Trainee Program

The Joffrey Academy Trainee Program is a one to two year program that meets the needs of students ages 17 and older who are preparing for a professional dance career. The personal attention and guidance by Joffrey Academy Faculty will help prepare each student for his/her dance future.

Trainees who are invited back for a second year and complete two consecutive years of study in this program will receive a certificate of training upon completion of their second year.

Performing Opportunities

Annual performances of The Nutcracker Suite and and a year-end production are performed in the Black Box Theater at Joffrey Tower. Additionally, Trainees perform world premiere works by the winners of the annual Choreographers of Color Award at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Millennium Park; as well as a world premiere work by Alexei Kremnev, Academy Artistic Director. Trainees may also be selected to perform in The Joffrey Ballet's 2013-2014 season at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

Past performances include The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella performed in the Black Box Theater at Joffrey Tower and Firebird, performed with the Cleveland Orchestra. Other exciting opportunities included an apprentice exchange program with Semperoper Dresden (Dresden Ballet) and Palucca School (Germany) and an exchange program with the American Academy of Dance in Paris (France).

Professional Opportunities

Upon completion of the program, Trainees have been accepted to leading companies, including The Joffrey Ballet, Staatsballet Berlin, Dresden Semperoper, Atlanta Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Texas Ballet Theater, Cincinnati Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Milwaukee Ballet II, Memphis Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Ballet Met, Sarasota Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Richmond Ballet and more!

Trainee Program Auditions

Admission into the Trainee Program is by audition only. Auditions for the Trainee Program are held annually in January with the possibility of a second audition in early spring. Students interested in the program after the scheduled auditions have passed should contact Joffrey Academy Reception (reception [at] joffrey [dot] org).

Housing

Recommended housing for the Trainees of The Joffrey Ballet will be provided by 2 East 8th Street Apartments, just a short distance from the Joffrey Tower. To learn more about 2 East 8th, please visit the website at www.2east8thstreet.com/.

“This program allowed me the opportunity to transition from a student mentality into more of a professional mentality, largely due to the professional manner in which we were treated throughout the year. Not only was the training successful in improving strength and clarifying technique, but the approach taught me to embrace the artist aspects of dance which my dancing lacked.” - 2009-2010 Trainee