CincyDance! is Cincinnati Ballet’s cornerstone education program and is at the heart of our mission to expand a love of dance across our community. Thousands of greater Cincinnati area students are introduced to dance through in-school residencies, dance classes and scholarship opportunities with Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy.
Calling all second graders! Join us for a fun and informal audition experience offering a sneak peak into our CincyDance Foundations course.
The CincyDance! program starts in the classroom with residency experiences designed to inspire a joy and curiosity in movement. With a foundational focus on second grade students, the CincyDance! program is also proud to offer a new residency experience for PreK students.
We hope you’ll join us by exploring the options below!
Grade Level: PreK
Availability: February – April
Free to participating schools
The CincyDance! First Steps Residency is an enriching ballet residency tailored for 3- to 5-year-old students. Over four energetic 35-minute classroom visits, these young learners will immerse themselves in the world of ballet and creative movement, guided by skilled Cincinnati Ballet teaching artists. Each visit hones skills such as balance, coordination, rhythm, self-awareness, and cooperative movement. This program aligns with the Ohio Early Learning and Development Standards by nurturing motor development, physical well-being, and cognitive skills.
Grade Level: Second Grade
Availability: August – March
Free to participating schools
The CincyDance! program begins in the classroom using a combination of state curriculum standards and dance training techniques to activate a student’s desire to express themselves through movement. Over six classroom visits, professional teaching artists create a welcoming environment for students to discover their potential and foster a love of creativity in movement.
CincyDance! Foundations is the second tier of the CincyDance! program, offering students the opportunity to engage in a semester of study under full scholarship at Cincinnati Ballet’s Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance. Participants are selected by audition from the Classroom Residency Program and through our annual open CincyDance! audition. The audition allows interested students to show their passion and aptitude for dance. CincyDance! Foundations expands upon the lessons learned in the CincyDance! Residency, further advancing students’ knowledge of classical ballet while also introducing them to other styles of dance. Students participating in CincyDance! Foundations are supplied with dance attire including leotards or dance shirts, tights or leggings, and ballet shoes.
The third and final tier of the CincyDance! program is the invitation to join Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy. Each year, five to six students are selected from CincyDance! Foundations to receive full, lifetime tuition scholarships to the Academy. The Academy’s training programs provide students with a world-class dance education as well as performance opportunities with the Academy and Cincinnati Ballet’s professional Company. Students may go on to pursue dance as a career pathway or as a personal passion.
