Prospective dancers
Princeton University Ballet welcomes new dancers to the Princeton dance community! As a student dance company, we look forward to the addition of new dancers every year to contribute their talents to PUB. PUB is a family and we are always thrilled to welcome a new crop of beautiful dancers. Below, we have included some information about dance at Princeton. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Company Class
Every Friday evening, PUB holds Company Class. This class is mandatory for members, however its so much fun that it hardly needs to be. Dancers are given the opportunity to sign up to teach a class at the beginning of the semester. This allows us to share our knowledge with each other and gives us all a chance to dance together as a group in between rehearsals. The teacher for the night gets to choose the music and the combinations, which more often than not leads to a fun combination of classical dance and contemporary music. Following Company Class, we rehearse pieces for our upcoming shows, so everyone has the opportunity to see how the show is progressing, as well as allowing us to run the pieces for a fun and supportive audience of our peers.
Co-Curricular Ballet Classes
Princeton itself offers Co-Curricular Ballet Classes. These classes are optional eighty minute technique classes that are offered outside of the Dance Department's curriculum. They are a great way to continue to develop your ballet technique and stay in shape. The classes are generally catered towards flat shoes, however dancers can choose to take the class en pointe. These classes are offered Monday through Friday from 12:00-1:20pm and Saturday from 11:00am-12:20. In addition, modern and conditioning classes are also offered. Freshmen who want to make sure that they have time to take ballet should organize their schedules so that they have a break in their academics for these classes. It is normal to have to run in a few minutes late or leave before jumps if you have a class that ends at 11:50 or one that starts at 1:30. PUB dancers who manage to fit these classes into their schedules are always very happy they have time for more ballet technique--something that PUB itself cannot offer to a great extent because of limited rehearsal hours. PUB dancers often participate in modern classes during the semesters they are offered. The conditioning class is a favorite for those who have extra time in the morning. It is great for the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries. For more information, visit the Lewis Center's co-curricular page.
Dance Courses
Princeton offers many dance courses every semester. Most of the classes are more modern, however there is an advanced ballet course offered every Spring. Fall dance courses culminate with a performance in the Spring Dance Festival, which is held in the Berlind Theater in late February. An additional component of many dance courses is the composition element. Typically, two of your three classes per week are devoted to technique, while Friday classes focus on developing choreographic skills. Dance courses are graded on a PDF scale and are held from 4:30-6:20 during the week. This is the same time as athletic practices so they do not conflict with other academic courses.
Guest Choreographers
Another way to participate in Spring Dance Festival without taking a dance course is to dance with a guest choreographer. Every year, the program in dance brings in three choreographers to set or create a piece on Princeton dancers. Dancers should expect to commit about four hours per week to these rehearsals, as well as six hours of rehearsal during finals and six hours of rehearsal once the second semester has started. Rehearsals are usually after dinner and are not graded. They provide a great opportunity to work with distinguished choreographers in an intimate setting. Auditions for Fall dance courses and guest choreography take place at the beginning of the school year.
Senior Theses
Another opportunity for performance is to dance for a senior dance certificate student in their senior thesis show. This is a great way for freshmen to have more performance opportunities and to connect with older dancers in the Program in Dance. Seniors will be asking dancers to work with them in September. Co-curricular classes, guest choreography auditions, and dance courses are a great place to meet seniors who would love to work with freshmen. Some seniors choreograph pieces that are performed on the Berlind Stage in the Senior Dance Thesis Show. Other seniors present their work as full evening works in smaller performance spaces around campus. Seniors who are pursuing the certificate in dance may also elect to have a piece set on them instead of choreographing a new one on a cast of dancers. Seniors in the past have performed works by Susan Marshall, Adam Barruch, and Christopher Wheeldon among others.