Young Dancer Summer Intensive

young dancer summer intensive
july 13 - july 31

Auraria Campus and The Studio Loft at The Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Ages 8 and up, by audition only

UNLEASH YOUR
INNER ARTISTRY

Young dancers experience an introduction to intensive ballet training during Colorado Ballet Academy’s Young Dancer Summer Intensive. Students participate in daily ballet classes with additional classes in pre-pointe, young men’s classes, character, modern, choreography, body conditioning, progressing ballet technique and more. Working closely with the accomplished Colorado Ballet Academy faculty and guest instructors, students reinforce a strong ballet technique in a focused and encouraging environment. The Young Dancer Summer Intensive concludes with a performance presentation at the Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

Photo by Andrew Fassbender

DETAILS

audition tour dates

Pre-Registration: $45
Walk-up Registration: $50
Pre-Registration closes at 5:00pm MST the Thursday before each audition date. All audition fees are non-refundable, regardless of circumstance.

All auditions at CBA are open to students ages 8-13. Auditions at locations outside of CBA are open to students ages 10-13. These auditions will be combined with those for our Summer Intensive. All students unable to attend an in-person audition are encouraged to submit a Video Audition.

Steps to Register for an Audition:
Complete online registration and payment for the audition location of your choice.
Within the online registration, you will be prompted to submit the following required photos:
- (1) 4”x6” photo in first arabesque
- (1) 4”x6” headshot portrait
- Photos do not need to be professional quality but must clearly portray the student.

register

Phoenix, AZ	Friday, January 2	Check In 11:00-11:30am Audition 11:30am-1:00pm	Ballet Arizona 2835 E Washington St Phoenix, AZ 85034
Portland, OR	Sunday, January 11	Check In 9:30-10:00am Audition 10:00am-11:30am	Oregon Ballet Theatre 720 S Bancroft St Portland, OR 97239
Denver, CO	Sunday, January 11	Check In 9:30-10:00am Audition 10:00-11:15am	Colorado Ballet 1075 Santa Fe Dr Denver, CO 80204
Salt Lake City, UT	Sunday, January 11	Check In 2:30-3:00pm Audition 3:00-4:30pm	Ballet West 52 West 200 South Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Seattle, WA	Sunday, January 11	Check In 6:00-6:30pm Audition 6:30-8:00pm	Pacific Northwest Ballet 301 Mercer Street Seattle, WA 98109
Dallas, TX	Friday, January 16	Check In 3:30-4:00pm Audition 4:00-5:30pm	Texas Ballet Theatre 6118 Luther Lane Dallas, TX 75225
San Francisco, CA	Saturday, January 17	Check In 3:30-4:00pm Audition 4:00-6:00pm	San Francisco Ballet 455 Franklin St San Francisco, CA 94102
Austin, TX	Saturday, January 17	Check In 3:30-4:00pm Audition 4:00-5:30pm	Ballet Austin 501 West 3rd Street Austin, TX 78701
Sacramento, CA	Sunday, January 18	Check In 11:00-11:30am Audition 11:30am-1:00pm	Sacramento Ballet 2420 N St #100 Sacramento, CA 95816
Kansas City, MO	Sunday, January 18	Check In 6:00-6:30pm Audition 6:30-8:00pm	Kansas City Ballet 500 W Pershing Rd Kansas City, MO 64108
Atlanta, GA	Sunday, January 18	Check In 6:00-6:30pm Audition 6:30-8:00pm	Atlanta Ballet 1695 Marietta Blvd NW Atlanta, GA 30318
Cary, NC	Weekend of January 23-25	TBD	Cary Ballet 920 High House Rd Cary, NC 27513
Philadelphia, PA	Saturday, January 24	Check In 4:00-4:30pm Audition 4:30-6:00pm	Philadelphia Ballet 323 N. Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
Chicago, IL	Sunday, January 25	Check In 5:00-5:30pm Audition 5:30-7:30pm	Joffrey Ballet 10 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601
Denver, CO	Sunday, January 25	Check In 9:00-9:30am Audition 9:30-11:00am	Colorado Ballet 1075 Santa Fe Dr Denver, CO 80204
Fountain Valley, CA	Monday, February 2	Check In 4:30-5:00pm Audition 5:00-7:00pm	Southland Ballet Academy 9527 Garfield Avenue Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Denver, CO	Sunday, February 15	Check In 10:00-10:30am Audition 10:30-11:45am	Colorado Ballet 1075 Santa Fe Dr Denver, CO 80204

audition tour information

Online registration closes at 5:00pm MST on the Thursday before each audition.
All audition fees are non-refundable, regardless of circumstance.

What to Expect
Students should arrive at the audition warmed up and ready to dance. Please be prepared to dance an abbreviated barre and center combinations. Students may be asked to repeat combinations several times in order to be adjudicated fairly.

Students should not feel pressured to execute any steps they have not learned or are not comfortable dancing during the audition. For example, if a student has not learned a certain pirouette, they should not attempt the combination and let the instructor know.

Audition Dress Code
- Female identifying students must wear a black leotard and pink or skin toned tights with matching flat and pointe shoes
- Male identifying students must wear a fitted white shirt and black tights with black or white ballet shoes.
- Students shall have the right to dress in accordance with their gender identity, within the dress code requirements stated by CBA.

Health and Safety Protocols
- No student will be permitted to enter the Colorado Ballet Armstrong Center for Dance if they have tested positive for Covid within the past 5 days. If a student is within 6-10 days after testing positive, they will be required to wear a face mask.
- All students attending a CBA Summer Intensive audition at one of the audition tour cities must comply with the health and safety protocols set forth by each institution.

video audition registration & information

Colorado Ballet Academy gives the same priority to those who audition in person or via recorded video audition.

Details:
- Video registration fee $50.
- All audition fees are non-refundable, regardless of circumstances.
- Videos must be recorded and uploaded to a video sharing site such as YouTube or Vimeo
- Please make sure the visibility settings for the video are set to public.
- Video must be recorded between October 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.

All videos must be received by no later than March 31, 2026.
Early video audition submissions are encouraged as the deadline may change as the program is filled.
Videos will be reviewed upon receipt and results will be communicated within six (6) weeks. Due to the number of auditions, we are unable to provide individual feedback.

Audition Dress Code
- Female identifying students must wear a solid color leotard and pink or skin toned tights with matching flat and pointe shoes
- Male identifying students must wear a fitted white shirt and black tights with black or white ballet shoes.
- Students shall have the right to dress in accordance with their gender identity, within the dress code requirements stated by CBA.
The audition video should be no more than 10 minutes in length and include the following:
- Barre
- Ages 10-13, one side only with tendu, degage, rond de jamb and adagio.
- Ages 14-20 do not need to submit barre work
- Center floor work
- Adagio
- Pirouette combination
- Petit allegro
- Grand allegro

Steps to Register for a Video Audition:
Complete online registration and payment for the video audition.
Within the online registration, you will be prompted to submit your video link along with the following required photos:
- (1) 4”x6” photo in first arabesque (en pointe if applicable)
- (1) 4”x6” headshot portrait
- Photos do not need to be professional quality but must clearly portray the student.

register

tuition, housing, & fees

Young Dancer Summer Intensive: July 13 – July 31, 2026 | Tuition $1,895 | Housing package $1,695

Student Fees
Registration Fee: $100
Activity Fee: $100

residential experience

CBA Apartments at the Nita

New for 2026, housing is now an option for YDW Students accompanied by a Parent or Legal Guardian at CBA’s apartments at the Nita. Families have two options to choose from: a two-bedroom, two-bath suites shared with another Student and Parent or Legal Guardian in the unit, or a one-bedroom unit for one student and their Parent or Legal Guardian. The apartments are located in the heart of the Santa Fe Arts District and are within easy walking distance to RTD Light Rail and CBA 2026 studio locations.

Housing at the NIta is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Amenities Include:
Samsung Stainless Steel Appliance Packages
Quartz Countertops
Full-Height Backsplash
Samsung Washer & Dryer
Full-Tiled Bath & Shower Surround
Ceiling Fans
Solar Shades
Honeywell Thermostat
Fitness Center
Makers Space
Bike Storage & Washing Station
Club Room Featuring Entertaining Space
Coworking Pods
3rd Floor Spa
Fire Pit
Grilling Area
Sky Lounge & Roof Deck
Expansive Mountain & City Views

Meals, transportation to and from all CBA locations, and activities are not included in this package. Students residing in the Nita are not chaperoned, but have access to a CBA Resident Advisor.

schedule

Classes are held Monday through Friday 9:30am – 2:30pm. The schedule below is a sample and is subject to change.

9:30-10:00am	Warm up and Conditioning
10:00-10:15am	Break
10:15-11:45am	Ballet Technique
11:45am-12:15pm	Lunch Break
12:15-1:15pm	Jazz/Modern/Character/PBT
1:15-1:30pm	Break
1:30-2:30pm	Choreography/Variations

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