There are a few older threads about the ballet programs at various schools that mention Walnut Hill, SAB (with external academic program), Idyllwild, Interlochen, SPS, and Andover. Has this list changed over the past five years? What has happened recently at these schools that new applicants should know?
I was also wondering if anyone could comment on the professional outcomes at these schools. Which companies have relationships with these schools? What percentage of students end up at top companies? Is there a “real” college option for students who choose not to dance professionally?
Hi and welcome to CC!
I am having a hard time parsing out where you are in this journey. Your question about colleges is a little confusing to me since it seems like you have mentioned high schools. (Plus one that is NOT a high school, and you can NOT “apply for it” – SAB).
But that caveat aside – I’ll try my best to share what our experience has been.
Walnut Hill – assuming it’s still with Boston Ballet, has a relationship with Boston Ballet.
SAB – not a school; you can’t apply. you are recruited by doing their summer intensive program. (it’s the ballet school for NYC ballet).
Andover – I had a daughter there, but not my dancer. program seemed robust from what I remember, but definitely not a pre-pro path for a dancer in any way. Doesn’t mean it “can’t happen” but it’s not the standard path.
SPS – Kate Lyden really does an amazing job leading that ballet program. Still, most do not seem to be pursuing dance professionally later – SPS is definitely more academic-forward, not ballet. But for a kid who wants an intense academic boarding school experience with strong ballet – I don’t think you can beat SPS!
Idyllwild – haven’t checked them out in probably 6 years, but back then, it was a great recreational program which was not at all what my dancer wanted.
Interlochen – never visited, but my ballerina didn’t feel like it was strong enough in ballet for her to leave her training and go. That said, I feel like lots of artsy kids are at Interlochen so I think she might have enjoyed it, but she really wanted to focus on pre-pro ballet training.
Other than the WH Boston Ballet and SAB (again – not a school) with NYCB – I haven’t heard of any companies having a relationship with a boarding school.
To be frank - true pre-pro dance is a huge commitment, so honestly most kids going into a primarily academic boarding school will not have the hours in a studio from aged 13-18 that are needed for ballet companies, and maybe also other dance genres. That said, I’m sure many of them go on to get BFAs in dance, and that does NOT require quite the same level, from my experience. At most BFAs, even the most competitive ones, you’ll see a mix of about-to-be-professional dancers, and some who are fantastic-but-not-professional levels.
one other BS school to add to your list might be UNCSA, for both ballet and contemporary.
hope that helps?
I’m just trying to get the lay of the land for DD, who is only interested in traditional ballet. Her focus has been on ballet and she doesn’t have experience with other kinds of dance, so I don’t think that schools with great dance programs that aren’t exceptional in ballet would be a good fit for her. (Yes, I know that SAB isn’t an academic school, which is why I noted that it would require pairing with another external academic option for HS.) I’ll look into UNCSA; that’s a new option to me.
Based on your response, it sounds like pre-pro isn’t really a viable option at any of the schools that I’ve mentioned with the exception of SAB. (TBH, I’m not sure that DD will make it as a professional ballerina, so she needs school as a fallback option.) And… if DD wants a “regular high school” experience and to study ballet at the highest level possible, then SPS is the best option? Is that the key take-away?
Full disclosure that I am not a dancer (my professional training and career are in musical theatre exclusively and I have always been a dancer third, let’s say), but you may want to look at the National Ballet School of Canada. Close relationship to the National Ballet of Canada, obviously, and a full Ontario high school experience right on-campus in tandem with the dance education.
ETA: I wonder if you also might look at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, which has its high school students studying at the private University of Winnipeg Collegiate program?
We know several dancers who went through SAB and ABT pre-pro programs. Dancers at SAB take academic classes at Public Performing Arts School which is quite close. The ABT kids we knew did online classes through our school district. We actually also know a few kids who did something similar through Pacific Northwest Ballet and Boston Ballet. All were extremely focused on dancing professionally. I only know one who’s transitioned out of ballet and is doing well at the state flagship.
“(TBH, I’m not sure that DD will make it as a professional ballerina, so she needs school as a fallback option.)”
I don’t know much about Ballet, but I know a few ex-dancers. Yeah, she’ll want a fallback option because the pro dancer career can be short. It’s great if you can make it to your 30’s. SPS seems to focus a lot on ballet, but they are exceptionally good at academics. The other things about St. Paul’s is that it is, in my opinion, the most beautiful prep school campus. Definitely visit if you can. I’m no artist, but I imagine that being in such a beautiful place can only help someone’s artistry, and soul.
My D is a professional ballerina. The significant majority of her colleagues (at a mid tier state ballet) went through traditional high school plus ballet at a local school or company. Some then did second company training after high school, others went to college (that’s the route she followed, but it’s tough to continue into a company position after college, as even the top dance colleges have less studio time than pre-pro). One did second company, then college (Stanford), then came back for a main company position.
There’s perhaps even more emphasis at the top companies at early selection and progression, with no time for college. We know a family that uprooted and all moved from California to Boston when their D was offered a place at Boston Ballet at 14 (she’s now a soloist there). I wouldn’t underestimate the value of having family close by for support in this situation, given the demands of combining high school and intense high level dance training.
Just adding for OP – if you are willing to consider SAB as a “school option” then that would open up MANY other pre-pro programs where kids take online school or other flexible options in order to pursue full-time dance study. But again – this is a whole different ball of wax compared to boarding school.
Not that you are asking for my opinion on this next topic, but one thought about the “fall-back option” – perhaps instead of a “plan B” what is needed is a more robust “plan A.” In other words, maybe the “fall-back” option isn’t launched at “failure of the first plan.” Many would say this is semantics, but I believe that words matter as we talk about artists and their paths going forward. :). (whole different conversation to have on that topic, but outside the scope of this post I realize).
And actually very few making it to a paid professional career. Three years after graduating from one of the top four ballet colleges (Indiana, Oklahoma, Butler, Utah), D is one of two girls left (out of 30+ who started the BFA back in 2018) who is still dancing with a company.
And she’s still not being paid, which is what causes many to quit or just not even try to dance after college. That’s why in many cases, supporting your dancer through unpaid second company/traineeships after high school is an either/or alternative to a four year away-from-home college, because most families can’t afford both. We were lucky that D got a full ride (academic merit) scholarship and has been able to live off her 529 money.
So true. I probably wasn’t super clear – my point was totally that: a real mix of levels exists at even some very competitive BFA programs – some dancers will go on to dance professional, but many won’t. (Which doesn’t make it a “waste” if you ask me – many wonderful BFA programs out there!) I was speaking more of the non-ballet-focussed BFAs as my daughter didn’t apply to the ballet BFAs even though she was a ballerina with sights (originally) on a ballet career. In our experience, it’s pretty clear by the time they are like 16 where they are going to fit in the ballet pecking order. She was at a vaganova pre-pro who sends their kids to top ballet companies around the world, and there was no sugar-coating that she wouldn’t be one of those kids. So she pivoted to commercial dance and musical theatre and it has been the BEST decision for her. While making a living in theatre and commercial dance is hard too, it seems way more doable than a career in ballet (if you aren’t one of the tippy top 1% ballet dancers, which my daughter just wasn’t, despite years of excellent training).
I generally agree about the selection at high school level. If you are picked out for a top program at age 14-16 then you are in a great position. But for the mid and lower tier programs I think it’s much more complex.
For lower tier stuff it basically comes down to money (they have none, their dancers are very badly paid if at all and they churn through them until they can’t afford to continue dancing).
For mid-tier programs, the auditions are fiercely competitive but there’s a chance of a job if you get into somewhere as a trainee that likes you and you continue to improve. So many dancers drop out due to injury, finances or just unwillingness to put up with the sheer physical pain and exhaustion, that it’s not just the most talented that make it through.
My D was never the star in HS or college, at college she was more like top quarter rather than top 5%. But she worked harder than anyone else and still does. Which means she keeps improving and everyone likes her. And her current company likes mature dancers (mostly college graduates) who will stay for the rest of their career. Hopefully she’ll be the one selected (out of 7) for a main company position this year, but we really don’t know. And open auditions are brutal, so that’s unlikely to work out as an alternative.