men's program

[robinmc]

My DS and I are looking for a university which has a strong men's ballet program?

[Guest sehoy13]

I would love to know the answer to this.

[Hans]

I recommend Indiana University at Bloomington. I had the opportunity to take a men's class there and it was excellent.

[Ed McPherson]

Indiana will have an unusually high need for guys next year.

[Guest sehoy13]

Ed and Hans, could you tell us about the men's program at Indiana? I've searched this site and looked at the school's site, too. How many men's classes and partenering classes are offered each week? What would make this school a good option for a male dancer? From the site, I didn't see that video audtions were available. Are they?

 

Who would the ideal male student be?

 

And, um, are scholarships available? (gotta ask)

[Ed McPherson]

mods, this might be best suited in a different thread?

 

sehoy13,

 

Indiana is currently in a bit of flux. There isn’t a chair of the department. That said, there is not a distinct "men's program"

 

We have a full men’s technique class on Fridays. During the week right after technique classes with the girls we will have 30-45 min men’s classes, either two or three of these a week depending on rehearsal schedules.

 

The department is currently being run like a company, I believe this is due to the lack of a chair. But from what I have gathered in the year and a half I have been here is that it seems for the last 5 years there as been a stronger sense of company over school mentality. A fair number of the dancers here, if I had to guess I'd say 1/3, have already performed with companies they generally take things to another level, another reason why the school mentality has been thrown out.

 

because of this pas de deux classes are not offered. We go straight from technique or mens class, or pointe in the girls case, to rehearsals. We do a lot of rehearsing each day because we put up programs pretty quickly. Fall ballet in 6 weeks, this year Nutcracker in 5. In regards to partnering generally the first week of the rehearsal process is comprised of many couples, somewhere around 8-10, learning the pas de deux sections in an audition type process. More often than not the parts have already been cast and this is more of a procedural thing. Some of us choose to approach those rehearsals as classes and others use that week as the time to "steal parts" from the dancers the faculty initially plan to use it just depends, maybe, on how catty you are. Unless you are cast in a role that includes partnering that will be the extent of it.

 

I think Indiana is a good place for men that are close to making the step up to a company setting. If you want to try to avoid the trainee and apprenticeship steps of moving up through a company Indiana can be a good place for you. It will really strengthen boys and give them great soloist performance opportunities. With only 45 dancers its one of the only places that puts every freshman in every show, and lets them have respectable parts. One of the freshman boys had a soloist role in one of the pieces in the fall ballet this year.

 

The video thing is a tricky issue, I dont want to contradict the schools public stance. I think the school would tell you that video auditions are not allowed, that might be a policy set by the school of music and not the department of ballet. But either way that should be clear enough.

 

I think in college, regardless of the school, any male student is an ideal student.

 

I am pretty confident all the boys are on scholarship however no one ever gets more than 20% of tuition and board, which is a shame because boys dance for free at most college programs in the country. Its one of the downsides of public education....

 

its important to say that while I have used some numbers here, none of it is official. To say they are anything more than my best guesses would be giving me too much credit, and responsibility for their correctness.

[Ed McPherson]

ABT is doing a collegiate summer intensive this year from May30-june16. I am planning on going with a friend from school here. I am sure some other BalletTalkers will be there. That will be a great way to see what kind of dancers colleges are producing.

[robinmc]

Ed thank you for all this great information. My DS was at the Rock this summer with a few of your fellow classmates and was very impressed with them.

 

I am not sure what he will do, as he will graduate this year just turning 17. I do believe he should acquire a college degree, as you never know what the future holds...he will either continue with Orlando Ballet for a couple more years and do on line college credits and then transfer. My son states that this is the best program out there for men at this time.

 

Again thank you for all you info.

[bunhead mom]

With only 45 dancers its one of the only places that puts every freshman in every show, and lets them have respectable parts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ed- Is that 45 students in the entire dance program? How many of those are male? My daughter know a couple of students in the ballet program, but didn't see one of their names in the Fall performance program. Do all students perform in the Fall program, or are only the leads listed?

[Ed McPherson]

bunhead mom,

 

There are roughtly 45 dancers in the program, I think it might be 47 this year.

 

There are 10 men, and about 35 women. Everyone that wasnt injured performed in Fall Ballet, they only put the leads bios up. But I believe there was a page on that website that had the program bill and all the dancers in each piece on it.