Admissions
Audition for the school year program
San Francisco Ballet’s School Year Program trains students ages 8–18 through eight progressive levels, from foundational technique to pre-professional preparation. Students must be selected to enroll via a screening or audition, and requirements differ based on the age and skill level of the applicant.
Admissions for Ages 8-10
Students ages 8-10 will typically enter levels 1–3 of the School Year Program. These are formative years where a student learns and applies basic concepts of classical ballet technique to their dancing. Prospective students ages 8–10 must attend a screening in order to potentially be offered enrollment.
About Enrollment screenings
This screening will resemble a trial ballet class. SF Ballet School Director will be looking to see if a student is interested and excited to learn ballet, has a natural ear for music, wants to work hard, and can apply direction and corrections to their work. SF Ballet School does consider a student’s physical abilities during the enrollment screening. We want to ensure that ballet training, which requires a great deal of flexibility and strength, will be safe and healthy for the child.
Screening dates for the 25/26 School Year
You will select the group based on your student’s age as of September 1, 2025. A $30 audition fee will be charged for each application. You may only attend one screening per season.
APRIL 12
Age 8: 3:00–3:30 PM
Ages 9–10: 3:30-4:00 PM
MAY 17
Age 8: 2:00–2:30 PM
Ages 9–10: 2:30–3:00 PM
AUGUST 25
Ages 8–10: 4:15–4:45 PM
Level Progression
Once a student is admitted into the beginning levels of the Ballet School, they will be placed in a class based on their level of technical training and ability. A student may spend one or two years at each level up to age 12. The Director’s annual assessment of the student’s progress will determine the student’s placement the following school year. Once a student is 11 years old, they will be invited to audition for the intermediate levels.
Admissions for Ages 11-13
Students ages 11–13 who live in the SF Bay Area and are looking for serious ballet training are encouraged to register for an audition.
About Auditions
At the audition, we will be looking for students with the natural attributes for a career in classical ballet and we expect that students will have had some previous ballet experience either in SF Ballet’s children’s division or at another ballet school. Preferably, girls will have begun some beginning pointe work, but this is not required.
Audition Dates for the 25/26 School Year
You will select the group based on your student’s age as of September 1, 2025. A $50 audition fee will be charged for each application.
APRIL 12
Ages 11–13: 9–10:30 AM
MAY 17
Ages 11–13: 3:15–4:45 PM
AUGUST 25
Ages 11–13: 5:00–6:30 PM
Enrollment
From the audition, students who are invited to enroll at SF Ballet School are typically placed in Levels 3-6. Level 3 meets 3 to 4 days per week, while Levels 4-6 meet 5 to 6 days per week, with a total weekly commitment of 10 to 20 hours. Classes for Levels 3-5 are held after school, between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Level 6 classes occur in the afternoons between 1:00 PM and 7:45 PM. When students enroll in Levels 4–6, they must be prepared to prioritize ballet as their primary activity given the level of commitment. Daily attendance is mandatory. Please note that housing in our dormitory is not available for students Levels 1–5 and there is limited availability for Level 6 students.
Level progression
Each invitation to enroll is for one year of training. It may not be deferred or transferred. At the end of each year, a student’s progress, and potential for a career in classical ballet will be evaluated and considered for the next year of training. Enrollment is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Students who continue to make satisfactory progress but are not yet physically ready for the next level may be invited to continue their enrollment for a second year at the same level.
Admissions for Ages 14-18
Students ages 14–18 will be considered for the intermediate/advanced levels of the School Year Program. The faculty is looking for students who are passionate about the art form and motivated to pursue intense training toward a career in classical ballet.
Strong candidates are:
- Intermediate and advanced-level ballet students who are ready to take the next step in their training toward a professional career in ballet
- Students who have significantly researched ballet schools and are confident that SF Ballet School is their top choice
How to audition
Applicants must submit a video audition for pre-selection. Those who are pre-selected based on their video audition will be invited to participate in a 2-hour live audition.
Please follow the guidelines below when filming your pre-selection video audition. A $50 audition fee will be charged upon submission. Please note, SF Ballet School will only accept electronic online submissions through the video application website, Danceapply, and will not review DVDs or email submissions that are sent to the School.
For questions regarding video and live auditions, please email registrar@sfballet.org.
Audition timeline
Applicants must be between the ages of 14-18 by September 1, 2026.
December 1, 2025 – April 1, 2026: Pre-Selection video applications are open.
Applicants will be notified of their pre-selection video audition results within 2 weeks of their pre-selection video submission.
Learn More
School Year Program
San Francisco Ballet School trains students ages 8–18 through eight progressive levels, from foundational technique to pre-professional preparation.