Posted April 10, 2015
DAYTON, OH (April 10, 2015) – Auditions for Dayton Ballet II, Dayton Ballet’s pre-professional training company, will be held on Friday, May 8, 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.
“This September 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) 223-1542.