Audition Tour 2025

13 Audition Cities Across The USA

4 World-Class Intensives

1 Incredible Summer

Audition Requirements

Applicants should have a strong basic classical foundation in relation to their level and age. Please see the following for program age requirements/eligibility.

  • Premier Coaching Intensive (PCI): Ages 12-24

  • Ellison Ballet Summer Intensive (EBSI): Ages 10-24

  • Classical Variations Intensive (CVI): Ages 13-24

  • Pas de Deux Intensive (PDDI): Ages 16-24

Students who are 9 years old may audition for the EBSI if they will turn 10 by June 2025.

Dancers should audition with the age group that they fall into on the date of their audition. (Ex: If a student is 14 years old in January during the audition, but will turn 15 in April before the program begins, the student should audition with the 10-14 age group.)

Students may choose to audition for as many Ellison Ballet programs as they would like during the Audition Tour, including all summer programs and the year-round program.** 

**Those wishing to be invited into the year-round program are strongly encouraged to audition for and attend one of our summer programs first. The summer intensive programs are considered “Phase Two” in the audition process for acceptance into the year-round program. This allows Mr. Ellison and the faculty to see how the student works over an extended period of time, and allows the student to get first-hand experience of Ellison Ballet, its faculty, and programs, thereby allowing both to determine whether the student and school are a good fit. Auditions specifically for the year-round program are held during the four-week Ellison Ballet Summer Intensive each year for interested students.

Audition Process

Register online for your audition by clicking the REGISTER NOW buttons on this page.

  • There are two ways to audition; both are given equal consideration. Please note we are not holding Zoom auditions during the 2025 Audition Tour. Any student who cannot attend an in-person audition is encouraged to submit a video audition.

    • In-Person Audition (see Tour below for audition dates and locations)

    • Video audition (see below for more information)

  • Audition Fee (Non-Refundable): $45

  • Students must upload one recent photo with their audition registration: 

  • While pre-registration online is strongly preferred, walk-in registration is available at all in-person audition locations via a QR code. Walk-in students should arrive at least 15 minutes early and will need to fill out our online audition form on-site from their mobile device. ​ Walk-in auditionees must have a credit or debit card to pay the audition fee.

  • Audition dress code:

    • Girls -- solid color leotard, full-length pink or skin-tone tights, ballet slippers, pointe shoes

    • Boys -- white t-shirts, full-length black tights, ballet slippers​​

  • All students who audition will receive a letter via email indicating acceptance, wait-list, or non-acceptance within two to four weeks. 

Acceptance & Enrollment Process

Accepted students will receive an email with their invitation letter indicating which programs they have been accepted to as well as any scholarship awarded, fees, and enrollment deadlines. The acceptance email will also contain an online enrollment link with further information and Ellison Ballet Summer Intensive policy. The online enrollment form must be submitted by the listed deadline or your spot may be forfeited.

Wait-listed students must reply indicating whether or not they wish to remain on the waitlist within five days of the date on their waitlist letter. Those who wish to remain on the waitlist will be informed of final decisions by mid-March. Priority is given to the full SI program (4, 6, or 8 weeks) participants. 


**For additional questions regarding auditions and/or our summer programs, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have a question that is not answered on our website, please email jennifer@ellisonballet.org. No phone calls unless urgent.

Audition Tour 2025

January 5
Seattle, WA

Pacific Northwest Ballet
Phelps Center, 301 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 9:30am   Audition: 10:00am-11:30am

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 11:00am  Audition: 11:30am-1:00pm

January 12
New York, NY

Ellison Ballet/Manhattan Movement & Arts Center
248 West 60th Street, New York, NY 10023

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 2:30pm  Audition: 3:00-5:00pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 4:45pm   Audition: 5:15-7:15pm

January 25
Boston, MA

Boston Ballet
19 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 9:30am   Audition: 10:00am-11:30am

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 11:00am  Audition: 11:30am-1:00pm

January 25
Los Angeles, CA

U.S.C. Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center
849 West 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90089

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 11:00am  Audition: 11:30am-1:00pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 12:30pm    Audition: 1:00pm-2:30pm

*Regarding Los Angeles County wildfires: Ellison Ballet is following the guidelines of U.S.C. and at this time is moving forward with auditions in Los Angeles.

January 26
San Diego

Golden State Ballet
6338 Riverdale Street, San Diego, CA 92120

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 11:30pm   Audition: 12:00pm-1:30pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 1:00pm   Audition: 1:30pm-3:00pm

January 26
Denver, CO

Colorado Ballet
1075 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 1:00pm  Audition: 1:30pm-3:00pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 2:30pm   Audition: 3:00pm-4:30pm

February 1
Chicago, IL

Ballet Chicago
17 N. State Street, Ste. 1900, Chicago, IL 60604

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 3:30pm   Audition: 4:00pm-5:30pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 5:00pm  Audition: 5:30pm-7:00pm

February 1
San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Ballet
455 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 3:00pm   Audition: 3:30pm-5:00pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 4:30pm   Audition: 5:00pm-6:30pm

February 2
Houston, TX

The Houston Ballet Center for Dance
601 Preston Street, Houston, TX 77002

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 11:30am  Audition: 12:00pm-1:30pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 1:00pm   Audition: 1:30pm-3:00pm

February 2
Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
2900 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 9:30am   Audition: 10:00am-11:30am

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 11:00am  Audition: 11:30am-1:00pm

February 8
Boca Raton, FL

Harid Conservatory
2285 Potomac Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 2:30pm  Audition: 3:00pm-4:30pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 4:00pm  Audition: 4:30pm-6:00pm

February 9
Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Ballet
1695 Marietta Boulevard NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 1:00pm  Audition: 1:30pm-3:00pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 2:30pm   Audition: 3:00pm-4:30pm

February 9
Washington, DC

Washington Ballet
3515 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., 20016

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 11:30am  Audition: 12:00pm-1:30pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 1:00pm   Audition: 1:30pm-3:00pm

February 16
New York, NY

Ellison Ballet/Manhattan Movement & Arts Center
248 West 60th Street, New York, NY 10023

Ages 10-14
Check-In: 2:30pm  Audition: 3:00-5:00pm

Ages 15-24
Check-In: 4:45pm   Audition: 5:15-7:15pm

Video Auditions

How to audition by video:

  1. Film your video according to the Video Submission Guidelines on this page.

  2. Upload your video to a site such as YouTube, Vimeo, DropBox, or Google Drive.

  3. Register your audition online at the link below and pay audition fee. Be sure to include your online video link with your registration. Do not submit the registration form without the video link.


Video Submission Deadlines: 
     Los Angeles Summer Programs: May 15, 2025
​     New York City Summer Programs: June 1, 2025
​     Year-Round Program: August 15, 2025

***You MUST register online to submit a video audition. Unregistered candidates will not be considered for Ellison Ballet programs. 


​***DO NOT SEND VIDEOS VIA EMAIL. Video links must be submitted within the online registration form.

Video Submission Guidelines:

Video submissions should be approximately 15-20 minutes in length.

Please make sure you video's privacy settings allow us to view it - use settings such as "public" or "unlisted" and don't forget to share the password for password-protected links.

Videos do not need to be professionally filmed, but should show the student's full body clearly.

Videos must be filmed no more than two months prior to the date of submission.

Videos can be filmed in a dance studio or home dance space.

At the beginning of the video, you should introduce yourself and state your age, the number of year(s) of ballet/dance study, the number of years of pointe work (if applicable), the name(s) of your current school and teacher(s), and any previous summer intensive programs, festivals, and/or international ballet competitions in which you have participated.

Video should demonstrate barre and center exercises, including adagio, tendus, pirouettes, grand pirouettes, petit, medium, and grand allegro, tours en l'air for men, fouettes and pointe work for ladies. You may also include a classical ballet variation if desired.
​**We understand that some students who do not have access to a studio or suitable space may not be able to include all requested exercises.

Dress code:

  • Girls -- solid color leotard, full-length pink or skin-tone tights, ballet slippers, pointe shoes

  • Boys -- white t-shirts, full-length black tights, ballet slippers

Pas de Deux: Students who are auditioning for the Pas de Deux Intensive via video audition should also include footage demonstrating their pas de deux abilities. Footage must include demonstration of classical pas de deux work and may also include contemporary pas de deux footage if available.

  • Yes, there is a $45 fee for all auditions. Pre-registered auditionees can pay this fee online when filling out the registration form.

    Walk-in auditionees should arrive at least 15 minutes early and will need to fill out our online audition form on-site from their mobile device. Walk-in auditionees must have a credit or debit card to pay the audition fee.

  • Most audition results are sent out via email within two weeks of the audition date, although some results may take up to three weeks during the busy season. Students who have urgent deadlines upcoming for other programs may email the Ellison Ballet Summer Intensive Coordinator at jennifer@ellisonballet.org to request audition results early. However, we ask that students be patient and wait for their results by email whenever possible.

  • Scholarships are limited and considered for students of exceptional talent and need and granted at the sole discretion of the artistic director. Students receiving scholarship offers are expected to make early decisions about attendance. See our FAQs for more information.

  • Yes, Ellison Ballet provides dormitory-style housing to all accepted Summer Intensive students. Please check our Housing page for more information.

Notice of Non-Discrimination Policy:
Ellison Ballet admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of any of the aforementioned qualities or characteristics in its recruitment and admission of students, educational policies, scholarship programs, and the operation of any of its school-administered programs.

For more information, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Email us at: jennifer@ellisonballet.org