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Winter Term Auditions for 6-10 Year olds

The School of American Ballet holds auditions each spring for 6 to 10 year olds who live in the New York metropolitan area. Accepted applicants enroll in the upcoming Winter Term which begins in September. Auditions are held at SAB’s headquarters at Lincoln Center and at locations in NYC neighborhoods and boroughs (Community Auditions). No previous training or experience is necessary for children in this age group.

All 2023 Auditions for 6-10 year olds have passed.  Many thanks to all families who joined us.  Results will be distributed via email on May 16. If you do not receive a result by May 19, please contact auditions@sab.org and include the student’s name in the subject.  If you wish to be notified of upcoming audition opportunities, please join our mailing list.  

General Audition Information

  • Pre-Registration: Pre-registration is required for all auditions taking place at SAB’s Lincoln Center headquarters. Pre-registration is optional but strongly recommended for those who wish to audition at a Community Audition location.
  • Audition dress: Children auditioning for girls classes should wear a leotard or swimsuit; children auditioning for boys classes should wear a t-shirt and shorts or tights/leggings. (no long/baggy pants) Children should arrive with audition clothes underneath street clothes as there may be limited access to changing rooms and bathrooms depending upon the audition location.
  • Age eligibility: Children must be 6 years old by September 1 to audition and enroll for the Winter Term beginning in September of the same year. Children must be no older than 10 on the day of their audition.
  • Audition age groups: Children should audition in the age group that corresponds with their age at the time of the audition. Five year olds, who will be 6 by September 1, 2023 should audition in the 6 year old age group.
  • Audition Fees: Audition fees are non-refundable. No exceptions will be made for children who miss their audition appointments, regardless of the reason, or for children who attend a Community Audition after first registering for a paid audition at SAB.
  • Tuition assistance is available.
  • Winter Term classes begin in mid-September.
  • Currently, all students enrolled at SAB are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. However, children attending the audition are not required to be vaccinated. Covid requirements and protocols for the 2023-24 Winter Term will be determined closer to the audition dates. 
  • SAB’s training program for children is intended for students who permanently reside in the New York City area. Students who do not live in the tri-state region within easy commuting distance of SAB should not audition for SAB’s Winter Term. Instead, students aged 10 and up from outside the local area should consider auditioning for our annual summer programs each year in January. SAB’s summer programs are designed to enable non-local students to experience SAB’s training and to be considered for an invitation to train in our Winter Term once they are old enough for our residential program (beginning at age 14 or older). For more information about our New York Junior Session, click here.

Community Auditions are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by grants from the Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Charitable Trust and The Cestone Family Foundation.

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