Residential Performance Activity 2024

Audition applications are now open for NYB’s 2024 residential performance activities!

In 2024 we will hold three residential courses, of different lengths, tailored to different age groups. In each of these courses students will develop their skills, work together as a company, and explore the work of a variety of creatives, enabling them to gain an even deeper understanding of the complexity of the creation process and being a company dancer. 

 

After an exciting period of research and development in 2023, NYB is thrilled to present a full scale public performance season in 2024. We are looking for dancers aged 9-19 to join our Junior and Senior Residential Performance Companies, to participate in a residential rehearsal period at Elmhurst Ballet School, followed by three public performances at Birmingham’s Crescent Theatre, and a gala performance at Sadler’s Wells in London. 

 

The 2024 public performances will mark the culmination of NYB’s exciting new two year model, with the return of the dynamic creative team selected in 2023, who have been hard at work developing their ideas. Dancers will have the opportunity to collaborate with the creative team to take their ideas from the rehearsal studio to the stage, and to gain valuable performance experience in four fully costumed and lit public performances.

 

2024 also sees the exciting launch of NYB’s new Residential Performance Company Intensive, a specially designed four-day residential course at Elmhurst Ballet School for dancers aged 13-16. Company members will take classes with NYB’s team members and choreographers, learn some of NYB’s much-loved repertoire, and take part in a creative process with a choreographer to develop a brand new piece which will be performed alongside the repertoire in a sharing for family, friends, and invited guests in Elmhurst’s Studio Theatre. 

 

This year we have made the decision to hold only one round of auditions. This is because we wish to reduce the travel costs for families, compared with our previous preliminary-plus-final audition model. This means that dancers will attend one audition, and will then hear from us, by email, in April 2024 to find out if we are able to offer them a place. We are hopeful that this will make our auditions more accessible.

 

Please see below for more details of our three residential courses and auditions, and how to apply. 

 

We can’t wait to meet you!

 

Photo (c) Sean Purser

 

Photo (c) Lachlan Monaghan

 

Residential Opportunities

 

Junior Residential Performance Company – Age 9-12 (6 days plus performance dates) 

Monday 12 August 2024 – Saturday 17 August 2024

2024’s Junior Residential Performance Company will have the opportunity to:

  • work with choreographer Tierney Lawlor over a six-day residential rehearsal period, to create a fully realised, costumed and lit piece
  • dance in three public performances at Crescent Theatre in Birmingham, and one performance on the prestigious main stage at Sadler’s Wells in London
  • take part in daily classes with an inspiring range of teachers and choreographers
  • take part in NYB’s Moving Minds sessions, designed to support, develop and nurture each young person’s confidence and personal development
  • take part in NYB’s Frank Freeman Choreographic Competition, which will be judged by special guests from the ballet industry. The competition has previously been adjudicated by artists including David Bintley, Tyrone Singleton and Vidya Patel.

 

Senior Residential Performance Company – Age 13-19 (9 days plus performance dates) 

Friday 9 August 2024 – Saturday 17 August 2024

2024’s Senior Residential Performance Company will have the opportunity to:

  • work over a nine-day residential rehearsal period, culminating in three public performances at Crescent Theatre in Birmingham, and one performance on the prestigious main stage at Sadler’s Wells in London
  • take part in daily company classes and a nine-day rehearsal process with an inspiring range of teachers and choreographers 
  • take part in NYB’s Moving Minds sessions, designed to support, develop and nurture each young person’s confidence and personal development
  • learn and perform in two pieces of new work or NYB repertoire, gaining valuable performance experience dancing in four fully costumed and lit public performances. These performances are attended by a wide range of industry professionals
  • Senior RPC members will also have the chance to work with up-and-coming choreographers taking part in NYB’s Beyond Ballet® scheme, offering the exciting chance to be part of a young choreographer’s vision at the very beginning of their career 
  • explore their own choreographic voice by participating in our in-house Frank Freeman choreographic competition, which will be judged by special guests from the ballet industry. The competition has previously been adjudicated by artists including David Bintley, Tyrone Singleton and Vidya Patel.

 

Residential Performance Company Intensive – Age 13-16 (4 days) 

Friday 9 August 2024 – Monday 12 August 2024

In 2024 NYB is excited to offer 20 places on our first Residential Performance Company Intensive. Following the success of all our activities around the country in 2023 and meeting so many fantastic dancers, we have introduced this shorter residential experience to open the doors to even more young people to come and work as a company, with the NYB team. This is an excellent opportunity for young dancers to develop their confidence, creativity and performance skills, and to collaborate with each other and with inspiring artists and industry professionals.

Audition applications for this opportunity are available to dancers aged 13-16 years old, and the programme is a brand new, specially designed experience, curated by NYB’s Creative Director Jo Meredith.

2024’s Residential Performance Company Intensive dancers will have the opportunity to:

  • work with the NYB team, including established industry professional and former NYB Associate Artistic Director Carrie Taylor Johnson, to develop their classical, creative and technical skills
  • take part in daily company class with an inspiring range of teachers and choreographers
  • take part in NYB activities on-site, at the beautiful Elmhurst Ballet studios
  • gain valuable performance experience dancing in a fully costumed and lit sharing of work for family and friends at the Elmhurst Studio Theatre on Monday 12th August 2024
  • take part in NYB’s Moving Minds sessions, designed to support, develop and nurture each young person’s confidence and personal development

Key Dates

Please note: For those aged 13-16 you will have the option to indicate on your application form if you wish to audition for one or two opportunities within the one audition, and which one would be your first choice. The courses available to you are: 

  • Residential Performance Company Intensive (4 days at Elmhurst Ballet School) 
  • Senior Residential Performance Company (9 days at Elmhurst Ballet School, plus performances in Birmingham and London)

Photo (c) Lachlan Monaghan

Audition Dates

You can choose from the following audition dates:Applications will close on the Monday before each of the audition dates.

 

*Our audition places are booked on a first come first served basis. In the event that the audition for your age group is sold out, but you are available to attend another venue, please book into the audition for your age group at the alternative venue. In the case that another venue is not possible, please book into the closest age group to yours and contact admin@nationalyouthballet.org

 

** For those taking part in London Children’s Ballet, Company or Touring Company – Sunday 14th January 2024 has been mutually agreed by both organisations to avoid any potential rehearsal clashes. We kindly ask any dancer involved in LCB, who also wishes to audition for NYB, to please attend the NYB auditions on Sunday 14th January 2024.

 

Please note that all auditions will be filmed/photographed for internal use only. If you have any questions about this please email admin@nationalyouthballet.org 

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions for more information: Audition FAQ’S 2024

 

Photo (c) Lachlan Monaghan

What the audition will involve

Moving Minds:

We understand that auditions can sometimes be an intimidating process for young dancers, but they are also a key part of life as a professional dancer! To enhance dancers’ skills, our Moving Minds team will provide a short workshop before the audition to help each participant perform to their full potential. These confidence-building skills will be useful for all future audition experiences.

 

Ballet class:

Dancers will participate in a 60-75 minute ballet class with a professional teacher.

 

Contemporary phrase/task:

Dancers will have the opportunity to learn and perform a short piece of contemporary work at the end of the audition.

 

Online (Zoom) audition: 

In addition to the above, we require those who audition via zoom to upload a recording of three sections of the audition (instructions and help will be provided prior to the audition). This can be recorded on a phone or similar device and does not need to be professionally recorded. 

The reason for this is that we are recording exactly the same sections of the classes at each audition and will be used for internal purposes only.

Please click here for Online Audition – Additional Information.

Photo (c) Lachlan Monaghan

Why become a Part of NYB?

For over 30 years, NYB alumni have gone on to dance in major British ballet companies including The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, Scottish Ballet and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, and many more have gone on to work in dance, choreography and related industries worldwide. In addition, alumni state that the skills they developed as part of NYB prepared them well for diverse and varied careers beyond the dance profession. 

 

Dancers:

  • enjoy an audition that replicates the professional experience
  • gain insight into the different stages and processes of putting together a large-scale performance
  • understand how it feels to be part of an inclusive and forward-thinking ballet company
  • build confidence and resilience through NYB Moving Minds workshops
  • work with industry professionals to gain new skills in choreography and classical and contemporary dance
  • experience the fun of live performance including make-up, costumes, and professional lighting
  • become part of the NYB family and make new friends and lifelong connections.

Photo (c) Sean Purser

Fees

Audition fees:

Non-refundable audition fee: £40

 

Course fees: 

Residential Performance Company Intensive £470

Junior Residential Performance Company £835

Senior Residential Performance Company £1250

 

Bursaries:

NYB aims to support a diverse range of applications by removing financial barriers; bursaries are available for applicants from different socio-economic backgrounds that meet our eligibility criteria.

The deadline for bursary applications is Friday 15 March 2024. Successful applicants will be notified as soon as the audition outcomes are communicated. 

For more information click here: https://nationalyouthballet.org/nyb-bursaries/

Photo (c) Lachlan Monaghan

Information about 2024 fees

NYB is a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation and has always had to find charitable funding to subsidise fees charged to participants, which do not cover our costs. NYB works hard to make activity accessible and to keep fees as low as possible. For 2024, this includes new audition locations and eliminating the second audition, to save travel costs for families, as well as a new short intensive.

 

NYB’s 2024 Residential Performance Company provides the unique experience of moving from studio to stage in full production in Crescent Theatre and Sadler’s Wells, in front of a public audience and leading ballet and dance professionals. In 2024, the actual costs of running the RPC and performances, including theatre hire and production expenses, will be a total of £175,000. 

 

The NYB team is firmly committed to delivering impactful activity, so we can secure charitable funding to subsidise opportunities for everyone who takes part.  All fees are worked out to cover residential tuition, board and lodging. NYB subsidises all other performance and production costs to provide this unique opportunity, which also includes the chance to meet some of our world-famous patrons and to be part of a lifelong community of artists and industry professionals. We are committed to covering this subsidy in 2024, and to continuing to offer bursary places. To do so we must raise £68,000 from donations and grants to reach our £175,000 target, whilst continuing to fundraise from charitable trusts and generous donors to ensure we can cover the costs of the management and administration provided by our small team. 

                                            Photo (c) Lachlan Monaghan