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AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs - Summer Programs
Click on a question below to view the answer.
Audition Preparation
Auditions for our 2022 Summer Training Programs will take place in-person in various cities across the United States as well as online via Zoom. Advance registration is required for all auditions. The audition fee for an in-person audition is $45 USD and the fee for a virtual audition via Zoom is $30 USD. Please note that all virtual audition times are listed in the Eastern Time Zone (EST). To pre-register, please visit Audition Information.
Students should audition with their age group at the time of audition even if they will have a birthday before the summer.
At all in-person auditions, students must submit one informal headshot (photo should be taken with a clear background, hair in classic ballet style for ladies), and a photograph showing first arabesque on pointe or demi-pointe in center. There are no photo requirements for auditions taking place via Zoom or video auditions.
It is best for students ages 13 and older to have two or three months of experience on pointe at the time of the audition. If the student is not ready to begin pointe work, they may still audition and complete the pointe exercises in flat shoes.
Twelve-year old students at the pre-pointe or beginner pointe level can be considered for the Young Dancer Summer Workshop and should audition with their own age group. For more information on the YDSW, please click here.
Dancers should consider the following when determining the type of audition:
When you audition at an in-person audition or via video audition, you are being considered for all Virtual Summer Intensive sessions and in-person programs in New York.
When you audition via virtual audition, you are being considered for the Virtual Summer Intensives only.
We cannot accommodate the scheduling of individual auditions in New York. If you cannot make it to a scheduled audition, please submit a video audition. Please click here for further details on how to send a video audition.
ABT will send you an automatic confirmation email upon the receipt of your Audition Registration or Video Audition. Registration for In-Person and Virtual Auditions take place via Mindbody. Once you make an account and register for an audition, you will receive an email confirmation. Additional registration forms will be sent closer to the date of your audition. If auditioning virtually, Zoom information will be sent 30 minutes prior to the start time on the day of your audition.
Students may not audition for the ABT Studio Company on the 2022 Audition Tour. Please visit the ABT Studio Company page for the most up to date information on ABT Studio Company Auditions.
The National Audition Tour serves primarily to admit students to the ABT Summer Intensive Program. Students may audition for the ABT JKO School in addition to the ABT Summer Intensives on the 2022 National Audition Tour in New York, NY on January 9; Boca Raton, FL on January 16; Washington, DC on January 17 and Chicago, IL on January 23.
Please visit the ABT JKO School page for the most up to date information on the ABT JKO School Auditions.
Audition Day
The audition will be a ballet class starting with barre and progressing through center work. The last thirty minutes will be reserved for men’s jumps and pointe work. Please note that the Young Dancer auditions will not include pointe work. For in-person auditions, students should plan to arrive at the start of their designated registration window listed for that city. For virtual auditions, students should plan to join the Zoom meeting fifteen minutes prior to the start of their audition class.
Yes. Female-identifying dancers should wear black leotards, full-length tights in pink or the color which is closest to natural skin tone, and ballet slippers, and they should bring pointe shoes if applicable for the last twenty minutes of class. Male-identifying dancers should wear white t-shirts, black full-length tights, and ballet slippers.
We evaluate dancers on the level of their classical ballet technique, with special attention to adagio, jumps, turns, and pointe work. We also assess dancers on their retention of combinations, stamina, musicality, work ethic, attitude, and potential.
You can submit a video audition. Video auditions must be completed via the online portal which will open on December 17, 2021. All video auditions are due by March 1, 2022. Video audition guidelines including sample combinations will be posted on December 17 here.
Yes. Advance registration is required for all auditions on the 2022 Audition Tour. Classes will close upon reaching capacity or four days prior to the audition. In-person audition classes will be limited to a specific capacity based on studio size and COVID-19 safety standards. Capacities vary by location. Virtual audition classes will be limited to 40 dancers, and each virtual audition class must have at least 10 dancers. If a class does not have the minimum required dancers, you may be asked to reschedule.
Audition Results
The audition results are sent via email to the primary email address listed within 10 business days after the audition date. If you do not receive your results via email within two weeks of your audition date, please contact the Summer Intensive staff at summerintensive@abt.org.
All results from the video audition submissions will be sent by March 18, 2022.
Accepted dancers may be offered a place to our in-person program, a Virtual Summer Intensive or both. Dancers who are accepted to the Virtual Summer Intensive will be able to register for any of the Virtual Summer Intensive sessions.
For our in-person programs, there will be a placement class on the first day of the program to determine levels. Students in our virtual sessions will be placed in levels based on their audition performance and age.
No, we do not give out audition results over the phone. An email will be sent to the primary email address provided on the audition registration card when results are available.
Unfortunately, ABT is unable to provide specific training feedback from the audition classes. Generally, students who are not accepted to one of ABT’s programs should continue to work on overall strength, technique and pointe work. We encourage prospective students to continue working hard to achieve their goals and we hope to see them in the future.
ABT uses a general waitlist and there is no rank system. Students on our waiting list will be notified based on their audition scores. We are unable to disclose audition scores.
We will begin contacting students on the waiting list during the first week of March until the beginning of May. We will notify you via email which of our programs have spaces available. At that time, you will receive more information on how to enroll in the program.
Program Information
COVID-19 vaccinations are required by ABT for all vaccine-eligible students, in accordance with New York State law and subject to legally-required exceptions. Non-FDA-approved vaccines (i.e. homeopathic, etc., vaccines) are not acceptable to fulfill vaccination status.
ABT awards a limited number of full and partial scholarships to the 2022 Summer Training Programs. Scholarship decisions are made based on merit at the time of the audition. All students are taken into consideration, so it is not necessary to apply. ABT will notify students who are awarded scholarships at the time of acceptance. We also encourage our students to explore alternate funding possibilities for their summer training. Several students have had success in finding local or corporate sponsors.
Details on when to make tuition payments can be found on the Audition Information page of the ABT website. Secure online tuition payments can be made using major credit cards through the online student site. Details will be emailed to accepted students.
- Students will be in class or rehearsal from approximately 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.
- On the first day of the program there will be a placement class to determine student levels.
- All levels will have technique and pointe or pas de deux every day.
- Other class offerings may include: Variations, Modern, Character, Jazz, Musical Theater, Yoga, Pilates, Music, Acting, Mime, Nutrition, Meet the Artist, Injury Prevention and Dance History.
In order to receive the full benefit of the intensive summer training, everyone must attend the program in its entirety. As a policy, there are no exceptions to this rule.
The number of pointe shoes needed for the Summer Intensive depends on the strength of the dancer’s feet, the brand of shoe, and humidity. Dancers will be on pointe everyday in very humid weather. Therefore, we suggest that each dancer brings approximately one pair of shoes per week. Dancers are encouraged to take care of their shoes and use hardeners when necessary to lengthen the life of their pointe shoes.
The college credits awarded during the in-person Collegiate program are completely dependent upon the College/University that you are attending. All college credits will be given by the College/University. The College/University will also decide whether or not these credits can be transferred. ABT will provide your College/University with your attendance and grades for the program and the total number of hours spent in the classroom. The College/University will decide how many credits to award for your participation.
The daily schedule will consist of a body conditioning class, an adjunct or lecture class, and a ballet technique class. Classes will be held from approximately 12pm-4:15pm ET.
Classes will be interactive! They will be taught in real-time on Zoom and students will have the opportunity to receive corrections and ask questions.
Absolutely! It is important that the student is fully visible during the class and able to hear corrections during an exercise. The faculty will enlarge the screens during combinations to get the best view of each student.
No. Students will be placed in levels for all Virtual Summer Training Programs. Students will be placed based on their audition performance and age. Class sizes will be limited.
There will not be a placement class. Students will be placed based on their audition performance and age. Artistic Faculty will notify a student via email if they feel the student should change levels.
Our faculty work with ABT’s physical therapists to ensure that classes are appropriate while also maximizing the training potential. All students will have an injury prevention lecture at the start of the program which will include helpful tips.
Classes will be taught by ABT Summer Intensive faculty along with ABT Artistic Staff and dancers including Kevin McKenzie (Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre), Cynthia Harvey (Artistic Director of the ABT JKO School) and Sascha Radetsky (Artistic Director, ABT Studio Company).
Pointe work and men’s technique/strength training will be included at the end of the technique classes and in select adjunct classes in both our in-person and virtual programs.
Yes, the dress code applies to all in-person and virtual programs. Female-identifying dancers should wear solid-colored leotards, full-length tights in the color which is closest to natural skin tone and ballet slippers. Hair should be in a ballet style. Male-identifying dancers should wear solid-colored t-shirts, full-length tights, and ballet slippers.