Post-Graduate Programs  – What Does It All Mean??

This is an update to a post we published in May of 2023. We’ve added important updates so give it a read!

It’s audition season! For summer programs, right? Yes, but also it’s time for dancers to start sending out materials in hopes of landing a coveted post-graduate spot. You’re thinking, “Wait! My dancer is graduating from their ballet school in May! It’s time for them to secure a corps contract!” That’s what we thought as well. But, once a student gets through the finishing levels, this is where it gets even more confusing! 

At this point, most dancers are 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 often referred to as 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???

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 (but not all of them), 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. Boston Ballet claims that Boston Ballet II is akin to being an apprentice at other companies. Dancers are paid an apprentice salary but they are not afforded the protections that come along with being a full company member, including union membership. I would argue that BBII is a true second company just like the other second companies in the U.S., but with better pay. But, that’s an argument for another day.

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 Academy. 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.

And, let me throw another wrench in all this. Some second companies are considered part of the school e.g. Boston and Houston. But, some are considered part of the main company. An example of this is Tulsa Ballet 2. Tulsa Ballet 2 dancers are essentially junior company members, but without the protections that AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists) provides.

Making Sense Of The Names And Levels

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.

A few other schools organize their programs in unique ways. We recently interviewed directors from Nashville Ballet II and BalletMet Academy. Both programs have trainee and second company levels. However, there is no set amount of time a dancer stays in each level. This can be great for dancers who may be fairly polished in their technique but need to get more performance experience. And, there does not appear to be an up or out policy at these schools, as opposed to some of the larger programs like San Francisco or Houston.

 We spoke with BalletMet Academy Director, Maria Torija about the trainee program at the academy. The number of dancers in the trainee program is astronomical. Ms. Torija explained that there are two levels to the trainee program and that dancers do not stay for a set amount of time. So, once you understand how the leveling works, the numbers don’t seem as crazy.

Maria Konrad, the Director of Nashville Ballet II shared a similar sentiment. She talked to us about focusing more on how ready a dancer is to fly rather than establishing a set amount of time before a dancer is asked to leave the program. You can hear more from our conversations with each of these directors in podcast episodes airing later in January.

Important Factors in Evaluating a Program

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

But, let’s be brutally honest here. Most dancers go where they get in. In a perfect world, your dancer will be evaluating multiple acceptances that all arrive in their in-box at exactly the same time and have long lead times before a decision must be made. Oh, and none of the programs require your dancer to attend their summer program for “further evaluation.” That would be like the most perfect scenario ever. And, usually, completely unrealistic. 

In most cases, your dancer does their best to research the various programs and auditions for the program that seem to offer the best all-around experience in terms of what a particular dancer may need. And then, they audition for those places. Hopefully, with some up-front research, the programs that may not be a good fit are eliminated from the initial audition list. So, what to consider?

Size Of Program

Some trainee programs are huge. We’ve heard of some that have as many as 60-70 dancers. There is absolutely no way that most of them are getting into the main company affiliated with that trainee program. And, with that many students, how much personal attention will your dancer get? And, for those who do not get moved up through the ranks, what are the options for them? There are other trainee programs that are significantly smaller. We recently interviewed a few directors of company affiliated programs who have trainee programs with fewer than 20 dancers. This feels much more reasonable and can give dancers the confidence that they at least have a shot of getting into the main company at some point down the line.

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 for use in their audition materials, 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. And, if a school has developed a reputation for not supporting its students, it might be worth a pause to see if enough other factors outweigh the lack of career support.

One school with which I am quite familiar is Houston Ballet Academy. Houston provides a full career planning process to all of its Pro 2 and HBII dancers. It is run by the academy staff and they bring in a career advisor who is also a principal dancer at another large company. There is a timeline students are expected to follow and templates for resumes, cover letters, etc. are provided to all upper level students. In addition, each student meets with academy staff regularly to review audition lists, audition materials (cover letter, resume, videos) and to get advice on which companies might be the best fit for a particular student. Students also meet with the academy director to discuss any offers as they come in.

There are definitely other programs that provide the same level of support that Houston does. Unfortunately, there are also many programs that do little for their students.

Performance Opportunities

An important consideration is how much a specific level performs. 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. They also 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. Consider this when thinking about where to audition.

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 contract with the company this choreographer runs.

Notification of Promotions

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 into that same program’s second company. 

We also asked current dancers in second companies and they had an interesting suggestion: 

Before your dancer is at the point where they’re ready to audition, it’s a good idea to start keeping a mental log of when schools start to notify about trainee slots or second company spots for existing students. Having this information will give your student a sense of how many spots might be open and also how early in the season they should consider auditioning.

While a program’s notification policy is not necessarily a make or break factor in most decisions, it’s worth noting given that dancers are often on a parallel path between auditioning elsewhere and awaiting notification from their own school/company.

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 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.”

In addition, 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. Even if a dancer is fully covered on tuition, housing costs in some markets can be staggeringly high.

Another financial consideration is around pay. When a dancer performs with the main company, are they paid for those performances? The policies around this will run the gamut. When our kids were at San Francisco Ballet School, some roles that students performed with the company were paid. But, none of the “children’s roles” were paid. The year my son was in level 8, the level 8 women did a ton of corps work with the company. That season the company did multiple programs that required a large corps so female trainees and level 8 students got paid for several shows. They were also given free shoes to use through the run. The amount paid was small so don’t think anyone was paying their rent or living large from this work. 

As if this wasn’t complicated enough, everything can get upended when there is a change in administration. One trainee program might go from 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.

Location

There are ballet programs across the U.S. and all over the world. An important, and often overlooked, consideration is where your dancer will be living. Is your dancer a “city kid?” If they are, perhaps going to a smaller place might not be a good fit. Do they have a driver’s license? And, if so, will they have a car? It sounds like a nitpicky thing. But if your child moves to a city that has limited public transportation and they don’t have a driver’s license, much less a car, how do you think they’re getting around? Yep, Uber. And, how much do you think they’ll spend on Uber? A TON. I’ve lived this for the last 18 months watching my son try to navigate the City of Houston. Sam has no driver’s license and no car. And, Houston has public transportation that is sorely lacking. He’s on a first name basis with half the Uber drivers in town. Consider this when putting together an audition list. 

Many dancers also consider programs outside their own country. While I am a huge proponent of seeing as much of the world as possible, I am also the world’s worst speaker of any language other than English. And, I have tried. Oh, how I have tried. And, I truly suck at foreign languages. Language barriers can add an additional level of stress to a dancer. Not, to mention, family is often thousands of miles away. Although training in a foreign country might sound incredible, think about the implications of not speaking a language other than English and whether or not your dancer is ready for that kind of a challenge. 

I want to be clear on this point, though. Many, many ballet classes in other countries are conducted in English. But, the grocery store? The bank? The random clothing store? Your dancer will most likely have to speak or at least learn some basics of the language spoken in that country. For some students, this can be isolating. I’m not telling anyone to avoid training in a country where they don’t speak the language. Just consider whether or not your dancer is ready for such a big jump.

Transparency (Or The Lack Thereof)

One of the biggest problems in the ballet world is that everything seems so opaque. And, finding information about post-graduate programs is no different. As a result, Ballet Help Desk is launching a podcast series on how all of this works. We have lined up interviews with several ballet schools to talk to them about how their post-graduate programs work. This series will run for approximately eight weeks with a new interview launching weekly. 

We are also starting to collect reviews from year-round ballet programs, including post-graduate levels. So, if you’re reading this and have a student in full-time training, please consider filling out a review. We are especially interested in hearing from dancers who are in the upper levels of a school.

Parting Thoughts

I will leave you with one important lesson we learned as Sam has navigated his years in HBII. The time 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.

What’s Next?

We’re kicking off our series on post-graduate training with our interview with Jason Yeung. Jason is a former dancer who has a degree on data science. He is currently working on a combined MD/PhD. And, if you can believe it, in his spare time, he developed a report called the DataPointes Guide. He developed this report because there was no comprehensive source of data that showed what the pathways were to a professional ballet career. Using publicly available data, Jason has mapped out how well each school does in placing its students into both second companies and main companies. 

We have seen several discussions on social media questioning the validity of the data used in this report. All data was based on publicly available information. People may not like what they read, but these numbers don’t lie. For any dancer looking at a professional career, this guide can help serve as yet one more resource to use when researching available programs. It’s definitely worth a read. Look for our interview with Jason to air on January 3rd.