Dozens of young dancers from Calgary and other cities put their best toe forward Saturday, as they auditioned for coveted spots in the National Ballet School of Canada's Professional Ballet-Academic Program.
The day of dance at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks' studio in the Beltline launched an 11-city tour of auditions as NBS recruiters seek out Canada's next generation of talented ballerinas.
Those who impress will be invited to the Toronto-based school for an additional "intensive," after which roughly 50 dancers will be invited to attend NBS full-time, starting in September 2026.
The Professional Ballet-Academic Program is catered to dancers in grades 6 through 12 who take ballet seriously, said Ashleigh Powell, director of teacher training and community dance at NBS.
"It's a pretty rigorous pursuit, just like the Olympics," she said.
"It's one of the only schools in North America where you can get your professional ballet training, your academic schooling and your residential care all on one campus."
Students accepted into the program will not only attend the immersive dance school next year, but have the chance to dance with the National Ballet of Canada in its holiday production of The Nutcracker.
They'll take classes in contemporary repertoire and technique, improvisation, drama and expression, historical/character dance and anatomy, as well as four to six hours daily of ballet classes focusing on variations, repertoire and pas de deux.
Some of the school's alumni who now dance professionally include Siphesihle November, a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada; Emma Hawes, a lead principal with the English National Ballet; and Isabella Gasparini, a first soloist with the Royal Ballet in London, U.K.
"It's for people who really have dreams of dancing on the world stage," Powell said.
Among those auditioning Saturday was Calgarian Jaylene Xu, a 14-year-old who attends Ernest Manning High School.
A former competitor in swimming, figure skating and gymnastics, Xu said she took up ballet about four years ago, initially to improve her poise in figure skating.
However, she discovered she enjoyed ballet more than skating and decided to focus on dance instead.
"I like being able to express myself without having to use any words, and I like how freeing it can make me feel," Xu said. "I like the community that ballet can bring me and I guess I just like the feeling that it can bring me as well."
She said she commits anywhere from 15 to 20 hours a week to ballet and is excited by the prospect of attending NBS. With a brother who lives in Toronto and two friends at the prestigious ballet school already, Xu said she's not daunted by the prospect of moving across the country to pursue her passion, and noted she already attended a month-long "intensive" in Winnipeg last summer.
Two other ballerinas auditioning Saturday were 13-year-olds Bianca Mahnkopf and Brooke Wicks. They both travelled with their families down from Edmonton, where they attend SGSDance, an elite dance education centre.
The two friends said they've been doing ballet for nearly a decade and have spent the last few months preparing for the NBS audition, training roughly 10 hours a week.
"I want to do ballet professionally and feel like auditions can get me there," said Wicks.
"It's a great opportunity and I think a lot of people should think about it if they want to focus on ballet professionally -- it's a great program," added Mahnkopf.
Throughout the 11-city tour, Powell said roughly 2,000 dancers will try out, including at auditions in Los Angeles and New York.
With just 50 new students accepted into NBS next fall, only a small percentage of trialists will be invited.
"I think understanding if something like this is going to be your life's pursuit is a process," Powell said. "Some people come sure they're ready and they really know this is what they want to pursue, and some people come wanting to learn.
"I think any audition is an act of bravery," she added. "You're putting yourself out there, and probably in that experience, you learn something new about yourself. So take the chance, take the risk."
For those who don't make the cut this time around, Powell encourages them not to give up their dreams and to continue pursuing their passion for dance and movement.
"There are many great ways to train and many avenues through which to have a career, so keep going, keep dreaming and keep being brave," she said.