Joffrey Ballet Trainee Program
Program Details
- Ages 17-22
- Requirements Audition
- Commitment Full-Time
The Joffrey Academy Ballet Trainee Program, led by Oğulcan Borova, Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program, is a full-time, one-to-two-year program for students preparing for a professional dance career. Through meticulous training, Trainees focus on artistic excellence, rehearsing, and performing classical and contemporary works from The Joffrey Ballet’s extensive repertoire, as well as works by world-renowned choreographers.
Auditions and Admission
Joffrey Ballet Trainees are selected by The Joffrey Ballet’s Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director, Academy Director, and Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program. Admission to the Joffrey Ballet Trainee Program is by audition only. Students may audition by attending our Audition Tour or submitting a video audition.
Visit the Academy's Audition page for more information.
Ballet Trainee Alumni
Graduates of the Trainee Program have found positions with professional dance companies dancing successfully with The Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, Dresden Semperoper, Estonian National Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Complexions, Cincinnati Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Atlanta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Memphis Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Texas Ballet Theatre, BalletMet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Pittsburg Ballet Theatre, Polish National Ballet, Slovak National Ballet, Ballet West, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Alabama Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Nebraska, Oklahoma City Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and more.
Academy Resources
Students may register using our registration system, Club Automation, which can be found linked below. Specific registration instructions can be found below as well. All programs fill on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage you to register as soon as you are eligible to ensure your preferred program.
If you have questions about your Club Automation account or registration, please contact Reception at [email protected].
Returning Students: Returning students are students who were registered for the previous semester or year. Returning students should use their pre-existing Club Automation account to register.
New Students: New students will need to create a new Club Automation account to register. New students in the Ballet Trainee Program must have admission to the program via an audition prior to registering. Please see the top of this page for details.
The Joffrey Academy of Dance does not offer any tuition refunds, credits, or transfers for missed or cancelled classes, injury/illness, withdrawal, or dismissal from programming. By registering for classes, registrants agree that they are liable for the full amount indicated on any Joffrey Academy of Dance materials, including any fees, even in the event of the student's withdrawal or dismissal from the program before it has begun or is complete.
The Joffrey Academy of Dance does not accept cash as a form of payment.
To learn more about Financial Aid applications, click here.
The Joffrey Academy has ongoing housing partnerships with Infinite Chicago and The Flats for students in the Pre-Professional Division and Trainee Programs. Housing is unchaperoned and for students 16 and older. Students 15 and under are encouraged to move to Chicago with a parent/guardian.
Infinite Chicago:
Infinite Chicago is located on Wabash and Jackson, is within walking distance to Joffrey Tower, and is designed to fit the busy lifestyle of Joffrey students living in the downtown Loop area. All apartments come fully furnished and include a large array of amenities including an in-unit washer and dryer or laundry room, full kitchen, and cable and internet service.
The Flats:
The Flats is located on Wabash, is within walking distance to Joffrey Tower, and is designed to fit the busy lifestyle of Joffrey students living in the South Loop area. All apartments come fully furnished and include a large array of amenities including an in-unit washer and dryer or laundry room, full kitchen, and cable and internet service.
Joffrey Academy has a referral-based relationship with K-12 Online Private Schools. K-12 enables students to learn at their own pace, whether they are seeking greater academic challenges, in need of a more nurturing environment, or working around budding careers, travel, and extracurricular pursuits. With a flexible approach to online schooling, students can enroll at any time as a full-time student on track to receive a high school diploma, or part-time to supplement a traditional home school curriculum.
Please note: The Joffrey Academy does not take any responsibility for arranging academic needs and does not provide an accredited program for the completion of high school. All academic arrangements are the responsibility of the student.
Medical Forms Required for All Students: The Joffrey Academy of Dance is requiring all dancers to have a Medical Exam and Medical Waiver on file in order to participate in Joffrey Academy programming. This is for the safety of the dancer and the Joffrey Academy of Dance. Dancers who do not have all medical forms on file by their first class will be permitted to attend and observe class, however, will not be able to dance. Dancers may begin participating fully in classes once all medical forms have been submitted. Medical Exams must have been completed and signed within twelve (12) months of August 31 the year the dancer is registered for Joffrey Academy programming. Students who are still missing forms after three (3) weeks of being enrolled in Joffrey Academy programming will be un-registered from said programming. Forms only need to be submitted once per school year. New forms must be submitted at the start of each fall or at the time the new dancer joins the Joffrey Academy of Dance. Blank copies of the Joffrey Medical Waiver and an Illinois State Medical Form can be found linked in the submission form. To find them, hover your mouse over the part of the form where you upload your files and the link will appear to the right. They are only accessible on a laptop or desktop computer and not on a mobile device. The Medical Exam does not have to be the Illinois State Medical Exam provided. The Joffrey Academy of Dance will accept any medical exam form provided and completed by a licensed medical professional.
Joffrey Academy Gift Cards: Now available, the Joffrey Academy of Dance offers digital gift cards for those wanting to give the gift of dance. Gift cards may be used on any payment at the Joffrey Academy, including class tuition, private lessons, studio reservations, physical therapy sessions, merchandise, and more. Gift cards are available for purchase online through Club Automation, in-person, by email, or over the phone. Gift cards purchased online are only available in predetermined amounts. Those wanting to gift an amount different from what is available online may contact Reception to request their specific amount. Gift cards purchased online may only be applied to the account they were purchased on. To transfer the gift card, please contact Reception with the name on the account you would like the gift card to be transferred to. If the recipient does not have a Club Automation account, please make sure they create one prior to requesting the transfer.
To use a gift card for any purchase, you must contact Reception to complete the transaction. Gift cards cannot be used to complete purchases online independently.
Required Class Attire
Joffrey Academy’s dress code is designed to encourage unity, discipline, and improved concentration among our students.
Option 1:
Black camisole leotard (Wear Moi Faustine), flesh-tone or pink convertible tights* (Bloch Adaptatoe convertible tights style T1935L or Body Wrappers convertible tights style A31), sheer black wrap skirt (Body Wrappers chiffon wrap skirt style P981), flesh-tone or pink shoes*
*Tights and shoe colors must match
Flesh-tone leotard required for performances
Option 2:
White fitted t-shirt (Body Wrappers short-sleeve “snug fit” pullover t-shirt style M400), gray convertible tights (Body Wrappers convertible tights in slate gray style M92, nude dance belt, white ballet shoes, and white ballet socks
Black tights, black shoes, and black socks required for performances
Option 1:
Below-the-knee black character skirt (Natalie style N8108 or Body Wrappers black character circle skirt style 511), low-heel 1.5" black character shoes
Option 2:
Black jazz shoes
Attire is at the discretion of the instructor.
