Audition Season is coming…
Hello, October. We have again arrived at the annual precipice of one of the most significant seasons in the cycle of pre-professional ballet training. Nutcracker auditions are complete, and casting is set. Competitive variations are selected, in rehearsal, and tutus on order. Usually, it is time to think about Summer Intensive auditions. However, this year already seems exceedingly nuanced and most programs have yet to release their audition information and schedules. How has the year-round recruiting for the 2024-2025 season has already begun. What does this all mean?
We cannot ignore the significant faculty and directorship changes that continue to sweep the industry. We cannot ignore the declining economy surrounding the arts, the upcoming political election cycle, or the increasingly unreliable travel industry. And finally, we cannot ignore the grief, unrest, and upheaval of the current violence in the Middle East and Ukraine. All of these are factors as we start to understand the shaping and economics of summer intensives and professional ballet schools.
Because of all of these things, since 2020, the ballet calendar is being moved up more and more every season. Here are some of the reasons why things are being moved up. Year-round consideration is being moved up to give families more time to prepare financially for the commitment. You don’t realize how expensive a year-round school is until you get the bill. Schools like San Francisco Ballet School, Boston Ballet School’s Walnut Hill, Royal Ballet School, can run up bills between 30-50k after housing, food plans, flights between breaks and education. So, finding out you are accepted in January gives your family time to prepare finances. On the other hand, it also starts to guarantee next year’s budget for the institution. Finding 12-16 students early on, before summer intensives even happen, that fit into the school and are right for the school, will give schools a better understanding of what age groups are committing and interested, what the season will look like, and how to merge new and incoming students. Plus, it is a nice little bonus of audition fees coming into the school.
More and more professional schools are becoming less professional driven, and more educational based. This is because there is more government funding out there for educational based programs, and resources to gain access. Also, it’s easier to get donors saying you are providing an arts education to underserved communities or students. This creates the shift to look at pre-professional schools like Elite Classical Coaching, Cary Ballet, Dimitri Kulev, Bayer, The Ballet Clinic, Westmet, Master Ballet Academy and others in this same category.
Not to sound dismal, but Summer Intensive audition planning this year should be approached with careful thought, very careful thought.
The good news is there is time. Let’s look at some methods to approach planning a successful summer intensive audition calendar for Summer 2024:
Intention. If there were ever an audition season to approach with intention, Summer 2024 is it. What is your dancer aiming to extract from their summer experiences? The answer will most likely depend upon your dancer’s age, and none of these considerations are age exclusive.
If your dancer is ages 9-12, your intention should include exposure. Your dancer’s exposure should perhaps include a different teacher, a different studio, or a different style. The goal at this age is for your dancer to take brave steps and utilize their skills outside your home studio environment. They do not have to spend all summer dancing. Take time for them to have fun, rest, and grow. Many excellent ballet schools and studios offer abbreviated young dancer experience day programs to expose your dancer to new things. If your dancer is ready to spend a few weeks away from home, choose a program that has a great reputation for the care of the younger dancer.
If your dancer isn’t ready to go away, don’t worry. Sometimes it is good to stay at home and train. Here, your teacher knows you and how you work, so there are benefits to staying at your home school and growing inside of your school’s curriculum.
If your dancer is ages 12-14, your intention should include advancement. Advancement includes technical growth that arrives from enthusiasm for deep and focused study. Advancement is critical at this age. Your dancer should attend a program with maturity-appropriate focused study. This will mean something different for each and every dancer. Your dancer may be mature and ready to head off to a 5 or 6 week residential program, or they may not. Do not consider programs that do not match your dancer’s own maturity and enthusiasm for the the study of ballet. Do not audition for programs that are not focused enough for your dancer’s level of interest. Additionally, if you are 12-14 and your child is already focused on the pre-professional track attending a BIG TEN summer course will also be important. Schools that check boxes and look good on the resume.
If your dancer is ages 15-17, your intention should consider placement. This should be a family discussion that occurs prior to registering for auditions. Not every dancer wants or needs pre-professional school placement at this age. However, if your dancer’s goals are placement take the deep dive into what each of the auditioned programs have to offer. Where is the program located? Are you comfortable with the distance from home? Is there housing? Is it supervised? How easy will it be to travel home during the year? How expensive will it be to travel home? What is the situation with academics? Are they offered in-house? Are there local brick and mortar options? Are there partner schools or online programs? Is there tutoring available? These are all critical considerations for the high school-aged dancer.
If your dancer is ages 16-19, your intention should include relationships. Dancers at this age will generally not see leaps and bounds of technical development during their summer experiences. They should be set. Dancers at this age will be exploring and defining their own artistry, and forging relationships with directors, programs, and fellow dancers. This might include attending college dance programs, programs with notable artistic residencies, or programs with the aim for obtaining traineeships, apprenticeships, or second company invitations. Dancers at this age generally travel to more than one summer program, and that requires additional consideration of chaperoned/unchaperoned travel, how to budget money, and whether the student can fit in things like driver’s ed, SAT/ACT prep, and/or summer employment.
Expectation. Expectation follows intention when it comes to making a plan for Summer 2024. How much do you expect your dancer to extract from their summer experience? This requires a realistic approach from parents, because summer programs are costly. Here are some questions for parents to ask themselves before diving headfirst into summer intensive audition madness:
Is it just for fun?
Is it to try a new school or studio?
Does your dancer have to go with friends? Does your dancer make friends easily?
What if they don’t like it?
What is the backup plan if they are aiming for placement and it doesn’t happen?
No program is perfect, so it is also critical for parents to consider their feelings and boundaries if attendance, behavior, dating, illness, and/or injury occur during their dancer’s summer program. Have a clear understanding of supervision and program rules before you commit your dancer.
Cost. This is an issue that must be thoroughly considered before creating a summer intensive audition schedule. Research and be clear on the costs of each program, including travel, refund-ability, housing, meals, uniforms, pointe shoes, performances, privates, spending money, and supervised outings. Do NOT expect scholarships or the availability of financial aid. Many programs state right in their audition information what financing options are available. Be certain of deposit and payment deadlines and requirements. There is nothing worse than committing a student to a summer program that the parents have no hope of being able to pay for. It can be devastating to a dancer to lose their spot.
My hope is that these considerations help you and your dancer plan a successful Summer 2024 audition season. For more information like guides to flattering and technically appropriate audition photos and videos, summer intensive listings, audition tips, deeper analysis of Summer 2024 programs, and access to my podcast that examines the happenings of the ballet world in real time, subscribe to the website by clicking here.
