The Indiana University Ballet Department provides the highest level of professional ballet training within an academic, intellectual, and artistic university environment.
The department trains dancers of a technical and artistic level who succeed as performers, choreographers, teachers, and administrators. The faculty is comprised of experienced ballet teachers, each with major professional company experience.
The curriculum is designed to educate and expose dancers to the very best in traditional and contemporary international ballet styles. The program aims to maintain the highest standards of ballet as an art form while nurturing the unique potential of each student in a positive professional atmosphere.
The department requires the taking of five ballet technique classes per week plus pointe or men's class, variations, partnering, choreography, jazz or modern, and pedagogy.
The IU Ballet Theater season includes three staged productions, performed with live music, in the IU Musical Arts Center. In addition, students participate in an annual Choreography Project at the historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater in downtown Bloomington. Students also benefit from lecture demonstrations and collaborative productions with the IU Jacobs School of Music, and additional performing opportunities are offered with IU Opera Theater.
From School to Employment
It is an exciting time of year in the ballet world. Dancers are finding employment and seeing how their efforts played out this audition season. It is a wonderfully successful year so far with several seniors already confirming their future employment.
Graduating after four years:
- Mackenzie Allen is graduating with a BS in Ballet from the Jacobs School of Music as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the Kelley School of Business. She begins her career as an Apprentice with the Island Moving Company in Rhode Island.
- Ryan McCreary is graduating with a BS in Ballet with an Outside Field in Psychology. She will be a member of Boston Ballet II for the 18-19 season.
- Gillian Worek is graduating with a BS in Ballet with an Outside Field in Psychology. She will be an Apprentice with Sarasota Ballet next year.
Graduating after three years:
- Georgia Dalton is graduating with a BS in Ballet with an Outside Field in Marketing and will be joining the ranks of Boston Ballet II this fall.
- Alia Federico is graduating with a BS in Ballet with an Outside Field in Urban Studies. She will join the Nashville Ballet’s Second Company this fall.
- Nicholas Gray is graduating with a BS in Ballet with an Outside Field in Theatre and Drama will be an Apprentice at Grand Rapids Ballet next year.
- Anna Grunewald is graduating with a BS in Ballet with an Outside Field in Arts Management. She will be an Apprentice with Ballet Arizona Next year.
- Gillian Worek is graduating with a BS in Ballet with an Outside Field in Psychology. She will be an Apprentice with Sarasota Ballet next year.