Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS) is gearing up for its annual national audition tour, meeting Canada’s talented and passionate young dancers. The 2023/2024 tour will visit six major city hubs and includes online auditions to open the door for aspiring dancers to audition from across Canada and the globe.
“Dancing opens doors to an exciting world of limitless possibilities, and our Professional
Ballet Program supports young dancers in unlocking their potential and pursuing their dreams,” said Mavis Staines, NBS’ Artistic Director and CEO. “We look forward to experiencing the passion and magic of the next generation of artists through this year’s in-person and online auditions.”
NBS’s Professional Ballet Program offers Olympic-calibre dance training, academic instruction and on-site residence accommodations — all on the same campus located in Toronto — for students in grades 6 to 12, and post-secondary students. The program helps students develop as well-rounded artists and prepare for limitless future pathways. NBS Alumni succeed in a diverse range of career paths including dancers, dance teachers, choreographers, artistic directors, leaders in the arts, social changemakers, doctors, academics, psychologists, filmmakers, lawyers and so much more.
“Under NBS’s guidance, we have witnessed our son’s talent flourish and his skills soar to new heights,” said a parent to a NBS Professional Ballet Program student. “The opportunities he has been given to learn from esteemed instructors and collaborate with fellow dancers have been invaluable. The positive and inclusive environment NBS has cultivated has enabled our son to explore his artistic expression freely, allowing him to discover his own unique style and voice as a dancer.”
Home to iconic ballet dancers like Siphe November, Jessica Xuan and Ryan Tomash, and graduates who are part of over 80 ballet and dance companies across the globe, NBS is at the forefront of dance training internationally.
Canada’s NBS believes that dance education should be accessible to all members of the community and works to remove barriers so that talent and passion are the sole criterion for entry to the Professional Ballet Program.
Professional Ballet-Academic Program auditions are open to students entering Grades 6 to 12 in September 2024. Prior dance training is not essential for children under 12 years of age.
Post-secondary Company Life Program auditions are open to students who have completed high school in a rigorous full-time dance program and wish to prepare for professional careers.
The audition process takes place in two stages:
Stage One: Audition in-person or online. Students who have successfully auditioned will be invited to join stage two of the audition process.
Stage Two: Attend Summer School. Students who have successfully auditioned will be invited to join the full-time Professional Ballet Program for the 2024/25 school year.
From the more than 1,000 young dancers who audition each year, about 175 are chosen to participate in the second-stage assessment.
Canada’s NBS’s annual auditions are offered in-person and online, welcoming students from across Canada and worldwide. During their audition, all dancers will experience a class with a live musician and NBS’ renowned teachers. In-person and online auditions will be weighted equally.
In-person auditions:
October 19-20: Calgary
October 21-22: Vancouver
October 21-22: Halifax
October 23: St. John’s
November 11-12: Quebec City
January 13-14: Toronto
February 10-11: Toronto
Online auditions:
November to February
To learn more about NBS’s Professional Ballet Program, and to register for auditions happening in major cities and across Canada, visit www.nbs-enb.ca/train-develop/audition.
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