TRAIN. CREATE. PERFORM.

Step into a rigorous, collaborative environment where ballet technique, contemporary innovation, and professional practice meet. The Novus Contemporary Ballet (NCB) Trainee Program bridges the gap between studio training and the professional stage – offering daily company-class immersion, creation labs with working choreographers, individualized coaching, and performance opportunities alongside Novus artists, as well as additional learning opportunities with our sister company, Selah Dance Collective.

Program Snapshot

Format: Full-time, in-person (two tracks below)

  • Length: 9 months (Fall–Spring) or 5 months (Semester track)

  • Weekly Load: 20–30 hours (class + rehearsal + seminars)

  • Location: Santa Barbara area (primary studio: Santa Barbara Dance Arts)

  • Performance: Trainee repertoire + selective Novus mainstage integration

  • Mentorship: 1:1 coaching, injury-prevention support, professional practice seminars

  • Tuition: $2,500 per semester or $4,000 for the full year

Apply for 2026-2027

Novus Trainee
(Full-Time, 9 months)

Deep-dive training, creation, and performance with recurring stage opportunities, weighted toward repertory and touring readiness.

Novus Semester Trainee
(Part-Time or 5 months)

All core training elements + one creation cycle and a recorded studio showing. Ideal for mid-year starts or dancers balancing school commitments.

Core Curriculum

  • Technique Core: Advanced ballet, pointe/variation, men’s work, petit/grand allegro

  • Contemporary Module: Floorwork, release, momentum pathways, virtuosic phrasework

  • Partnering & Lifts: Safety, weight share, counterbalance, classical-to-contemporary translation

  • Creative Practice: Improvisation, composition tasks, devising methods, text & movement

  • Repertory Lab: Set works by Novus choreographers + new commissions

  • Performance Studies in Practice: Context, dramaturgy, and critical reflection for the contemporary stage

  • Career & Wellness: Auditions, contracts, finances, cross-training, somatics, mindset

Weekly Flow

Monday–Friday

  • 10:00–11:30 Company Class (advanced ballet technique & pointe)

  • 11:45–12:45 Contemporary / Floorwork / Partnering (rotating focus)

  • 1:00–2:30 Rehearsals (Company repertory + selected mainstage integration)

  • Weekly Seminars (1x/week, 60–75 min): audition strategy, contracts, networking, grant/press basics, portfolio & reel, social media for artists, somatics & injury prevention

Saturdays and Sundays (select weeks)

  • Staging, production workshops, or filming days