The Washington School of Ballet’s New Director Can’t Wait to Meet You
Meet Zoica Tovar, the new director of The Washington School of Ballet. She’s performed as a principal dancer with the Classical Ballet of Havana, Orlando Ballet, and BalletMet, but she’s always loved teaching most.
“The Cuban National Ballet School, from which I graduated includes ballet pedagogy and methodology as part of its training,” she says. “In the same way I loved performing, I was equally passionate about passing on to younger dancers what my own teachers had shared with me.”
TWSB was an obvious choice for Tovar, both for its high-quality education and long list of student resources. “What drew me to The Washington Ballet was the opportunity to continue working with our artistic director, Edwaard Liang—I had previously worked with Edwaard for ten years at BalletMet,” she says. “The chance to continue that artistic relationship while joining such a vibrant organization and community made Washington Ballet a very exciting next step.”
The school has two campuses (the Northwest Campus and the Southeast Campus), serving everyone from baby ballerinas to pre-professional stars. Faculty from around the world teach ballet technique alongside pointe, variations, partnering, contemporary, flamenco, character, jazz, and more. This season, students across various levels have the opportunity to perform alongside the company in The Nutcracker, Dracula, and Romeo & Juliet. In addition, Trainee and Junior Trainee students participate in three separate showings throughout the year.
The summer programs, Tovar says, are the best introduction to TWSB that prospective students could ask for. The five-week TWSB Summer Intensives, split between both campuses, feature the same range of classes as year-round students, plus newly added studies in composition and dance history.
Not ready for five weeks? Junior Repertory Week, for dancers ages 11–15, features technique and repertoire classes which culminate in a final performance. Company Repertory Week offers the same for those 16 and up. The school also hosts four-week summer programs for students in the Lower Division and children’s programs, featuring pre-ballet and creative-dance foundations.
“From my perspective, the most important factors when a student is choosing a summer intensive are the classes being offered, the quality of the faculty, and what the program will add to a student’s overall training and development,” Tovar says. Washington School of Ballet checks all these boxes.
The Washington School of Ballet Summer Intensives
Program size: 150 (5-Week Summer Intensive at NW Campus); 55 (5-Week Summer Intensive at SE Campus)
Age range: 12–21
Performance opportunities: The intensives conclude at the end of July with four performances, which dancers spend 90 minutes each day learning and rehearsing choreography for.
Tuition: Please see the website for the most current pricing information.
Room/board: Available at 2 university locations, with a dedicated team of chaperones. 60–80 students live on campus, while the rest commute as day students.
Daily schedule: Monday–Friday, 9:15 am–5 pm (times approximate)
Additional opportunities: Junior Repertory Program, Company Repertory Intensive, and Creative Dance and Lower Division summer programs.
Alumni: Chelsea Clinton, Georgia Engel, Virginia Johnson, Shirley MacLaine, Kevin McKenzie, and Amanda McKerrow.
Important dates 2027: In-person auditions January–March. Video auditions accepted until May 31.
To learn more about TWSB’s summer programs and how to submit a video audition, visit here.
