Auditions & Admission
The School’s Winter Term runs from September through June. Study in the Winter Term is for beginning, intermediate and advanced students, 6* to 18 years old. Admission to the Winter Term is by audition only.
*Children must be 6 years old by September 1 to audition and enroll for that year’s Winter Term. Note that 4, 5, and children 6 years old as of September 2 are eligible to enroll in SAB’s online Little Dancers classes, for which no auditions are needed. The Fall Session of Little Dancers begins in September and the Winter Session begins in late January. Learn More.
Admission Criteria
Applicants are evaluated as follows:
The School of American Ballet looks at each applicant as an individual. The School is selective in admitting new students and renewing their enrollment from year to year. Applicants must be young enough to derive the maximum benefit from their training, enjoy excellent health and have an anatomical structure suited to the demands of classical dance: a well-proportioned, flexible, coordinated body, legs that easily adopt the turned-out condition, and a high instep. They must also possess musical aptitude and a natural gift for movement.
Winter Term Auditions
Winter Term auditions are held in the spring for 6-10 year olds and in September for 11-18 year olds. Students ages 12-18 who are not local are encouraged to audition for our 5-week Summer Course during which they will be considered for admission to our Winter Term. Click the link below to view more information about Winter Term Auditions.
Spring Auditions for 6-10 year olds
Tuition and Fees
Tuition rates for 2024-25 will be posted in mid-May 2024. Upon enrollment, families are responsible for the full year’s tuition and fees as outlined in the enrollment agreement. If a student withdraws during the year, any balance due will still be collected and no refunds of payments to-date will be made. A 10-month installment plan is available for children enrolled in all levels.
Scholarships
The School has an extensive financial aid program for students at all levels whose financial situations necessitate assistance with expenses. Scholarships range from ballet class tuition only, to awards to be applied to residence hall expenses, travel, and academic high school tuition. Parents who wish to be considered for financial aid must submit an application upon acceptance, and re-enrolling students must reapply annually. SAB’s financial aid support may be adjusted from year to year as a result of changes in a family’s need.
Residential Program Admissions
Students above the age of 14 who do not reside in the New York metropolitan area may be invited to live in SAB’s onsite residence hall as a component of their acceptance into Winter Term. The majority of residential invitations are extended to Summer Course students whom the faculty invites to continue their training at SAB by enrolling in the Winter Term. Remaining spaces in the residence hall, if any, may be offered to students who attend the fall audition in early September.
Resident student expenses for the 2024-2025 Winter Term will be posted in mid-May. Upon enrollment, families are responsible for the fees as outlined in the enrollment agreement. If a student moves out of the dorm for any reason during the year, any balance due will still be collected and no refunds of payments to-date will be made.
Note, SAB requires that all students living in SAB’s Residence Hall have health insurance coverage. Coverage must be for emergency and non-emergency care in NYC and must be valid through the entire Winter Term.
Re-Enrollment
The School assesses students’ progress on an ongoing basis, and evaluations are made in consultation with all teachers. Recommendations regarding advancement are given to students and parents at the end of each term. Recommendations are based on a student’s age, and technical and physical development. The School takes into account that a child’s body often changes considerably over time, as does his or her attitude towards the progressively demanding curriculum. The most important transitions occur as the student approaches the high-Intermediate Division, when the School requires attendance at classes that conflict with most academic school schedules, and the Advanced Division when professional potential must be readily apparent.
Winter Term students enrolled in any given school year who have been accepted for the following year must reserve a place for their future class by signing a re-enrollment form and paying the first installment in early June.
Completion of Training
SAB does not award diplomas to its students. The element of time and the earning of credits that are so important for obtaining degrees in academic fields are less applicable in the field of professional dance training. The number of years of ballet instruction necessary to the formation of a dancer varies not only with the individual talent of a student but also with the age at which instruction was begun, the intensiveness of the courses attended, and the quality of instruction received before enrolling at SAB. Moreover, a dancer’s training continues beyond formal training at SAB, and completion should not be marked arbitrarily by the delivery of a certificate. A dancer’s education at SAB may be considered successfully completed when he or she is deemed ready to join a professional company. As a general rule, students who are unable to achieve this goal, or who are uninterested, are discouraged early from continuing their training at the school.
The School of American Ballet has a nondiscrimination policy with respect to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, sexual orientation, national origin or any other protected characteristic in administration of its education policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs or any other school-administered programs.