New Trainee Opportunities in Texas
With help from a generous private gift, Ballet Austin has expanded its financial assistance for up to 15 pre-professional dancers in its two-year trainee program. Selected through a national audition tour, students in the newly named Butler Fellowship Program take daily classes in the highest level at the Ballet Austin Academy and have the opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside members of Ballet Austin and its second company.

While many of the traineeship graduates are selected for Ballet Austin II (and 30 percent of Ballet Austin company members were trainees), career planning in general is a prime component of the program. Fellowship students participate in Ballet Austin’s mentoring initiative, meeting frequently with faculty members and directors to discuss career paths and opportunities. Second-year students can enroll in either a teacher-training program at Ballet Austin or work as an intern in its education, marketing, production or administration departments; they can also convert their experiences in the program to 24 college credits—setting them on a path to a degree if desired. For more information, visit balletaustin.org. —Jenny Dalzell

from Point Magazine