TRAINEE PROGRAM
The Ballet North Texas Trainee Program offers advanced dancers a direct pathway into the professional world of ballet. Trainees train and rehearse alongside company artists, gaining firsthand experience with the demands and expectations of a professional environment.
Participants are fully integrated into company life—joining daily classes, rehearsals, and select performances, including full-length classical ballets such as The Nutcracker, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swan Lake, and a range of contemporary repertory works by resident and guest choreographers.
Designed as a two-year experience, the program allows dancers to grow technically and artistically while building the professionalism required for a successful career. With a 75% promotion rate into the main company, the Ballet North Texas Trainee Program provides not just training—but a true launching pad for young artists.
Our Mission
The Ballet North Texas Trainee Program exists to cultivate the next generation of professional dancers by offering meaningful performance opportunities, immersive technical training, and direct experience within a professional company setting.
Through participation in both mainstage productions and community outreach performances, trainees develop as artists while contributing to BNT’s mission of enriching the North Texas community through exceptional dance. The growth and visibility of our trainees strengthen the company’s long-term vision and artistic foundation.
Training
The Ballet North Texas Trainee Program offers a comprehensive training schedule designed to support each dancer’s technical refinement and artistic growth. Trainees receive instruction in classical ballet, pointe, variations, contemporary, modern, and conditioning, along with dedicated rehearsal time to prepare for company productions and outreach performances.
While technical excellence remains the foundation, a strong emphasis is placed on performance readiness—developing the discipline, stamina, and versatility required for company-level work, touring, and public engagements.
The full value of the Trainee Program is $9,000 per year; however, each dancer accepted into the program receives a partial scholarship, reducing the total tuition to $5,500 per year. This investment includes daily training with Ballet North Texas’s artistic staff, individual coaching, and valuable performance experience as part of the company’s season.
Performances
Ballet North Texas Trainees are actively involved in the company’s performance season, appearing in select mainstage productions alongside professional company members. From full-length ballets to contemporary works, trainees gain meaningful stage experience in a professional setting.
In addition to company productions, trainees participate in community outreach programs, festivals, and other public performances throughout the year—expanding their versatility and deepening their connection to the North Texas arts community.
The season culminates in the Conservatory Showcase, where trainees perform featured roles and demonstrate the technical and artistic development achieved over the course of the year.
Joining BNT Trainee Program
All applicants to the Ballet North Texas Trainee Program must attend a BNT audition or submit a video audition as part of the preliminary selection process.
Dancers accepted into the program are required to attend the full Summer Intensive, which serves as both a training opportunity and a final evaluation for Trainee placement.
The Trainee Program is designed as a two-year experience, with continued participation in a second year available by invitation only, based on individual progress, professionalism, and alignment with company standards.
Sample Schedule
Housing and Transportation
Trainee dancers are responsible for arranging their own housing during the season. While Ballet North Texas does not offer year-round housing, we are happy to assist by connecting incoming trainees and company members with established dancers and local contacts who may have housing leads or shared rental opportunities.
Trainees must also secure their own transportation to and from the studio, rehearsals, and performance venues. Carpooling is often arranged informally among dancers, and we encourage open communication within the company to help support those relocating to the Dallas area.
