Trainee Program
TURN POTENTIAL INTO POWER
San Francisco Ballet School’s Trainee Program is an immersive, one- to two-year experience designed to prepare dancers for the demands of a professional career. The program bridges the transition from student to professional dancer, cultivating technical strength, stage presence, and artistic range within a focused, company-adjacent environment.
Trainees are selected through a rigorous and highly selective process including observation of the School’s advanced classes and School Year auditions. Those invited to join demonstrate not only exceptional talent, but the discipline and potential to thrive at the highest level. In recognition of the program’s demands, San Francisco Ballet provides full tuition scholarships and housing assistance to Trainees. The supervised student residence is just one block from our studios and the War Memorial Opera House, providing students with a supportive training environment in the heart of San Francisco.
Overview
Who is this for?
Pre-professional ballet students aged 16-19 preparing for a professional career
Admissions
Trainees are selected primarily from San Francisco Ballet School’s most advanced levels or by school year auditions. Some students are invited to join by direct invitation from the School Director.
Details
TUITION
Full tuition scholarship and housing assistance provided
DATES
August–May
LOCATION
455 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA
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About The Program
Training
The San Francisco Ballet faculty lead daily ballet technique class and advanced coursework in pointe, batterie, and pas de deux. Trainees rehearse and perform both classical and contemporary repertory, including new works staged especially for them, and participate in workshops on choreography, teaching, and stagecraft.
Performance opportunities
Trainees perform regularly from October through May across the Bay Area, including appearances in schools, community centers, corporate events, and on the main stage. They are featured in dedicated full-evening performances and frequently understudy or appear in San Francisco Ballet productions. Recent repertory has included Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Helgi Tomasson’s Romeo & Juliet, and Balanchine’s Diamonds. Trainees tour annually in October to Sun Valley, Idaho and are presented by Ballet Sun Valley. The year culminates in the School’s annual Spring Festival performances.
Company Placement
The Trainee Program is an essential component of the legacy and reputation of San Francisco Ballet. Nearly 70% of current Company members received training at San Francisco Ballet School, and many others have gone on to perform with major international companies, including:
- National Ballet of Canada
- Boston Ballet
- Houston Ballet
- Royal Swedish Ballet
- Royal Danish Ballet
- English National Ballet
- The Joffrey Ballet
- Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet
- Cincinnati Ballet
- Vienna State Opera Ballet
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.
Learn more
Faculty
San Francisco Ballet School trainees are taught by dancers who have held illustrious careers performing with prestigious ballet companies worldwide.
Housing & Student Life
Through a partnership with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the School offers supervised housing two blocks from the studios and theater at the Bowes Center.
Tuition, Scholarships, & Financial Aid
Learn more about tuition for the School Year Program and options for scholarships and financial aid.