Monday Ballet Monday: Summer

Wherein still a few years away and I should see about adding a tip/begging jar to this blog


Intensive summer programs are a big deal for ballet students. Auditioning often occurs from January to March and tuition for a five week program will be $2-5 thousand dollars with room and board. The ballet school we hang out at does a good job placing their advanced students. This summer, students attended the following programs (prices are rounded and unless otherwise noted tuition and room and board are combined):

• American Ballet Theater New York tuition is $2750 with no room and board provided; other sites are ~$3k for tuition plus R&B.
  
• Austin Ballet. $2300/3 week program, $4500/6 week program
  
• Ballet Magnificat. $2400/4 weeks
  
• Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. $4500/5 weeks
  
• Joffrey Ballet. $2700/4 week; $4,000/8 weeks
  
• Kirov Ballet. $3300/4 weeks
  
• Orlando Ballet. $3500/5 weeks
  
• Pittsburgh Youth Ballet. $3500/4 weeks
  
• School of American Ballet(school for NYCB). $4500/5 weeks
  

The New York Times reports on the Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s 2nd intensive summer program. Quote:

The girls, clustered on point in one corner like giant water birds with pale faces and clenched lips, eyed the boys warily. They muscled through basic exercises, some doing just fine and others barely managing, while the three Bolshoi students did their best to romance the jittery creatures. Anton Maltsev, a 17-year-old Russian with bright blue eyes and a charmer’s smile, offered his hand to each girl with a dramatic flourish, leaving the girls flustered and Mr. Maltsev flummoxed at their skittishness. (His Russian Orthodox Church ring, which looked suspiciously like a wedding band, didn’t help.)

Two weeks later Ms. Gottlieb pronounced partnering “scary but exhilarating.” The Bolshoi students, now joined in the program by three Kazakh boys, were all offering their hands, but somewhat more casually, in deference to the independent American girls, who might have had something to say about Mr. Matsev’s assertion that in partnering, as in families, everything depends on the man. The wary stares had given way to meaningful smiles that would alarm many parents; Ms. Kirshner gave assurances that the dorms were well policed at night.

Bolshoi Ballet Academy. $5500/5 weeks