Audition for the Dayton Ballet II (DBII), Dayton Ballet’s pre-professional training company, will be held on Friday, September 4, 2015 in the Downtown Dayton studio on the 4th floor of the Victoria Theatre, 140 North Main Street, Dayton, OH. Male and female dancers ages 10 and up are encouraged to audition.
DBII consists of a Junior Company (ages 10-14 – must not be older than 14 between the dates of September 2015 and May 2016) and a Senior Company (age 14 and older). Members of both companies may have performance opportunities with main stage productions of Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the three art forms that comprise the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance.
“September 2015 begins the 88th season for the Dayton Ballet School, founded by Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, and the 78th season of the Dayton Ballet,” said Carol Jean Heller, director of the Dayton Ballet School. “We are the only ballet school in the Miami Valley affiliated with a professional dance company.”
Junior Auditions begin at 4:30 pm, and Senior Auditions begin at 6:00 pm. Registration begins 30 minutes prior to both audition sessions. Young women auditioning for DBII Senior Company should bring pointe shoes. There is no fee to audition or to participate. If selected, the only fee involved will be the cost of classes.
DBII Junior students are expected to take three ballet classes each week, as well as one weekly scholarship conditioning/fitness class.
DBII Senior students take three ballet classes and two pointe classes per week, as well as scholarship classes that include, but are not limited to, two ballet classes with the professional company per week and two conditioning/fitness classes per week. Many DBII Senior members have been fortunate enough to be accepted into summer programs at the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Virginia School of the Arts. DBII alumni have been accepted into prestigious ballet companies such as San Francisco Ballet, Washington Ballet, BalletMet and Montgomery Ballet.
Members of DBII receive opportunities for performances throughout the school year. Performances have included the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Program, the annual Wright State University Dance Concert series, lecture demonstrations for the Dayton Foundation, and Dayton Ballet School’s annual performances. Additionally, DBII company members may have the chance to participate in Dayton Ballet’s 2015-2016 professional productions of The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Romeo and Juliet at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center.
For additional information about Dayton Ballet II auditions, please contact the official school of Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Ballet School, at (937) 224-3521 x1222.
About the Dayton Ballet
The second-oldest ballet company in the United States, Dayton Ballet is known internationally as “The Company of Premieres.” As one of the top three dance companies in the nation that produces and presents new work, as well as the only dance company to establish a fund designated specifically to create new full-length 21st-century ballets, the organization takes special pride in having celebrated its 75th anniversary in the 2012–2013 season.
Dayton Ballet hosts a season of four performances that includes familiar traditional ballets, the classic family-friendly holiday staple The Nutcracker, and new and innovative works. Our “homes” are the historic 1,139 seat Victoria Theatre and the state-of-the-art Schuster Center, which accommodates 2,300 patrons. Over 40 performances are presented in the two venues throughout the season. While performances are Dayton Ballet’s most high-profile events, it is our commitment to dance education, training, and outreach that remains at the core of our existence and allows us to develop future audiences through the Dayton Ballet II Company, featuring pre-professional training and performing and our local association with Muse Machine. In addition, our Non-Profit Partners Program allows us to work with community agencies assisting special populations by distributing 1,000 tickets to at-risk youths, senior citizens, handicapped or terminally ill individuals and military families so that they may experience the joy of a ballet performance. Numerous adults enjoy pre-performance lectures and post-performance discussions with Dayton Ballet dancers, choreographers, and other artists.
About the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the community, offering a tremendous variety of performance and education programs and setting a new standard for artistic excellence. Dayton Performing Arts Alliance performances are made possible in part by Montgomery County and Culture Works, the single largest source of community funds for the arts and culture in the Miami Valley. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance also receives partial funding from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency created to foster and encourage the development of the arts and to preserve Ohio’s cultural heritage. Funding from the Ohio Arts Council is an investment of state tax dollars that promotes economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohio residents. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance is proud to be one of five performing arts organizations in the country selected to receive a three-year “Music Alive” grant from New Music USA and the League of American Orchestras.