PBT School to Hold Community Auditions for Children’s Scholarships

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School will hold community auditions for Pittsburgh-area children ages 5 to 8 for the opportunity to receive Children’s Division scholarships for the 2014-2015 school year. The auditions will be held on Sunday, May 4, at PBT Studios in the Strip District, 2900 Liberty Ave. Registration begins at 3 p.m. with auditions following from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Now entering its second year, PBT’s annual Children’s Division Scholarship program supports early ballet training for talented young students who demonstrate financial need. The program is committed to making PBT School and the art form of ballet accessible to talented and committed students and families throughout the Pittsburgh region.

The audition will consist of a basic dance class taught by PBT School faculty members of the Children’s and Student Divisions. No previous dance experience is required. Children must be 5 to 8 years of age by Sept. 1, 2014 and must qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch program to be considered for scholarships. Scholarship recipients will be selected based on their talent for training in ballet and other dance styles and their desire and commitment to study dance at PBT School. During the audition, a “Get to Know PBT and Ballet” informational session will be held for parents and family members.

PBT launched the youth scholarship program with its first community audition on June 1, 2013 for more than 55 children from ages 5 to 8. As PBT’s first dedicated program for Children’s Division scholarships, the annual program aims to broaden access to early ballet training for talented young students from families of varied socioeconomic backgrounds. The inaugural year of the program made the dream of dancing a reality for 13 new students during the 2013-2014 school year.  

To register for the audition, please call 412-454-9105. Spaces are limited. For full audition guidelines and more information about the Children’s Division Scholarship program, please visit www.pbt.org/community-engagement/pbt-school-scholarships.

About Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School
As the official training institution of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, PBT School provides a diverse dance curriculum to more than 900 students across its Children’s, Student, Pre-Professional and Adult Open Divisions under the direction of PBT Artistic Director Terrence S. Orr and School Co-Directors Marjorie Grundvig and Dennis Marshall.  Ranging from pre-ballet to Pre-Professional, PBT School fosters the expression, discipline and joy of ballet at every level and cultivates the next generation of professional dancers. Strengthened by daily exposure to PBT’s professional company of dancers, PBT School students experience training that extends from the studio to main-stage performance opportunities in annual student productions and select PBT productions at the Benedum Center.