Summer Auditions & Admission
Experience a summer like no other at the official school of New York City Ballet. SAB’s flagship five-week Summer Course for 12 to 18 year olds offers intensive exposure to the School’s year-round training syllabus, housing in the School’s on-site residence hall, and an opportunity for students to experience the unparalleled cultural offerings of New York City. The New York Junior Session for 10-12 year olds provides an abbreviated introduction to SAB’s curriculum and faculty through a week-long program filled with classes, seminars and activities.
Study in the School of American Ballet’s summer programs is for dedicated ballet students between the ages of 10 and 18 years old. Admission to our summer programs is by audition only.
Summer Program Overview
Summer Course
June 30, 2025 – August 1, 2025
for students ages 12-18
SAB’s 5-week Summer Course provides dancers with an enriching experience inside the ballet studio and beyond. Students take classes six days per week from SAB’s renowned faculty in the School’s beautiful Lincoln Center facility. The curriculum includes Ballet Technique, Pointe, Partnering, Variations, Character, Contemporary, Music, Weight Training and Pilates; plus a host of wellness programs. Most students reside in SAB’s on-site residence hall, cared for by the School’s professional Student Life staff. In the evenings and on weekends, SAB’s after-class program introduces students to New York’s finest cultural and recreational offerings, from performances by world-renowned dance companies to Broadway musicals and trips to museums, historical landmarks and cultural institutions.
New York Junior Session
June 23, 2025 – June 28, 2025
for students ages 10-12
The New York Junior Session is a week-long immersive experience at SAB’s headquarters in Manhattan. Students will take daily classes with SAB’s faculty and guest teachers including principal dancers from New York City Ballet. They’ll have the opportunity to explore SAB’s state-of-the-art facilities on Lincoln Center’s pristine campus. In addition to daily technique classes, the curriculum includes variations, beginning and intermediate pointe, Pilates, conditioning, and character classes.Students also participate in an array of wellness seminars and cultural enrichment activities. It’s a wonderful chance for aspiring young dancers to come see what SAB is all about.
Admission Criteria
Study in SAB’s Summer Course is for intermediate and advanced students, 12 to 18 years old who are at a stage of technical advancement proportionate to their age and who have the physical qualifications suited to the demands of classical dance. Twelve year olds must already be training on pointe by the time of their Summer Course audition.
For admission to the New York Junior Session, students 10 or younger (including 9 year olds who will be 10 by July 31, 2025) are expected to have completed a minimum of 1-1/2 years of training by the time of their audition. Eleven year olds should have completed a minimum of 2 years of training, and 12 year olds should be training at the intermediate level. Previous pointe work is not required for admission to this program.
Summer Auditions
SAB offers several opportunities for students to audition for our summer programs. Students can join us in January 2025 for in-person auditions at one of 16 locations across the US on our National Audition Tour or at our headquarters New York. Students who are unable to attend an audition in person are invited to apply by video.
National Audition Tour
SAB will hold auditions at locations across the United States during weekends in January. Pre-registration is strongly recommended for the National Audition Tour locations but not required. The benefits of pre-registration include a discounted audition fee and expedited audition results. View the 2025 National Audition Tour cities and dates below.
| Atlanta — January 26
Boston — January 5 Charlotte — January 11 Chicago — January 12 Dallas — January 5 Los Angeles — January 5 Memphis — January 12 Miami — January 19 New York – January 7-30 |
Orange County, CA — January 4
Philadelphia — January 26 Pittsburgh — January 12 Salt Lake City — January 4 San Francisco — January 19 Seattle — January 20 Tampa — January 20 Washington, D.C. — January 18 |
Auditions at SAB in NYC
The School holds summer program auditions at our headquarters in New York City by appointment on specific days in January. Applicants who live closer to one of the cities on the National Audition Tour list are encouraged to attend one of those auditions as space is limited at NYC auditions. Because of limited space, pre-registration is required for all auditions taking place at SAB.
Learn More About Auditions at SABApply by Video
SAB offers the opportunity for students who are unable to attend an in-person audition to submit a video application for our summer programs. The deadline to submit a video application is January 31, 2025. Visit the link below for audition video guidelines.
Apply By VideoInternational Applicants
International applicants interested in year-round training in our Winter Term should first apply to our summer programs. Primary recruitment for our Winter Term takes place during the Summer Course. Students from SAB’s Summer Course are automatically considered for training in our year-round program. The deadline to apply by video for the 2025 Summer Course is January 31, 2025.
Note: We require international students who are only interested in our Winter Term to first submit a Summer Course audition video. When submitting your application, international students will be given the opportunity to indicate if the dates of our Summer Course conflict with your academic schedule, not allowing you to attend the entirety of our Summer Course as means of admissions to the Winter Term. Please reach out to auditions@sab.org if you have additional questions when completing your application. Accepted international students will receive student visa guidance from SAB. More information will be given at the time of enrollment.
Apply by VideoGeneral Audition Information
- Pre-registration is required for all NYC audition dates and optional for National Audition Tour cities. All applicants are strongly encouraged to pre-register. The benefits of pre-registration include a discounted audition fee and expedited audition result notification. Those who preregister but later decide not to attend the audition will not be penalized in any way (but will forfeit the pre-paid audition fee). The fee for all pre-registered in-person applicants is $43 and must be paid at the time of registration.
- Walk-in applicants (who did not pre-register online) are welcome at all National Audition Tour cities. Walk-in applicants will not be admitted at our NYC audition dates. The audition fee for walk-in applicants on the National Audition Tour is $50 and may be paid by cash or credit card on site.
- All applicants must show official proof of birth at the time of the audition. Only a birth certificate, passport, or state-issued ID will be acceptable as proof. Applicants without one of these documents may not be permitted to audition.
- Recommendation letters, photographs and resumes are not accepted for in-person applicants.
- Students auditioning for the girls training track in the 5-week Summer Course must bring pointe shoes to the audition. Students ages 10-12 who are only applying to the New York Junior Session do not need to bring pointe shoes and should attend the audition time(s) designated for NY Junior Session only. (No pointe work will be given at these designated auditions)
- Observation of auditions is not permitted.
- Students should audition in the age group that is equal to their age at the time of the audition (not the age they will be during the program). Nine-year-olds (who will be 10 by July 31) should audition in the slot designated for 10 year olds.
- Eleven year olds who will be 12 by July 31, 2025 and 12 year olds who will still be 12 on June 28, 2025 may audition for both the New York Junior Session and the five-week Summer Course at any audition location.
- Scholarships for SAB’s summer programs are available. They are determined at the time of audition. Students will be notified of any scholarship awards upon acceptance. There is no separate application for Summer Course scholarships.
- Current SAB Winter Term students should NOT apply for our summer programs.
Audition Results
All summer applicants receive their results via email. A detailed schedule and more information can be found at the link below.
- Pre-registered applicants will receive their results approximately 1 week after their audition.
- Students who apply onsite (tour only) will receive their results up to 3 weeks after their audition date.
Note: Accepted students will have approximately 10 days after receiving their acceptance letter to complete their initial enrollment steps and submit a non-refundable deposit to hold their position in the program.
Audition Pre-registration
Audition pre-registration is now open. Visit the link below to learn more and sign up for an audition today!
2025 Digital Summer Brochure
Browse our 2025 Digital Summer Brochure and learn more about our 5-week Summer Course and 1-Week New York Junior Session.
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
The School of American Ballet has a nondiscrimination policy with respect to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, sexual orientation, national origin or any other protected characteristic in administration of its education policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs or any other school-administered programs.
Summer Auditions sponsored by:
