Guide to Getting In: Admissions and Joffrey Ballet School’s Acceptance Rate
One of the questions we get asked most frequently is how to get admitted to a Joffrey Ballet School summer dance intensive or year round intensive, and what is our admissions policy?
We understand the fascination; after all, for a young dancer there’s a lot riding on those applications and you want to know what are your chances of getting in. You’re also wondering whether our admissions are considered competitive or not. On the one hand, getting into an exclusive program is a feather in your cap and can be helpful down the road as you build your curriculum vitae; on the other hand…who wants to be turned down?
We totally get it and we’ve got a few answers for you in today’s blog.
What is Joffrey Ballet School’s Acceptance Rate?
“What is Joffrey Ballet School’s Acceptance Rate?” is one of the top search terms on our website so we know a lot of people online are wondering about it. Unfortunately, there’s not a specific number we can share for a couple of reasons. One reason is that it can vary widely from year to year, and from session to session. Another is our unique status as a school that holds multiple intensives across the country: simply put, we are able to be flexible with how many dancers we admit.
It’s widely known that our New York City intensives are among the best and most competitive dance programs in the country. However, don’t let that scare you. As a general rule, Joffrey Ballet School strives to make space for dancers with potential. And with summer dance intensives in nearly a dozen locations across the United States (and London!), along with multiple sessions and styles all summer long, we generally have the ability to work with dancers who want to join us. We make every effort to find space at an intensive that will be right for you, and you will still be working with the same artistic directors and many of the same instructors that you could study under in New York.
Another fact we can share in regards to our acceptance rate is that our admissions are highly competitive. We base acceptance to each intensive on each dancer’s performance in a 90 minute audition with our artistic directors. The artistic director then evaluates and selects the dancers for our intensives. We offer multiple intensives in multiple locations and sessions, so that gives them some flexibility about who they let in, and where.
By the way, whether or not to admit a dancer to our intensives program isn’t the only thing we assess during your audition. We’re also considering which level you will be placed in for that intensive (beginner through advanced), which team you’ll be part of, as well as whether you are a candidate for our year round training program or one of our scholarships worth thousands of dollars.
So you definitely want to come prepared and be ready to impress us!
What is Joffrey Ballet School Admission Process?
Getting into our summer dance intensives or year round training program starts with a call to our admissions office to register for an audition with us. Our auditions are typically held at partnering studios around the country and in Europe during the spring for admissions to that year’s summer intensives. You can find the full listing of our auditions on our website; simply choose the audition location and time that is most convenient for you.
We also offer the opportunity to provide us with a video audition in the event that traveling to one of our audition locations isn’t possible for you. We recently posted a blog about “How to Create the Perfect Audition Video,” so that’s a great resource if you’re wondering how to make a video that will impress our Artistic Directors.
The next step is to prepare to impress us when you attend your audition! Remember that our audition is like a 90 minute seminar with one of our master instructors. They will be observing form and providing corrections, just as they would in a regular class. They’ll be evaluating your skills and technique as well as a multitude of other factors.
Our instructors love to work with dancers with great technique and help them become even better, but keep in mind that your existing body of knowledge is just one of the things they are looking for during the audition. They’re also looking for passion (don’t forget to smile!), as well as intangibles like “coachability,” great attitude, listening skills and other factors that determine whether a dancer can benefit from attending one of our intensives.
(Wondering what else we’re looking for? Check out our post about “What Do Ballet Schools Really Look For” to determine how you can impress our ADs!)
After your intensive, results are posted online so you can see whether you were admitted to our intensives, and which sessions you’ve been selected to attend.
Ready to Join Joffrey for the Summer of Your Life?
Now that you understand how we select and admit dancers to our summer dance intensives and year round training programs, what are you waiting for? Contact us now to register for an audition and get ready to have the summer of your life, dancing with the best in the business!
Founded in 1953 by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, Joffrey Ballet School maintains the vision of its founders to transform passionate dance students into versatile, individualistic artists able to collaborate and evolve fluidly in a fast-changing society. With an accredited dance program that offers two core areas of study – ballet and jazz/contemporary – JBS is known for its diverse curriculum and has the largest summer intensive training program in the country.
