We are heading for the home stretch in our series, The Path to Professional!

Once a student gets through the finishing levels, this is where it gets even more confusing! You’d think that at this point, students are auditioning for company spots, right? Nope!

At this point, your dancer is starting to look at what are commonly referred to as “bridge” programs or “post-graduate” programs. The programs affiliated with and that feed into each ballet company are arranged differently. The most important thing to note is how many levels exist between the finishing level and a spot as an apprentice or corps member in the main company. 

These next levels have different names at different companies. First, there is a trend toward creating another level of training for students. It is called a post-graduate program. This is often a different name for a trainee program. Several companies have instituted this as a bridge between an academy level and a second company or full company. Then there are trainee programs and second companies! How is anyone supposed to make sense of all this???

Let’s start by talking about age ranges. Dancers at these levels are typically between 18 and 20. Some may be younger and some older, but this is the typical range. And, at this point, they have usually finished high school.

How Programs Name Their Post-Graduate Levels

Although each school has different names for their “post-graduate” programs, the key is to understand the path within each program. Of greatest importance is how far removed any given level is from ultimately getting a paid position within the main company. Not a “scholarship,” not a stipend, but a real salary.

As an example, let’s look at Boston Ballet. Boston Ballet recently created a “post-graduate” program. This is designed for students who have completed their high school education but may not be quite ready for a second company. At other schools, this is called a trainee.

The next step for a post-grad at Boston is Boston Ballet II, the second company commonly referred to as BBII. After BBII, the next step is a corps spot in Boston Ballet. Boston Ballet does not have apprenticeships.

So, that seems to make sense, right? Now let’s look at San Francisco Ballet. San Francisco Ballet School has an upper division, which is level 7 and 8, with level 8 considered the “finishing” level. Then, the top level of the school is a trainee. There is no second company. Once you get a trainee spot, the next logical step is an apprenticeship with the full company. Note, there is no post-grad program and no second company. Trainees who don’t get an apprenticeship with SFB typically secure apprentice or corps positions at other companies.

Finally, Houston Ballet School. Houston’s upper level is called Pro 1 and Pro 2. However, Pro 2 is really considered the finishing level. Some students make the jump from Pro 2 to the second company, known as HBII. From HBII, some dancers become apprentices with the main company. Others audition out to apprentice or corps positions in main companies elsewhere.

Basically, if you are in BBII, HBII or a trainee at San Francisco Ballet School, you are at the same level!

Yep! It’s Confusing!

What you can see is that level names can change from school to school. A trainee level at one company may be the highest level before a company spot, whereas at another company it might be a few steps removed from a main company position. As we mentioned before, the most important thing to understand is how many levels exist between when your dancer exits a finishing program and ultimately joins a company as an apprentice or member of the corps de ballet. 

One other consideration is how many years a dancer might spend at a particular level. In some of these programs labeled as “post-graduate” e.g. Boston, the program is only one year. So dancers are just getting their feet wet and then are already having to audition. And, this is still one level below the second company at Boston Ballet.

The San Francisco Ballet School trainee program is also typically only one year. 

Conversely, HBII at Houston Ballet is a two-year program, which gives students a year to get settled before they really have to hit it hard on the audition circuit.

Important Factors in Evaluating a Program

Ok! Still with me? Now that we’ve thoroughly confused you with the various names for various levels, we need to cover things to consider when looking at post-graduate, trainee and second company options. 

First, what is the level of career support? Not everyone will get into the main company from whatever trainee or second company your dancer is in. So, for those who do not get into the main company, how much does the staff help dancers in their job search? This could be as simple as providing the student with video from a recent performance, to picking up the phone to arrange for an audition, to encouraging students to bring their resumes to a class being run by a guest choreographer. Ballet is an incredibly competitive industry so any support a student can get from their administration will only help them in the long run.

Also, how much does the specific level perform? Are they extras in company shows or do they have their own season? And, do they tour? For example, the American Ballet Theater Studio Company operates like its own mini-company and they tour all over the place. And, they perform like crazy.

Performance opportunities vary both by level e.g. post-grad, trainee or second company and also by school. If your dancer is light on performing at this level, it makes sense to consider programs that perform a lot. And, heads-up – there are some trainee programs that barely perform at all, nor do they use their students in company productions, other than in stand-around parts.

In addition, some programs bring in well-known choreographers to work with trainees or second companies. But, not all do this. This is another area worth some research. Working with outside choreographers can provide multiple benefits. It’s great to have choreography set on you rather than having to learn something off a video. And, more importantly, the choreographers usually are well-established in the ballet world, meaning they have connections! Or, they might be an artistic director of their own company. A prominent choreographer came to Houston to work with the HBII kids and she also happened to be the artistic director of a company in Europe. That connection resulted in one of Sam’s peers from HBII securing a corps contract with the company this choreographer runs.

Next, when are dancers notified as to whether or not they are being promoted? At every one of these levels, dancers are looking at what the next step is. Most are hoping to move up through the same organization. However, the numbers simply don’t allow everyone to get to that next level. The sooner they are notified, the sooner they can plan accordingly. One note here – usually if dancers are being given apprenticeships, they are notified earlier than if a dancer is being moved from a trainee position in that same program’s second company. 

There are also financial considerations. Many trainee programs are still tuition-based. Others are not. There are no standards around this, so be sure to understand what the financial commitment for tuition is. And, don’t rely on student handbooks for this. There are some handbooks floating around out there that list tuition for trainees and second company members when, in fact, all of the dancers in that program are fully “scholarshipped.”

Finally, what does housing look like? With some programs, you’re on your own to find housing. Others have dorms and a meal plan available. Others have apartments that are underwritten by the ballet. Well, actually, the ballet’s donors! Also, consider the costs associated with housing. Some places expect the dancer to pay all the rent. Others subsidize a percentage or even all of the housing costs. 

Finally, as if this wasn’t complicated enough, everything can get upended when there is a change in administration. One trainee program might go from doing a few performances to having a full season of their own shows. And, culture might change. So, do your homework on this closer to when your dancer might be at this stage in their career development. And, this homework should be done by your dancer. At this age, they will likely know people from the multiple summer intensives they’ve attended. As we’ve mentioned so many times, this is why networking at a younger age is so, so important. Your dancer should reach out to as many people as possible to get a read on what the real story is at a bridge program they might be interested in.

Parting Thoughts

I will leave you with one important lesson we learned as my son has navigated his first year in HBII. The years spent in the level right before you move into a full company position will be some of the toughest years in a dancer’s career. Why? The way my son has described it is that they’re beholden to the company and also beholden to the school. They sit in between the two, so they serve two constituencies.

Often, dancers, at that level right before becoming a full company member, are rehearsing with the company but also have their own slate of classes and repertoire they’re working on. So, the days can be long and grueling.

It’s during this time that dancers are also either trying to become apprentices with the main company but also sending out audition materials far and wide. Between the number of hours they’re in the studio and the stress levels about getting an apprentice or corps de ballet job, these can be some tough, yet rewarding years. 

As you’re helping your dancer navigate this path, it’s important to educate yourself on what the path to professional looks like for each company your child might be interested in. You can usually find some of what you need on the websites of each program. And, this is where you lean on your parent network to help with information! It may seem a long way off, but the more you know early in your dancer’s development, the easier it will be for them to navigate this confusing path.