I really need to talk to some ballet moms!

[Emma]

My daughter will be a senior next year, and wants to pursue her ballet. She isn't interested in college, but will go if we force her. :). She has expressed interest in possibly taking some online college classes. ( which I didn't know you could do.) Does anyone here have a daughter pursuing dance? I really don't know what to do next, and her teacher is absolutely no help. How do I find a ballet school, company, trainee spot for a 17 yr old?

[Lori D.]

My daughter will be a senior next year, and wants to pursue her ballet. She isn't interested in college, but will go if we force her. :). She has expressed interest in possibly taking some online college classes. ( which I didn't know you could do.) Does anyone here have a daughter pursuing dance? I really don't know what to do next, and her teacher is absolutely no help. How do I find a ballet school, company, trainee spot for a 17 yr old?

 

 

 

Rather than online college classes, I'd suggest applying for colleges with ballet programs and ballet degrees. The biggest benefits include:

 

- take a number of dance courses for credit (in addition to her outside studio dance classes)

- ability to dance in the various college dance recitals and programs

- instruction under several dance instructors for more balanced viewpoint

- making connections with other dancers and ballet troupes

- possibility of dance instructors being able to give you tips on specific dance troupes and how to audition/apply, who to speak with, etc.

- and, of course coming out with a degree at the end

 

 

Here's a list of 140 colleges and community colleges with ballet degrees and programs.

Here's an even bigger list.

 

Here's a College Confidential thread on schools that offer ballet degrees and/or programs, and it links to this other College Confidential thread on Becoming a Dance Major.

 

BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

[dewdropfairy]

Indiana University and University of Utah both have strong ballet programs designed for the pre-professional. There are others, but those two really stand out with a good reputation in the ballet world.

 

Dance Magazine has a college guide I recommend. (I saw a copy listed cheaper on Ebay) http://www.dancemagazine.com/thecollegeguide/

 

If college isn't the route she would like to go the best way to find an apprenticeship or trainee program just depends on the company. She needs to be seen, and cattle call auditions are an incredibly tough way to do it. Is she going to a Summer Intensive this Summer? Audition season is over, so she missed a chance to get into a program for this year, but she could try for next year. Most trainees and apprentices come from company schools, and summer intensives are a popular way for schools to see new students. It could be the springboard she needs.

 

Another (expensive) alternative is a conservatory program to polish her skills if she isn't quite ready to go pro yet. But a good college with a strong ballet program can do that as well. Good luck. It's a tough world to make it in, but it can be very rewarding as well.

[kentuckymom]

My son's ballet teacher started dancing professionally at 16 and never went to college, so, yes, it can happen. i think she came up through a company school, but I'm not certain. FYI, my son's teacher was homeschooled, and she says that was a huge benefit because she was able to finish out her high school credits and fit it into her dance schedule. i do think encouraging your daughter to apply to a college with a strong ballet program is likely the best route, however. You and your daughter should sit down and share her dreams with her instructor, if you haven't already. If the instructor thinks a college with a ballet program is the best route, she's likely to be a stronger influence than Mom.

[JanetC]

"Her teacher is no help"

 

This is a red flag for me.

 

You might be at a more recreational school which doesn't prepare students for careers as dancers. Or, you are at a pre-professional level school, but your teacher doesn't want to encourage your daughter to pursue that option for some reason.

 

I agree with dewdropfairy that she should have auditioned for summer intensives at dance companies or conservatories. She needs honest feedback and guidance from knowledgeable people who have actually seen her dance.

 

Are you in a major city with multiple options for training where she could change schools or do a summer session and get better feedback and guidance?

[Emma]

She is going to a summer intensive this year (Orlando). The trouble begins next year... After she's graduated from high school. She truly doesn't want to go to college right now. I've looked at a few programs that provide some type of housing for their trainees or apprentices, but most do not, and I'm not sure i want her living in an apartment, in a strange city, alone, at 17. Also, audition season is well after the time to apply for colleges. Colleges are in the fall and auditions would be Jan.or Feb., right? And there's no guarantee she'd even get a coveted spot as an apprentice or trainee. I do have Pointe magazine's college book. I think I need to dust it off.

[Emma]

And we are NOT in a major city with lots of opportunities. She is actually at the only classical ballet school in town, and we're commuting 2 hrs to another school to train even more. Our school is small and while it is good, most of the students are only there for recreation. Our teacher is fairly burned out, and since she hasn't turned out many professional dancers, I don't think she really cares much anymore. She has said that my dd is a gorgeous ballerina and has a lot of potential.

[JanetC]

I've looked at a few programs that provide some type of housing for their trainees or apprentices, but most do not, and I'm not sure i want her living in an apartment, in a strange city, alone, at 17.

 

Dance careers often contain "gut check" moments like these where dancers or their families have to decide whether it is worth it or not. Parents do move across country with their kids for dance opportunities. The ballet mistress at our ballet school had to establish her 17 year old daughter in an apartment in a city several hours away to get her into a different dance company when the local ballet company school declined to move her up to the corps.

 

[dewdropfairy]

She is going to a summer intensive this year (Orlando). The trouble begins next year... After she's graduated from high school. She truly doesn't want to go to college right now. I've looked at a few programs that provide some type of housing for their trainees or apprentices, but most do not, and I'm not sure i want her living in an apartment, in a strange city, alone, at 17. Also, audition season is well after the time to apply for colleges. Colleges are in the fall and auditions would be Jan.or Feb., right? And there's no guarantee she'd even get a coveted spot as an apprentice or trainee. I do have Pointe magazine's college book. I think I need to dust it off.

 

Her best bet right now is to not cut herself off from any options. Attending a good quality summer intensive is a great start (which OBS is). In the Fall/Spring she can apply for some colleges with good dance programs (they will also require auditions for the ballet majors) and she can attend auditions for companies and apprenticeships as well. See what feels right. See what pans out. Maybe she'll receive good leads/scholarships/encouragement from a certain program or company. Keep her options open, see what piques her interest, and go from there. Cast a wide net and see who picks her out of the crowd.

 

My mother had that "gut check" moment a PP was talking about, and fortunately for me she let me pursue my dream. It was tough for her but it worked to my advantage.

 

ETA: The thing that makes a ballet career so different from most, is that there is no single linear path that everyone follows to achieve it. You want to become a doctor? Great! You work hard in school, take the MCAT, apply then go to med school, do your residency, etc. Ballet is different. Some are plucked straight out of company schools into companies. Some are discovered at the big cattle call auditions. Some attend summer intensives and are invited to year round programs and then into trainee programs. Some attend college first and then audition or find jobs with contacts they made during their college days. Some receive company contracts after a great showing at a big ballet competition. There is no one path. Her best bet is to try many paths.

[kentuckymom]

As the mother of an eight year old who dances for recreation I have no good advice, but it sounds like you're pursuing the right avenues for now. It's possible that she'll make contacts at the summer intensive this year that could set her up for the future. For now, my advice (which you can feel free to ignore since I've never been in your place) is to take a deep breath, make sure your daughter is prepared for the summer intensive, and see what happens.

[AngelaNYC]

My daughter will be a senior next year, and wants to pursue her ballet. She isn't interested in college, but will go if we force her. :). She has expressed interest in possibly taking some online college classes. ( which I didn't know you could do.) Does anyone here have a daughter pursuing dance? I really don't know what to do next, and her teacher is absolutely no help. How do I find a ballet school, company, trainee spot for a 17 yr old?

 

My daughter will also be a senior next year and is pursuing dance. She was homeschooled until 8th grade and then went to a performing arts high school. She has a career management class next year and every month there is a parent meeting on various colleges, conservatories, and careers. It's great, but I still feel a bit lost and overwhelmed like you do. Dd wants to do it all - audition for companies, Broadway, and other shows, she wants to teach, be a major choreographer, be in music videos & stage concerts, and eventually own her own studio. She is more contemporary, jazz, & hip-hop rather than ballet. College is not in the cards for her, but she'll still audition for Juilliard and AMDA. She dreams big, but you have to in this field. We live in NYC so it's a bit easier to be a part of it all. The only advice I have is to be on constant lookout for programs, schools, companies, and other opportunities. Just getting out there in the dance world can lead to many connections. The BalletTalk site has a lot of ideas, too.