Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education’s Academy Program and Summer Professional Intensive Offer the Next Steps Toward Professional Life

Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education’s Academy Program, first established in 1998 and revamped in 2015 under current artistic director Gennadi Nedvigin, prepares its students with the tools they need to find success—at Atlanta Ballet and beyond. The program provides top-quality training to students ages 8 to 22, with a strong emphasis on professional development for dancers of high school and college ages. With a dedicated faculty member overseeing the progress of each level throughout the year, students gain personal attention as they advance through the program; its highest level is Atlanta Ballet 2 (AB2).

“Our students benefit from training and sharing space with the professional company,” says Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education dean Sharon Story, who notes that the most advantageous aspect of the program may be aspiring artists’ exposure to “the day-to-day life of professional dancers.” The Academy Program provides rigorous classes taught by accomplished faculty, and rehearsals and performance opportunities equip students with the experience they need to take their careers to the next level. Academy dancers perform yearly in Atlanta Ballet’s The Nutcracker and in annual one-hour family ballets, in which AB2 has principal roles. AB2 rehearses with the main company during large productions and performs its own additional repertory in the bustling metro Atlanta community throughout the year. Admission to AB2 is by audition or selection from the Academy or Summer Professional Intensive only.

Nedvigin places a strong emphasis on promoting from the Academy Program and AB2; to date, 12 out of the 40 company dancers are Academy Program alumni. The Summer Professional Intensive, in which students receive coaching and learn company repertoire from Atlanta Ballet répétiteurs, is a recommended stepping stone for students interested in joining the Academy or AB2, or eventually the main company.

The Academy Program also benefits from the company’s team of dance-trained medical and wellness professionals who oversee students’ physical, mental and emotional health. Its mentorship program, Educate. Motivate. Elevate., provides students with life skills and introduces them to professions outside of dance to inspire excellence in all facets of their lives. Need-based, merit and foreign-dancer scholarships are available to qualifying students. The Centre for Dance Education is accredited with the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Program size: AB2: 18; Summer Professional Intensive: 25 per level, maximum
Age ranges: Academy: 8–19; AB2 16–22; Summer: 12–22
Performance opportunities: AB’s The Nutcracker, annual full-length family ballet, spring concert, performances at the end of summer programs
Tuition: See website for ranges
Room/board: Provided during summer programs only
Daily schedule: Level-dependent
Additional opportunities: AB2 trains with the main company twice per week and has opportunities to perform in its larger ballets, along with AB2-specific repertory.
Alumni: American Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, L.A. Dance Project, New York City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet and several other European companies
Important dates: Academy Program admission: rolling; Summer Program Audition Tour: begins January 2023 (video applications will not be accepted)

Ready to take the next step toward your professional career? Visit the Atlanta Ballet Academy Program website to learn more.