School Year Auditions | The Washington Ballet

NW Auditions

All students auditioning for TWSB programs will be placed by ability and readiness for the TWSB syllabus. Please note: Current TWSB students do not need to audition.

Students age 8-9 with no previous experience will be placed by ability and readiness for the TWSB Syllabus.
Children ages 10-11 should have a minimum of 1-2 years of ballet training.
Children age 11-12 should have a minimum 3 years ballet training. Students should be ready for beginner pointe work or have had 1 year of pointe.
Students 13+ should have a minimum of 2-4 years of ballet training and intermediate pointe work.
All auditions and placement classes carry a fee due at the time of registration.

Audition Attire

Girls should wear a leotard, tights or white ankle socks (ages 4-6) and ballet shoes
Students ages 7 and older should wear ballet shoes, a leotard, and tights.
Students on pointe should bring pointe shoes. No skirts please or distracting embellishments.
Boys should wear black tights, a white t-shirt, and black or white shoes.

If your child has never danced before, he/she may wear form-fitting clothing for the audition. It is important that our faculty be able to evaluate physical proportions. Please remove all jewelry and be certain that the student’s hair is pulled away from his/her face and secured, preferably in a bun for girls.

In-Person Audition Request (Ages 8-18)

Students will be evaluated in class with other students of a similar level of training. In-person requests for the NW Campus will be evaluated for Lower and Upper Divisions only. If you are interested in our Professional Training Division, please submit a video audition to be considered. Note that if we do not have a class that matches your student’s current training level or age-range, they may be recommended for our Teen or Open Class programs.

Step 1: Register for the “In-Person Audition Request” and pay the $40 fee.
Step 2: Fill out the information form
Step 3: We will contact you to set up an audition time using the information provided in your information form.

For more information, please email school@washingtonballet.org

For video auditions please use the following guidelines:

All video auditions are $40

Video Audition Guidelines for Upper Division & Professional Training Division

Your recorded audition should be NO LONGER THAN 10 minutes and please include the following in your audition:

Introduction: name, age, years, and place of study.
Only one side of combinations at the barre and include: pliés, battement tendu, adagio, grand battement.
In center (ladies on pointe) adagio, pirouettes en dehors and dedans, petit allegro, grand allegro, and a variation of choice. Gentlemen include tour en l’air (single or double depending on your age and ability level) and allegro that includes beats and grand pirouettes.

Lower Division (ages 8-12) Video Audition Guidelines:

Your recorded audition should be NO LONGER THAN 10 minutes and please include either the following exercises for barre and center or exercises you are currently doing in your weekly class:

Ages 8-10

Introduction: name, age, years, and place of study.
Only one side of combinations at the barre and include: pliés, tendu, grand battement.
In center: tendu, sauté in 1st position, changement, échappe, port de bras.

Ages 10-12

Introduction: name, age, years, and place of study.
Only one side of combinations at the barre and include: plié tendu, dégagé, ronds de jambe, passé relevé facing the barre.
In center: tendu, adagio with developé or relevé lent, glissade, sauté 1^st position, changement.
If students have begun pointe, please include the following en pointe: At the barre – relevé in 1st and 5th positions, échappé, pas de bourrée, relevé passé.

For Audition Results

Click below if you have completed an in-person or video audition. Please allow 2 weeks for results to be entered.

See Audition Results

SE Auditions

All students auditioning for TWSB programs will be placed by ability and readiness for the TWSB syllabus. Please note: Current TWSB students do not need to audition.

Students age 8-9 with no previous experience will be placed by ability and readiness for the TWSB Syllabus.
Children ages 10-11 should have a minimum of 1-2 years of ballet training.
Children age 11-12 should have a minimum 3 years ballet training. Students should be ready for beginner pointe work or have had 1 year of pointe.
Students 13+ should have a minimum of 2-4 years of ballet training and Intermediate pointe work.
All auditions and placement classes carry a fee due at the time of registration.

Audition Attire

Girls should wear a leotard, tights or white ankle socks (ages 4-6) and ballet shoes
Students ages 7 and older should wear ballet shoes, a leotard, and tights.
Students on pointe should bring pointe shoes. No skirts please or distracting embellishments.
Boys should wear black tights, a white t-shirt, and black or white shoes.

In-Person Audition Request (Ages 8-18)

All auditions for the SE Campus will be held in-person at 1901 Mississippi Ave SE Washington, DC 20020

Students will be evaluated in class with other students of a similar level of training. Note that if we do not have a class that matches your student’s current training level or age-range, they may be recommended for our Teen or Open Class programs.

For more information, please email kdeshields@washingtonballet.org

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Teen Ballet Ages 11-18 (with no previous experience)

Teen Ballet is offered only at the TWSB SE Campus. Students ages 11-18 with no experience are welcome to register for Teen Ballet. An audition is not required.

Questions? Contact Kayla DeShields at kdeshields@washingtonballet.org.