Aspirant Ballet Programme, Professional Ballet Dancers Training

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Preparing the Next Generation of Professional Dancers

The Joburg Ballet Aspirant Programme is a comprehensive one-year, pre-professional training programme for talented young dancers aged 18 and above who are ready to take the next step towards a career in professional dance.

Based at Joburg Ballet’s headquarters at the Joburg Theatre, with additional training at Anglo American’s 44 Main, the programme offers dancers an immersive professional experience within the environment of one of Africa’s leading ballet companies. It is designed to bridge the gap between full-time dance training and the demands, discipline and expectations of the professional stage.

A bespoke, full-time curriculum provides intensive training across classical ballet, contemporary dance, floor barre, body conditioning, pas de deux, classical and contemporary repertoire, and new choreographic works. The programme is designed to develop the complete artist — technically strong, physically prepared, creatively engaged and equipped with the resilience, discipline and versatility required of a professional dancer.

Students benefit from training with an exceptional faculty comprising senior professional artists from Joburg Ballet, former principal dancers and specialist teachers. The programme is led by Kitty Phetla, Nicole Ferreira Dill and Thabani Ntuli, under the artistic guidance of Artistic Director Dane Hurst, bringing together a diverse range of professional experience, knowledge and artistic perspectives.

Importantly, the Aspirant Programme extends beyond the studio. Participants have the unique opportunity to perform alongside the professional company in up to four large-scale Joburg Ballet productions each year, giving them invaluable experience of the professional rehearsal process, theatre environment, production demands and performance standards.

To support dancers during their training, participants receive a stipend towards living expenses, enabling them to focus more fully on their artistic and professional development.

The programme is also designed to create meaningful pathways into the profession. Dancers who demonstrate exceptional potential and progress may be considered for full-time positions with Joburg Ballet, while those who require further development may have the opportunity to undertake a second year within the programme.

From 2028, the second-year pathway will form part of the Joburg Ballet Junior Company, creating a dedicated platform for emerging artists to continue their development while gaining sustained experience within a professional company environment.