New Student Placement
New students are required to attend an Audition Class for placement into the appropriate Class Level. Students are placed based on age, technique, physique, personal strength and intangibles such as talent, grace and maturity.
Lower School Programs: Creative Movement 3, 4, and 5; Levels 1 and 2
Children are introduced to movement through music and a creative approach to learning the fundamentals of dance. These classes meet once or twice a week and are designed to build interest in dancing, strengthen muscles, introduce a basic vocabulary, and develop a sensibility of the artistic and performance qualities that make up dance. Teachers and assistants use a “hands on” approach that is vital to teaching young dancers as they develop their skills at their own pace within the group.
Classes for Young Men
The Fort Worth Academy also offers classes for beginning and intermediate young men, ages 5 and up. Going beyond the traditional ballet, this class introduces students to the athletic side of dance in preparation for the intensely physical training required of male dancers in later years. Although we recommend this class be taken in conjunction with our regular school program, it can be taken separately. It is a great way to introduce the art of dance to young men.
Middle School Programs: Levels 3 and 4
Students are introduced to a more demanding level of study as classes meet three or four times a week and incorporate elements from major training styles including Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), Cecchetti and Vaganova. We also introduce training in modern and jazz to offer intermediate students a well-rounded dance education. Pointe work begins at Level 4 at the recommendation of the teachers and with final approval of the Principal.
Upper School Programs: Level 5, Advanced 1, 2, 3 and Trainees
Study is more intense at this level with classes meeting five or six days per week. The Fort Worth Academy is a training ground for talented dancers to potentially join the Company of Texas Ballet Theater as a trainee or apprentice, or to join another company. We offer a complete and comprehensive training program for the pre-professional dancer. The emphasis is on posture, placement, coordination, dance quality and musicality, combined with a firm technique within the limits of each person's own development.
Pointe Work
Girls begin pointe work in Level 4 at the recommendation of the teachers and with final approval of the Principal. Regardless of level or age, students will only be able to go on pointe if they are able to do so safely without risking injury. The ability to begin pointe work is determined jointly with the professional instructors and the Principal of the Academy and does not happen at a certain age.
Level Advancement and Promotion
Advancement through Texas Ballet Theater School is based on many factors including a student’s strength, commitment, attendance, maturity, mastery of material and artistic development as assessed by the teacher and Principal. A student’s ability to execute the required material is considered above all else, including age. Advancement to the next level may occur at anytime during the semester, but is generally determined at the end of each school year.
Repeating Levels of Study
Parents and students should not anticipate annual level advancements. Ballet classes do not progress at the same pace as traditional academic grades. It is common for students to repeat levels of study. Because the range of the criteria for promotion is so diverse, it may be two or more years before a student is ready for advancement to the next level of study.
