Age Requirements and Important Audition Details

Young Dancer Summer Workshop (YDSW): Dancers interested in the YDSW should audition with their age group at the time of audition. This includes students ages 9 to 11, and 12-year-olds at the beginning pointe level.

• Applicants must be 9 to 11 years old by the start date of the program, or 12-year-olds at the beginning pointe level.
• 12-year-olds applicants that will turn 13 during the program are not eligible to attend the Young Dancer Summer Workshop.

Summer Intensives: Dancers ages 12 who wish to be considered for both YDSW and the Summer Intensives may attend any of the Summer Intensive audition classes for ages 11 and up.

• Applicants must be at least 12 years old and no older than 20 years old by June 27, 2022.

ABT Collegiate Summer Intensive: Dancers interested in the ABT Collegiate Summer Intensive may audition at any of the audition sites with their age group.

• Applicants must be at least 17 years old and no older than 24 years old on June 13, 2022.

In-Person Auditions

American Ballet Theatre will hold in-person auditions in numerous cities across the United States.  Class sizes will be limited in accordance with capacity guidelines at each audition site. Masks will be required for the duration of all auditions. Please see COVID-19 vaccination requirements for each audition site in the audition class description below. 

Auditions will be conducted on weekends, January 8 – Sunday, February 27, 2022.  The audition schedule below details the specific dates and times for each weekend. Pre-registration is required for all in-person auditions and walk-up registration will not be accepted.

Students requiring an exemption should plan to audition via video audition only to be considered for virtual or in-person training due to facility guidelines for audition sites with COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Students may audition via virtual audition for virtual training programs. 

How to Register for an In-Person Audition:

Advance registration is required for all live auditions. Walk-up registration will not be accepted.  All times listed are in the local time zone of that audition. Please make sure to select the accurate age group for each dancer’s audition registration.

To Begin:  Create an Account and Register for a Specific Audition Class

• To register, you may need to create an account with Mindbody. You can create an account when selecting the class.

  • ABT uses a student-centric information system.  The student’s information should be used when registering for a class.

  • Registration must be completed by a parent/guardian if the student is under age 18.

• Using the schedule below, select an audition class by clicking “Register”.
• The audition fee of $45 USD is due at the time of audition registration.
• All students will receive a confirmation email upon successful booking.  Dancers will receive a follow-up email to complete their Audition Profile closer to the day of their audition.

Information for the Day of the Audition:

Please keep in mind the following for your Summer Intensive Audition:

• Registered students will receive an email with further details regarding their audition and a link to complete their audition profile closer to the date of their audition.
• Check-In on the day of the audition will begin 30-60 minutes prior to each audition. Please see the description for your audition site to determine what time you should arrive.
• The audition will be in the format of a ballet technique class. It will begin with barre, followed by center work and pointe work/men’s work if appropriate.
• Students will be assigned an audition number upon arrival.
• Plan to bring the dancer’s informal headshot and first arabesque picture to submit upon check-in.
• All students are considered for merit-based scholarships.

Students are to abide by the following dress code for their audition:

• Female identifying dancers must wear black leotards, full-length tights in pink or a color close to natural skin tone and ballet slippers. Bring pointe shoes for the last twenty minutes of class.
• Male identifying dancers must wear white t-shirts, full-length black tights, and ballet slippers.

Please note:

• Audition classes are based on the age of the student on the date of the audition.
• Vaccination requirements are listed in the details of each audition site.
• Students requiring an exemption should plan to audition via video audition only to be considered for virtual or in-person training due to facility guidelines at each audition site.  Students may audition via virtual audition for virtual training programs. 
• Class sizes are limited per audition site in accordance to safety and capacity guidelines at each venue.
• Students should only register for one audition class. There are no exchanges or refunds on audition registration.

Video Auditions

You may submit a Video Audition for consideration for the 2022 Summer Training Programs.  The portal to submit a Video audition will be open from December 17 – March 1, 2022.  To submit a video application, follow the guidelines listed here.

• ABT will require specific guidelines for the content of the video audition.  Students will need to complete designated combinations for their age group.  These guidelines will be published when the Student Portal opens.
• Video auditions must be submitted via our Student Portal. The portal will be available beginning December 17, 2021.
• An audition fee will be required to complete your video audition (credit card only).
• Video auditions will be accepted beginning December 17, 2021. The final deadline for video auditions is March 1, 2022 at 11:59pm EST.
• Video audition results will be emailed by the notification date: March 18, 2022.

Please note that variations and performance footage are not required for video auditions. Submission of such material may negatively affect a student’s chance of acceptance.

Virtual Auditions

American Ballet Theatre will hold Virtual Auditions for the 2022 Virtual Summer Intensive Sessions only.  If accepted, dancers have the opportunity to register for any or all of the Virtual Sessions! Auditions via Zoom do not give consideration for ABT’s New York Summer Intensive, New York Young Dancer Summer Workshop, or Collegiate Intensive.

Auditions will be conducted through Zoom various dates in January  (additional audition dates may be added at a later date).  Classes will be held according to the audition tour schedule below.

How to Register for a Virtual Audition:

Advance registration is required for all online auditions.  All times listed are Eastern Time Zone (New York). Please note that attending a virtual audition via Zoom will only give dancers the opportunity to be accepted to a Virtual Summer Intensive Session.

To Begin:  Create an Account and Register for a Specific Audition Class

• To register, you may need to create an account with Mindbody. You can create an account when selecting the class.

  • ABT uses a student-centric information system.  The student’s information should be used when registering for a class.

  • Registration must be completed by a parent/guardian if the student is under age 18.

• Using the schedule below, select an audition class by clicking “Register”.
• The audition fee of $30 USD is due at the time of audition registration.
• All students will receive a confirmation email upon successful booking.  Dancers will receive a follow-up email to complete their Audition Profile closer to their audition date.

Please note:

• Audition classes are based on the age of the student on the date of the audition.
• Class size is limited to 40 students.
• Students should only register for one audition class. There are no exchanges or refunds on audition registration.
• Registration closes four days before the class.
• Audition photos are not required for the Virtual Audition Tour.

Information for the Day of the Audition:

Please keep in mind the following for your Summer Intensive Audition:

• Registered students will receive an email with a unique Zoom link 30 minutes prior to their audition class.
• The audition class will open ten minutes prior to the start of the class.
• The audition will be in the format of a ballet technique class. It will begin with barre, followed by center work and pointe work/men’s work if appropriate.  Classes will be appropriate for a small space.
• Students will be assigned an audition number in the audition class. The ABT Administrator will rename students with their number at the start of the class.
• An ABT Administrator will be available during the class to help students with technical issues.
• All students are considered for merit-based scholarships.

Students are to abide by the following dress code for their audition:

• Female identifying dancers must wear black leotards, full-length tights in pink or a color close to natural skin tone and ballet slippers. Bring pointe shoes for the last twenty minutes of class.
• Male identifying dancers must wear white t-shirts, full-length black tights, and ballet slippers.

Please keep in mind that faculty will be viewing you through a screen so dancers should aim to have the cleanest look possible.

Audition Results & Dates

Notification letters will be emailed within 10 business days following each audition.  Participation in all ABT Summer Programs is by audition and acceptance only.  For in-person programs, students will be required to submit a non-refundable tuition deposit to hold their place in the program by a specified tuition deadline.  For Virtual Summer Intensives, tuition is due in full at the time of enrollment.

Details on tuition deadlines will be posted at a later date.