ABT Jackie Onassis School

[BW]

Not to worry!

[l2daisygirl]

Are families considering moving across country for 1.5 hours-2 hours (maybe) of training per day in the younger level? That seems like a gamble to me.

[Guest balletparent13]

I agree my dd is 13 and dances 20 plus hours a week with at least 14 of those hours being ballet classes and ballet rehearsals. She would be be reducing her hours by more than half. Even with the excellent teachers that doesn't make since.

[Guest balletparent13]

oops sense

[chaperone]

balletparent13~

 

I was also wondering about the few hours of classes that the 12 to 14 year olds are going to have. My daughter had been taking at least 3 hours of Ballet per day for the past 3 years(without rehearsals). She is now 14 years old.

[BW]

A quick aside here, balletparent13, I want to give you a quick welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers and hope that you'll become involved in many discussions on the board.

 

Take your time and get to know the board and before you know it you'll be an old hand!

[LRS]

When were the auditions for the younger students for this school? Were the auditions advertised for the younger students? How did you find out about the auditions? Were they held with the SI auditions? My dd would have loved to audition for this school if only we had known.

[chaperone]

LRS~

 

Good Question! I only saw advertised on the ABT website that they held auditions for 13 to 18year olds(high school students) on April 15th:

http://www.abt.org/education/jko_school.asp

 

My daughter did not audition, but she decided that she would rather just attend ABT Summer Intensive. She did not think that she would stand a chance of getting in anyway.

 

I am sure that the younger group that auditioned are all probably from local schools in the NY City area or nearby. I never saw it advertised anywhere, unless I missed it.

[mcrm55]

I agree. I never saw it advertised, and I live pretty close by. But from what I hear, the kids ignore the age limit and audition anyway. They figure if they are good enough, they will be invited to stay. Sadly, there is also a certain amount of lying about age, either up or down, as no one asks for birth certificates except Suzanne Farrell, as far as I can make out. But some may just have auditioned for the summer, when the age limit is 12, isn't it?, and been asked if they would consider the winter program (?).

[dcportrait]

[ Sadly, there is also a certain amount of lying about age, either up or down, as no one asks for birth certificates except Suzanne Farrell, as far as I can make out.

 

I know they ask for birth certificates for the ABT summer programs - we were required to submit a copy of the birth certificate each year.

Last year, the age was listed as 14-18. This year, they lowered it to 13. Fall 2005-June 2006 will only be the 2nd full year of this new school. I'm sure they'll be "fine tuning" it as they go along! (and as the popularity increases..)

[xlilnysweetix]

sorry ... one more question about going to school ... do you go to like a private school .. or public ? because my school would not let me leave that early ... and do most of the students attend schools in the city ?

[Guest dancrgrl92l]

I was thinking of auditioning here for classes during high school---is it a good school? I mean they say it's only 20 dancers.....?

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello dancrgrl, welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers!

 

ABT's program is highly selective, and if you are fortunate enough to get in, I think it would be a fine program. But keep in mind that there will be hundreds auditioning, and they choose very, very few each year.

[tu2hunny]

I go to a public school = it took some arguments and convincing to be able to get out as early as I do, but it was easier for me because I am a senior and only needed a certain amount of credits to graduate. Some go to private schools as well and I think they had an easier time arranging thier schedules to fit. I live in NJ and go to high school here - not all of us attend school in the NYC area -only those who live there attend. Like I posted before - The rest who moved here from different states do homeschooling. I love the school. Yes, there are only a few of us and I think that is better- teachers and staff know who we are. It an amazing experience to have all of these ballet idols teaching our classes and to see the stars of the ballet world rehearsing and taking class in the studio right next door. As for the youger levels, we know just as much as anyone else - only that they are considering having one and were looking at the younger dancers at the auditions. I don't know how many they will take or what thier schedule will be. I think they are still trying to figure out exactly what they want to do.

[xlilnysweetix]

it sounds like a beyond amazing school ! and i know all of us are dreaming of being accepted ! ..... and the school issue would im sure be worked out for anyone because i dont think anyone could pass up an opportunity like that if that's what you really want to do with your life ! .......... do you know how many people they take off their waiting list from the audition ? or is it mainly the ny summer intensive ?