnering
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Nritya Creations Academy of Dance (P/T)
Morganville, NJ
Contact: Meena Basu Nag
732.598.7079
info@nrityacreations.com
nrityacreations.com
Audition dates: by appointment (Cherry Hill, Edison & Marlboro, NJ; New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, bharata natyam, Bollywood, ethnic, fusion, jazz, kathak, modern
Audition includes: improvisation, interview, modern, prepared solo
Bring: resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
NW Dance Project (P)
Portland, OR
Contact: Caitlin Warren
info@nwdanceproject.org
nwdanceproject.org
Audition dates: Jan 23 (Salt Lake City, UT), Jan 24 (San Francisco, CA), Jan 31 (New York, NY), Feb 6 (Chicago, IL)
Styles: ballet, modern, original creation
Audition includes: ballet, contemporary
Bring: application, dance photo, headshot, resumé, $30
Odyssey Dance Theatre (P/T)
Highland, UT
801.495.3262
avanalstyne@odysseydance.com
odysseydance.com
Audition dates: TBD (Highland, UT)
Styles: ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap
Audition includes: ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Oklahoma City Ballet (P)
Oklahoma City, OK
Contact: Lynna Schneider
405.843.9898
lschneider@okcballet.com
okcballet.com
Audition dates: Feb 7 (New York, NY), Feb 14 (Chicago, IL), Feb 21 (San Francisco, CA), Mar 20 (Oklahoma City, OK)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Olympic Ballet Theatre & School (T)
Edmonds, WA
Contact: Oleg Gorboulev
425.774.7570
oleg@olympicballet.com
olympicballet.com
Audition dates: TBD (Edmonds, WA)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $30
Videos accepted
Orlando Ballet (P/T)
Orlando, FL
Contact: Tamatha Perryman
407.418.9823
tperryman@orlandoballet.org
orlandoballet.org
Audition dates: Feb 14 (New York, NY), Mar 13 (Orlando, FL)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $35 pre-registration or $40 day of audition
Pacifico Dance Company (T)
Culver City, CA
Contact: Adriana Gainey
310.721.5640
bfdpacifico@aol.com
pacificodance.com
Audition dates: TBD (Los Angeles, CA)
Audition includes: ballet, Mexican folk dance, partnering
Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Society (T)
Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet
Narberth, PA
Contact: Melinda Pendleton
610.664.3455
pab29@verizon.net
paacademyofballet.com
Audition dates: call to schedule (Narberth, PA)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Pennsylvania Classical Ballet (P/T)
Easton, PA
Contact: Yu Hong
610.440.0958
info@paclassicalballet.org
paclassicalballet.org
Audition dates: TBD (Easton, PA)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Peridance Capezio Center (T)
New York, NY
212.505.0886
info@peridance.com
peridance.com
Audition dates: Jan 31 (Kansas City, MO), Feb 7 (New York, NY), Feb 19 (Los Angeles, CA), Feb 21 (San Francisco, CA), Feb 27 (Seattle, WA), Mar 12 (Denver, CO), Mar 26 (Atlanta, GA), Apr 2 (Miami, FL)
Styles: ballet, composition, improvisation, jazz, modern, musical theater, tap
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, modern, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $25
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
The PGK Project, Inc. (P/T)
The PGK Dance Project
San Diego, CA
Contact: Peter G. Kalivas
619.886.7924
admin@thepgkproject.org
thepgkdanceproject.org
Audition dates: ongoing (San Diego, CA)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ballet, interview, modern, partnering, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Philadanco (T)
Philadelphia Dance Company
Philadelphia, PA
Contact: Joan Myers Brown
215.387.8200
jmb@philadanco.org
philadanco.org
Audition date: Jun 12 (Philadelphia, PA)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern, repertory
Bring: headshot, resumé, $20
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (P/T)
Pittsburgh, PA
Contact: Bob Vickrey
412.281.0360
companyauditions@pittsburghballet.org
pbt.org
Audition date: Mar 19 (Pittsburgh, PA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Premiere Division (T)
New York, NY
Contact: Nadege Hottier
718.635.1060
info@premieredivision.org
premieredivision.org
Audition dates: TBD (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $30
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Rochester City Ballet (P)
Rochester, NY
Contact: Beth Bartholomew
585.461.5850
bbartholomew@rochestercityballet.org
rochestercityballet.org
Audition date: Apr 3 (Rochester, NY)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Roxey Ballet (P/T)
Mill Ballet School
Lambertville, NJ
Contact: Mark Roxey
609.397.7616
info@roxeyballet.org
roxeyballet.org
Audition date: Apr 16 (Lambertville, NJ)
Styles: ballet, ethnic, jazz, modern, musical theater
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, interview, jazz, modern, partnering, pointe, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, send video link, $20
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Saint Louis Ballet (P/T)
Chesterfield, MO
Contact: Jennifer Warren
636.537.1998
jenwarren@stlouisballet.org
stlouisballet.org
Audition dates: TBD (Chesterfield, MO)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $15
Pre-apply
San Francisco Conservatory of Dance (T)
San Francisco, CA
Contact: Lanny Berenson
415.602.0845
lanny@sfconservatoryofdance.org
sfconservatoryofdance.org
Audition dates: Jan 29 (Miami, FL), Jan 31 & Feb 20 (New York, NY), Feb 6 (Minneapolis, MN; Saint Paul, MN), Feb 8 & 27, Mar 26 (San Francisco, CA), Feb 13 (Dallas, TX), Feb 17 (Pittsburgh, PA), Feb 23 (Long Beach, CA)
Styles: ballet, Gaga, modern, William Forsythe's Improvisational Technologies
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: $35
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
San Jose Dance Theatre (T)
Santa Clara, CA
Contact: Linda Hurkmans
408.286.9905
godance@sjdt.org
sjdt.org
Audition dates: TBD (San Jose, CA)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
The Sarasota Ballet (P)
Sarasota, FL
Contact: Barbara Epperson
941.225.6509
bepperson@sarasotaballet.org
sarasotaballet.org
Audition dates: Feb 13 (New York, NY), Mar 13 (Sarasota, FL)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, interview, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20
Pre-apply
Sarasota Contemporary Dance (P/T)
Sarasota, FL
Contact: Leymis Bolaños Wilmott
941.345.5755
info@sarasotacontemporarydance.org
sarasotacontemporarydance.org
Audition date: Mar 19 (Sarasota, FL)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, modern
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
The School of Russian American Ballet (T)
Brighton Ballet Theater Co., Inc.
Brooklyn, NY
Contact: Vladimir Lepisko
718.769.9161
info@brightonballet.org
brightonballet.org
Audition dates: TBD (Brooklyn, NY)
Styles: ballet, character dance, ethnic, jazz, modern, musical theater
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, interview, jazz, modern, partnering, pointe, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
SIDEWAYS Contemporary Dance Company (P)
Roswell, GA
Contact: Charlotte Foster Williamson
404.955.7232
charlotte@sidewaysdance.com
sidewaysdance.org
Audition dates: TBD (Roswell, GA)
Styles: jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, interview, modern, prepared solo
Bring: headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Silicon Valley Ballet School (T)
Silicon Valley Ballet
San Jose, CA
408.288.2820 x223
school@siliconvalleyballet.org
siliconvalleyballet.org
Audition dates: TBD (San Jose, CA)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $35
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
South Carolina Ballet (P)
Columbia, SC
Contact: Jason Cobb
803.799.7605
jcobb@columbiacityballet.com
columbiacityballet.com
Audition date: Mar 12 (Columbia, SC)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, interview, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
South Shore Ballet Theatre (T)
Hanover, MA
Contact: Shannon Quinn
781.312.7224
ballet@southshoreballettheatre.com
southshoreballettheatre.com
Audition dates: TBD (Hanover, MA)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo
Videos accepted
SpectorDance (P)
Marina, CA
Contact: Fran Spector Atkins
831.601.8510
spectordance@earthlink.net
spectordance.org
Audition dates: until Mar 31 (Marina, CA)
Styles: ballet, fusion, modern, musical theater, physical theater, tap
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, interview, modern, partnering, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Spectrum Dance Theater (P)
Seattle, WA
Contact: Shirley Wong
206.325.4161
staff@spectrumdance.org
spectrumdance.org
Audition date: Jul 30 (Seattle, WA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20
Pre-apply
St. Paul Ballet (P/T)
Saint Paul, MN
Contact: Zoé Henrot
651.690.1588
info@spballet.org
spballet.org
Audition date: Feb 19 (Saint Paul, MN)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, contemporary, interview, modern, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
State Street Ballet (P/T)
Santa Barbara, CA
Contact: Denise Grimm
805.845.1432
contact@statestreetballet.com
statestreetballet.com
Audition dates: Jan 16 (Albuquerque, NM), Jan 17 (Denver, CO), Jan 18 (Phoenix, AZ), Jan 23 (Los Angeles, CA), Jan 30 (Seattle, WA), Jan 31 (Portland, OR), Feb 13 (Santa Barbara & San Diego, CA), Feb 28 (New York, NY), Mar 5 (San Francisco, CA)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20
Videos accepted
Steps on Broadway (T)
Steps Conservatory Program
New York, NY
Contact: Mindy Upin Jackson
212.874.2410
mindy@stepsnyc.com
stepsnyc.com
Audition dates: Mar 19 & Jun 19 (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern, musical theater
Audition includes: ballet, jazz, modern, prepared solo, theater dance
Bring: $50 domestic, $250 international students
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Steps Repertory Ensemble (P)
Steps Beyond Foundation
Contact: Bradley Shelver
212.874.2410 x126
bradley@stepsnyc.com
Audition dates: TBD (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern, partnering, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $15
Pre-apply
The School at Steps (T)
Pre-Professional Program
Contact: Amanda Gomez
212.874.3678
amandag@stepsnyc.com
stepsnyc.com/school
Audition dates: Apr 4–8 (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern, musical theater, Pilates, stretch, tap
Audition includes: ballet, jazz, modern, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, $35
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Störling Dance Theater (P/T)
Olathe, KS
Contact: Mona Störling-Enna
913.393.3141
mona@culturehouse.com
storlingdance.org
Audition date: Mar 12 (Olathe, KS)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Tapestry Dance Company (P/T)
Austin, TX
Contact: Etta Sanders
512.474.9846
dance@tapestry.org
tapestry.org
Audition date: Jun 9 (Austin, TX)
Style: tap
Audition includes: improvisation, tap
Bring: headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
Thodos Dance Chicago (P)
Chicago, IL
Contact: Kate Weatherly
312.266.6255
kate.weatherly@thodosdancechicago.org
thodosdancechicago.org
Audition dates: Mar 12 & Jun 11 (Chicago, IL)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, partnering, prepared solo, repertory
Bring: headshot, resumé, $15
TU Dance (P/T)
Saint Paul, MN
Contact: Abdo Sayegh Rodriguez
612.605.1925
info@tudance.org
tudance.org
Audition date: Apr 10 (Saint Paul, MN)
Style: modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, modern
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Tulsa Ballet (P)
Tulsa, OK
Contact: Dallas Blagg
918.749.6030
companymanager@tulsaballet.org
tulsaballet.org
Audition dates: Feb 25 (Tel Aviv, Israel), Feb 27 (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Feb 28 (London, UK), Feb 29 (Rome, Italy), Mar 2 (Bucharest, Romania), Mar 6 (New York, NY)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $20
Pre-apply
Tulsa Ballet II (T)
Contact: Colleen Lahti
918.749.6030
colleen.lahti@tulsaballet.org
Audition dates: Jan 16 & Feb 27 (Tulsa, OK), Jan 17 (Houston, TX), Jan 24 (Deerpark, IL), Jan 31 (Fort Worth, TX), Feb 6 (Philadelphia, PA), Feb 7 (Kansas City, MO), Feb 14 (Columbus, OH)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, TBII audition form, $20
Videos accepted
Verb Ballets (P)
Shaker Heights, OH
Contact: Richard Dickinson
216.397.3757
rdickinson@verbballets.org
verbballets.org
Audition dates: TBD (Cleveland, OH)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, modern, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, YouTube/Vimeo link or DVD
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Walnut Hill School for the Arts (T)
Ballet Austin Partnership
Natick, MA
Contact: Lela Paultre
508.650.5020
admissions@walnuthillarts.org
walnuthillarts.org
Audition dates: Apr 15 & May 9 (Natick, MA)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
The Washington Ballet (P)
The Washington School of Ballet (T)
Washington, DC
Contact: Rosie Vergilio
202.362.3606
info@washingtonballet.org
washingtonballet.org
Audition dates: Feb 14 (New York, NY), Feb 21 & Apr 10 (Washington, DC), Mar 13 (Miami, FL)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet
Bring: dance photo, headshot, registration form, resumé, $25
Pre-apply
Whim W'Him (P)
Seattle, WA
Contact: Catherine Bombico
206.399.9511
audition@whimwhim.org
whimwhim.org
Audition dates: Feb 18 (New York, NY), Feb 27 (Seattle, WA)
Style: modern
Audition includes: contemporary, improvisation, interview, partnering
Bring: headshot, resumé, socks, $15
Pre-apply
WV Professional Dance Company (P)
Beckley, WV
Contacts: Toneta Akers-Toler & Donald J. Laney
304.252.0030
athtoler@msn.com or djamesl2002@yahoo.com
wvdanceco.com
Audition dates: TBD (Beckley, WV)
Styles: contemporary styles, modern
Audition includes: improvisation, interview, modern, partnering, prepared solo
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
International
Canada
Arts Umbrella Dance (T)
Vancouver, BC
Contact: Sally Hart
604.681.5268 x233
dance@artsumbrella.com
artsumbrella.com/dance
Audition dates: Jan 30–31 & Apr 2–3 (Vancouver, BC), TBD (Montreal, QC; New York, NY; Toronto, ON)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, interview, partnering, pointe, prepared solo
Bring: headshot, $20
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Canada's Ballet Jörgen (P/T)
Toronto, ON
Contact: Clea Iveson
416.415.5000
education@balletjorgen.ca
balletjorgencanada.ca
Audition dates: Feb 28 (Edmonton, AB), Apr 1 (Ottawa, ON), Apr 10 (Halifax, NS), Apr 24 (Toronto, ON)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Goh Ballet Academy (T)
Goh Ballet Youth Company
Vancouver, BC
604.872.4014
admin@gohballet.com
gohballet.com
Audition dates: Mar 11, Apr 15, May 27, Jun 17 (Vancouver, BC)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, prepared solo
Bring: $40
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Quinte Ballet School of Canada (T)
Belleville, ON
Contact: Desiree Porter
613.962.9274 x21
info@quinteballetschool.com
quinteballetschool.com
Audition dates: Jan 17 (Peterborough, ON), Jan 29 (Montreal, QC), Jan 30 & Mar 6 (Ottowa, ON), Feb 19 (London, ON), Feb 21 (Toronto, ON), Feb 27 (Windsor, ON),
Feb 28 (Kitchener-Waterloo, ON), May 19 (Belleville, ON)
Styles: ballet, jazz, modern, tap
Audition includes: ballet, interview
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, $50 CAD
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
RUBBERBANDance Group (P/T)
Montreal, QC
Contact: Sophie Croteau
514.725.7868
communications@rubberbandance.com
rubberbandance.com
Audition dates: TBD (Montreal, QC)
Style: modern
Bring: demo, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
School of Alberta Ballet—Alberta Ballet II (T)
Alberta Ballet
Calgary, AB
Contact: Blair Puente
403.245.2274
calgarystudios@albertaballet.com
schoolofalbertaballet.com
Audition dates: Jan 17 (Toronto, ON), Feb 7 (Calgary, AB), Feb 20 (Vancouver, BC)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Videos accepted
The School of Toronto Dance Theatre (T)
Toronto Dance Theatre
Toronto, ON
Contact: Andrea Roberts
416.967.6887
info@schooloftdt.org
schooloftdt.org
Audition dates: Jan 31 & Jul 16 (Toronto, ON)
Style: modern
Audition includes: improvisation, interview, modern
Bring: see application; dance photo, headshot, resumé, $95 CAD
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
France
Centre de Formation Professionnelle et d'Études Supérieures en Danse (T)
Ministry of Culture
Nice, France
Contact: Martine Kaisserlian
+33.493.89.10.10
offjazz@offjazz.com
offjazz.com
Audition dates: by appointment (Nice, France)
Styles: ballet, character dance, jazz, modern, tap
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, interview, jazz, modern
Bring: headshot, resumé, 150 euros
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
OFF JAZZ dance company (P)
Nice, France
Contact: Martine Kaisserlian
+33.642.04.11.13
offjazz@offjazz.com
offjazz.com
Audition dates: by appointment
Styles: jazz, musical theater, tap
Audition includes: ballet, interview, jazz, modern, tap
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
Germany
The School of the Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier (T)
The Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier
Hamburg, Germany
Contact: Indrani Delmaine
+49.402.1118.831
indrani.delmaine@hamburgballett.de
hamburgballet.de
Audition date: Apr 2 (Hamburg, Germany)
Style: ballet
Audition includes: ballet, improvisation, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, 20 euros
Pre-apply
Semperoper Ballett (P)
Dresden, Germany
+49.351.4911.469
info.ballett@semperoper.de
semperoper.de
Audition dates: TBD (Dresden, Germany)
Styles: ballet, modern
Audition includes: ballet, pointe
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé
Pre-apply
Switzerland
Ballett Zürich (P)
Zürich Opera House
Zürich, Switzerland
ballett-zuerich.ch
Audition date: Jan 17, by invitation only (Zürich, Switzerland)
Styles: ballet, modern
Bring: dance photo, headshot, resumé, video if available
Pre-apply
Videos accepted
No matter how much anti–Valentine's Day sentiment I'm feeling in a given year, there's something about dancer couples that still makes me swoon. Here's a collection of wonderful posts from this year, but be warned: Continued scrolling is likely to give you a severe case of the warm fuzzies.
When Rennie Harris first heard that Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater had tapped him to create a new hour-long work, and to become the company's first artist in residence, he laughed.
"I'm a street dance choreographer. I do street dance on street dancers," he says. "I've never set an hour-long piece on any other company outside my own, and definitely not on a modern dance company."
When Chase Brock signed on to choreograph a new musical at a theater in New Jersey in 2015, he couldn't have predicted that four years later, he would be receiving fan art featuring his Chihuahua because of it. Nor could he have he imagined that the show—Be More Chill, based on the young adult novel by Ned Vizzini—would be heading to Broadway with one of the most enthusiastic teenage fan bases the Great White Way has ever seen.
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As ballet's gender roles grow increasingly blurred, more men than ever are reaching new heights: the tips of their toes.
It's no longer just Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and the few pointe-clad male character parts, like in Cinderella or Alexei Ratmansky's The Bright Stream. Some male dancers are starting to experiment with pointe shoes to strengthen their feet or expand their artistic possibilities. Michelle Dorrance even challenged the men in her cast at American Ballet Theatre to perform on pointe last season (although only Tyler Maloney ended up actually doing it onstage).
The one problem? Pointe shoes have traditionally only been designed for women. Until now.
Camille Sturdivant, a former member of the Blue Valley Northwest High School dance team is suing the school district, alleging that she was barred from performing in a dance because her skin was "too dark."
The suit states that during Sturdivant's senior year, the Dazzlers' choreographer, Kevin Murakami, would not allow her to perform in a contemporary dance because he said her skin would clash with the costumes, and that she would steal focus from the other dancers because of her skin color.
You wander through the grocery aisles, sizing up the newest trends on the shelves. Although you're eager to try a new energy bar, you question a strange ingredient and decide to leave it behind. Your afternoons are consumed with research as you sort through endless stories about "detox" miracles.
What started as an innocent attempt to eat healthier has turned into a time-consuming ritual with little room for error, and an underlying fear surrounding your food choices.
Aside from a solid warm-up, most dancers have something else they just have to do before performing. Whether it's putting on the right eyelashes before the left or giving a certain handshake before a second-act entrance, our backstage habits give us the comfort of familiar, consistent choices in an art form with so many variables.
Some call them superstitions, others call them rituals. Either way, these tiny moments become part of our work—and sometimes even end up being the most treasured part of performing.
Raise your hand if you've ever gotten sucked down an informational rabbit hole on the internet. (Come on, we know it's not just us.) Now, allow us to direct you to this new project from Google Arts & Culture. To celebrate Black History Month, they've put together a newly curated collection of images, videos and stories that spotlights black history and culture in America specifically through the lens of dance—and it's pretty much our new favorite way to pass the time online.
If you're anything like us, your Instagram feed is chock-full of gorgeous dance photos and videos. But you know what makes us fall in love with an artist even more? When they take a break from curating perfect posts and get real about their missteps. These performers' ability to move past mistakes, and even laugh them off, is one reason why they're so successful.
Every time you fall out of a pirouette, just remember: The stars—and literally every. single. dancer.—have been there, too. (Even Misty Copeland.)
Dancers today have an overwhelming array of options at their fingertips: New fitness tools, recovery trends, workouts and more that claim to improve performance, speed up recovery or enhance training.
But which of these actually meet the unique demands of dancers? In our new series, "We Tried It," we're going to find out, sampling new health and fitness trends to see if they're dancer-approved.
First up: Brrrn, the cold temperature fitness studio (the first and only of its kind, they claim) located in Manhattan.
I write this letter knowing full well and first-hand the financial challenges of running an arts organization. I also write this letter on behalf of dancers auditioning for your companies. Lastly, I write this letter as a member of society at large and as someone who cares deeply about the culture we are leading and the climate we create in the performing arts.
Throughout your dancing life, you've heard the same corrections over and over. The reason for the repetition? Dancers tend to make the same errors, sometimes with catastrophic results. Dance Magazine spoke to eight teachers about what they perceive to be the worst habits—the ones that will destroy a dancer's technique—and what can be done to reverse the damage.
Rolling In
To get a 180-degree first position, dancers will sometimes let their arches roll forward. But turnout is not about forcing your feet open; it's about opening up in the hips. “Turning out is an activity, not a position," says Irene Dowd, who teaches anatomy at the Juilliard School. “If we stop sustaining that movement, our feet will passively roll in." Rolling in places stress on the tendons of the feet and leads to injury because the rest of the body compensates for the imbalance when your knees can't line up over your toes.
Dowd warns against using only the arch to combat rolling in. “Dancers will try to lift up their arches and pull up on the inside of the ankle," she says. This can result in the inflammation of the tendons in the ankle and lead to tendinitis, a painful overuse injury that's common in dancers. What she feels are “Victorian furniture feet—feet that aren't fully in contact with the ground" should be solid in three areas: the heel, the ball of the big toe, and the ball of the little toe. Imagine how your weight is being transferred from above, through the body and down the legs, rather than gripping the foot and lifting from the arch.
Misaligning the Spine
Distorting the back, either by crunching the lumbar vertebrae and splaying the rib cage open or by hunching the shoulders forward and tucking the pelvis under, affects every other part of the body. Since the proper placement of the torso is the foundation of any movement, a dancer with a misaligned spine will develop other deadly technique sins. Problems can ripple all the way down to the extremities and upward to the neck and head. The core will be loose, unable to provide essential support. A pelvis that either tips back or tucks under will limit the range of motion in the hips.
Christine Spizzo's students at the North Carolina School of the Arts constantly work on their placement. “The one directive I give in class more than any other," she says, “is tailbone down, navel muscles lifted." She emphasizes that the tailbone lengthens downward without tucking under, and the navel muscles lift upward, not inward. This opposition allows the external rotator muscles to be actively engaged at the top of the thigh. Spizzo uses the expression the Four Ts—“no tucking, tipping, tilting, or twisting of the pelvis"—as a reminder for students.
Clenching the Toes
Clenching, curling, knuckling—no matter what it's called, this condition hampers a dancer's ability to articulate the feet. Clenched toes also make the feet an unstable platform to stand on, creating problems for the rest of the body. The muscles and tendons of the foot, knee, and ankle must work together to perform a relevé or jump, says Edward Ellison, director of Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program in New York. Clenched toes will place unwanted stress on the joints of the legs, leading to imbalance and overuse injuries. On pointe, knuckling over can damage the bones and tendons of the feet.
Master ballet teacher Sara Neece of Ballet Arts in New York says that when the first joint of the toe presses down into the floor too hard, the second joint of the toe jams into the metatarsal. For Neece, the key to remedying clenched toes lies in “bringing sensation to those unused tendons" beneath the second joint, and teaching the toes how to work in a careful and deliberate manner. While seated, a dancer should prick the back of each clenched toe with a fingernail about 20 times. Sitting on a chair with the foot on the ground, she should drag it back toward the body, slowly raising it to demi-pointe with a forced arch. Teachers must pay attention to the response of the feet to this localized work, since overstressing the tendons can damage them. Another way to teach the toes to stretch out is to weave a strip of cloth over the second toe and alternate below and above successive toes, leaving it there during barrework and nondance activities.
Giving In to Extreme Hyperextension
Hyperextended legs, in which the straightened knee naturally curves behind the thigh and calf muscles, are prized in the world of extreme ballet bodies. Christine Spizzo sings the praise of a moderately hyperextended leg line, as the leg fits snugly in fifth position, and the arabesque looks gorgeous, with that slight curve offsetting the arch of the foot. However, dancers with extreme hyperextension must take special care. “The hyperextended dancer tends to have weak external rotator muscles," she says, so the legs are more prone to collapse in on themselves when landing from a jump, letting the body weight fall on the knees. This can result in damage to the joints that maintain the alignment of the leg, including twisted knees and sprained ankles. Even if the dancer understands how to avoid giving in to her hyperextension, she has to learn how to express herself fully while restraining her legs.
But Spizzo points to dancers such as international star Sylvie Guillem, who has used her extreme hyperextension to her advantage. The dancer must think of lengthening rather than straightening or locking the knee, even if it feels slightly bent. She must develop a heightened awareness of the turnout muscles from the top of the thigh down to the calf. “The muscles must be activated to not allow the dancer to give in to the hyperextension," says Spizzo. She uses the image of the barbershop pole to encourage dancers to apply that feeling of an infinite spiral to their legs. Somatic practices such as Pilates can help to strengthen those stabilizing turnout muscles. Spizzo insists that dancers stand with the heels together in first position and never be allowed to press back into that knee joint. To do this, “the quadriceps must remain soft. As soon as you grip, it pulls that kneecap back dangerously."
Using Unnecessary Tension
“Tension," says Daniel Lewis, dean of dance at the New World School of the Arts, “pulls you off balance. It tightens the muscles and causes injury." Stiff muscles are injury-prone muscles, which make free and confident movement impossible.
Unwanted stiffness can also limit your versatility as a dancer. “Modern dance is concerned with trying to go into space off-center and off-balance," says Mary Cochran, chair of the dance department at Barnard College. “If you spend too much time holding your body stiffly, it's hard to make the transition from working in-balance to working off-balance."
Rhythmic breathing helps dissipate tension. Think of the lungs as another limb and pace the breath with the dynamics of the music. Sustain a sense of motion in the body, even when you are still, advises Cochran. Doing so will help reverse the muscle memory of using tension as a form of stability.
Pinching Your Shoulder Blades
Although used as a strategy to open the chest in front, pinching your shoulder blades together immobilizes the back. The serratus anterior on the sides of your rib cage is so overstretched that it can't work. Edward Ellison says that pinched shoulder blades impede the freedom of the arms and the support of the upper spine. He feels that they “cause your weight to fall behind your axis, and strain the trapezius and rhomboid muscles of the back."
Irene Dowd suggests thinking about widening the tips of the shoulders to the side, to allow plenty of room for the chest. “It helps to think about the chest—full of your lungs, your heart, all those organs—as a sphere," says Dowd. “We need to have enough room for all those precious organs to breathe." To relax shoulder blades, sometimes she will tell students to focus on the movement of the hands. “Is the hand really a lively part of my being?" Dowd has her students ask. “The shoulder blade should support that hand."
Getting Stuck in a Rut
While physical habits impede progress, the deadliest sin is losing the drive to improve technique at all. Franco De Vita, principal of American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, says good technique begins with a dancer's approach to class. Being present and focused enables the dancer to learn combinations quickly—and correctly. “Not listening and changing the exercise is unacceptable," says De Vita.
Michael Vernon, chair of the ballet department at Indiana University, feels the worst thing a dancer can do “is to get fixed into doing something a certain way, being safe. I love young dancers who understand that you have to dance for tomorrow, and not yesterday." Keeping an open mind means more than just trying a different preparation for a pirouette. “Being open to new styles of dance and new ways of moving the body is vital to keeping the art relevant."
Clad in her signature loose black T-shirt and baggy gym shorts, Emma Portner is standing in a cavernous industrial space in downtown Los Angeles. A glass box—big enough to fit five dancers with only a little room to maneuver inside—sits in the middle. The five performers, Portner included, are standing inside it, side by side, palms on the glass.
"Question," Portner asks. "Are we looking at our hands?"
She steps out to watch the others try the phrase, and adds a few more steps. Quick, staccato movement, legs kicking out, torsos swiveling around, fists hitting glass. "This is a puzzle," she says, almost to herself. "I'm not sure I'll like it." The statement, like so many, is punctured with a sweet, nervous laugh.
Lately I've been having recurring dreams: I'm in an audition and I can't remember the combination. Or, I'm rehearsing for an upcoming show, onstage, and I don't know what comes next. Each time I wake up relieved that it was only a dream.
However, this is the reality of how I often felt throughout my dance career. Once I knew the steps, there was no undoing it. It was the process of getting there that haunts me to this day.
In the February 1969 issue of Dance Magazine, we talked to Bob Fosse about taking Sweet Charity from stage to screen. Though he already had a string of Tony Awards for Best Choreography and had spent plenty of time on film sets as a choreographer, this adaptation marked his first time sitting in the director's chair for a motion picture.
"When I started out, I wanted to be a Fred Astaire," he told us, "and after that a Jerome Robbins. But then I realized there was always somebody a dancer or choreographer had to take orders from. So I decided I wanted to become a director, namely a George Abbott. But as I got older I dropped the hero-worship thing. I didn't want to emulate anyone. Just wanted to do the things I was capable of doing—and have some fun doing them. By this time I'm glad I didn't turn out to be an Astaire, a Robbins or an Abbott." He would go on to become an Academy Award–winning director, indelibly changing musical theater in the process.
If you've ever wondered where models get their moves, look just off-camera for Pat Boguslawski. As a movement director and creative consultant based in London, he works with top brands, fashion designers, magazines and film directors to elicit bold, photogenic movement for ad campaigns, runway shows and film. Boguslawski has collaborated with plenty of big-name talent—FKA Twigs, Hailey Baldwin, Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian—and draws on his diverse experience in hip hop, contemporary dance, acting and modeling.
Dance Magazine recently asked him about how he got this career, and what it takes to thrive in it.
Let's say that today you're having a terrible time following your class's choreography and are feeling ashamed—you're always stumbling a few beats behind. Do you:
1. Admit it's your fault because you didn't study the steps last night? Tonight you'll nail them down.
2. Feel worthless and alone? You slump your shoulders, avoid eye contact with your teacher and fellow dancers, and wish to disappear.
Shame is a natural emotion that everyone occasionally feels. If you answered #1, it may be appropriate—you earned it by not studying—and positive if it motivates you to do better in the future.
My hypermobility used to cause me a lot of trouble, but I've gained confidence and strength after reading about it in one of your columns. I now have a Pilates instructor who's retraining my body and helping me dance in a consistent way. Thank you!
—No Longer Anxious, Philadelphia, PA
George Balanchine famously wrote, that ballet "is a woman." Four of his most celebrated women—Allegra Kent, Gloria Govrin, Kay Mazzo and Merrill Ashley—appeared onstage at Jacques d'Amboise's National Dance Institute Monday evening to celebrate his legacy. The sold-out program, called "Balanchine's Ballerinas," included performances of excerpts from ballets closely associated with these women and a discussion, moderated by former New York City Ballet principal Wendy Whelan. Here are some highlights of the conversation, filled with affection, warmth and fond memories.
When Catherine Wreford found out that she had brain cancer in June 2013, with doctors predicting she had only two to six years left to live, there was one thing she knew she wanted to do: dance.
She had grown up training in the recreational division at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, then went on to perform on Broadway and in musical theater productions around the country. She eventually left the stage to find more stable work, running a mortgage company and later getting a nursing degree because, she says, "I knew that I could do that for a long time."
But a diagnosis of anaplastic astrocytoma meant she didn't have a long time left.