Pre-Pro schools with Residence Program AND GOOD ACADEMIC PROGRAM

[dorothykwok]

I am 13 years old and I have been dancing for quite a few years, training mostly in jazz and contemporary. I am also starting train ballet intensively this year. I also have quite good academics, one of the top students in my year. My school follows the IGCSE and IB program, and I have high hopes of getting in good colleges like Harvard and Oxford. However, this year I started researching into a dance career and am thinking about going to a ballet boarding school.

 

My question is:

 

Does any of you know a boarding ballet school that offers a very good academic program as well, so I can enter well known colleges in the future?

[/ballet/]

My DD is considering Boston Ballet's pre professional program. From my understanding they have a residence and have a partnership with the Newman school. The Newman school seems to have outstanding academics and students can get a full IB diploma.

[learningdance]

North Carolina School of the Arts has strong academics. They have had several National Merit Scholars.

 

National Ballet School of Canada has good academics (I don't know much about the Canadian system.)

 

School of America Ballet affiliates with Professional Children's School which has strong academics (See a list of colleges). It's pricey though.

 

Many kids do very well with rigorous online programs. Stanford has a program and so does George Washington.

[blochhead]

I would second North Carolina School of the Arts. They don't have IB, but they have several AP classes, and some students go to top schools, if that's your goal. For out of state, it is also less expensive than the private options I've seen. You can concentrate in ballet, but they also have an amazing contemporary dance program. You do have to choose between the two though - ballet students only take a little contemporary, and vice versa. Good luck with your search!

[birchbark]

I highly recommend Bossov Ballet Theatre at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, Maine. MCI is a town academy - a private school that is contracted to provide the high school education for the town, but retains many of the freedoms of a private boarding school. Students attend MCI from all around the world. For the ballet boarders (and the local ballet students), they participate in the full academic schedule in addition to their ballet studies.

 

For academics, classes are broken into eight blocks, four per day. Currently, ballet classes for the advanced group are held in the morning during blocks 1 & 2 (8:00-10:50), then students attend academic classes for blocks 3 & 4, and then 5-8 on the opposite day. This is in addition to the daily afternoon ballet classes. Classes are held every afternoon/evening and Saturdays.

 

Full disclosure: I have a daughter at Bossov and I teach at MCI. We offer a wide variety of AP courses, electives, and clubs.

[vrsfanatic]

The HARID Conservatory has students attend Harvard, Columbia and Oxford. One immediately following high school. The other two, after completing their performing careers.

[dancemaven]

Dorothy, you will find dedicated threads on all these programs (along with many others) in our Pre-Professional Schools/Residence Programs Forum:

 

http://dancers.invisionzone.com/index.php?showforum=147

[Frances030]

Dorothy, The Cleveland Ballet and Andrews Osborne Academy are in partnership with each other. Andrews Osborne Academy is an academic international boarding school with strong academics and the ballet training would be at the Cleveland Ballet.

Edited September 19, 2018 by Frances030

[Ballet dragon]

My DS goes to Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. We have been extremely happy with the balance of academic rigor and strong ballet training. There are a number of AP courses available. Class sizes are small, which facilitates lots of active learning. And, importantly for us, the academics and arts fall under one roof, so there are scheduling accommodations for things like tech weeks. The academic teachers do a very nice job weaving the arts into their curriculum. I've posted extensively on the Interlochen BT4D site. It is most definitely a college prep school. Almost all seniors go on to college, mostly to institutions that offer audition-only dance majors. Feel free to reach out to me there if you have more questions.