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, and performance opportunities alongside Novus artists.

Who It’s For

  • Aspiring professionals (ages ~17–25) ready for pre-professional intensity

  • Classically trained dancers seeking stronger contemporary, partnering, and improvisation skills

  • Pointe-ready dancers (women/femme) and strong classically trained men/masc dancers comfortable with virtuosity, floorwork, and partnering

  • Recent high school/college grads, gap-year dancers, or lateral movers refining their reel and network

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 repertory + selective Novus mainstage integration

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

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
(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 Ballet (advanced technique & pointe)

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

  • 1:00–2:00 Rehearsals (Trainee 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

Performance & Film

Studio Showings each cycle for invited guests/industry

Mainstage Opportunities: select trainees may be cast with Novus Contemporary Ballet

On-Camera Days: professionally recorded class/repertory for reel-ready footage

Mentorship & Individual Pathways

Assigned faculty mentor for goal-setting and coaching

Electives: choreography, teaching assistantship, leadership in outreach

Customized Reel Plan: material selection, filming strategy, postproduction tips

Faculty & Guests

Our roster includes Novus artistic staff, company members, and guest choreographers across ballet, contemporary, and hybrid forms. Expect a mix of classical rigor and cutting-edge creation.

Auditions & Admissions

Eligibility

  • Advanced classical training; strong pointe proficiency (women/femme)

  • Contemporary fluency (floorwork, weight, momentum)

  • Partnering experience preferred (we train it intensively)

How to Audition (Choose One)

  1. In-Person Class Audition (join company class + short phrasework)

  2. Private/In-Class Audition (when traveling to SB/LA)

  3. Video Audition (Vimeo/YouTube link; see guidelines)

Video Guidelines (8–12 minutes total)

  • Ballet: adagio, pirouettes both sides, petite & grand allegro; pointe work (if applicable)

  • Contemporary: phrase demonstrating floorwork, directional changes, and musicality

  • Optional: partnering, improv up to 60 seconds

Application Materials

  • Headshot + dance shot

  • Artistic résumé (training, repertory, performance)

  • Links: audition video + any recent performance/reel

  • 1 short statement: goals and why Novus (max 250 words)