The Northwest Florida Ballet (NFB) Académie will hold auditions for 3rd graders entering the 2020-2021 academic year on June 27 from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Auditions are by appointment only and must be made by June 24 at 5 p.m. No prior dance training or academic achievement level is required for 3rd grade. Auditions are open to all children in the community, and selection is made solely on the child’s ballet potential.
Prospective students will audition in 20-minute intervals at the NFB studios located in downtown Fort Walton Beach, taken in by groups of 10 and spaced accordingly for auditions. Parents must remain outside, as the NFB lobby will be closed. Dancers will be required to sanitize their hands and have their temperature taken upon entering the building, and staff will wear masks and gloves. If the dancer or anyone in the same household is experiencing any COVID-19 related-symptoms, alternate options will be made available.
The NFB Académie is a free, nationally acclaimed integrated arts and academic program for third through eighth-grade boys and girls who demonstrate the potential to excel in dance. Académie students receive concentrated instruction in ballet as a part of their overall academic and artistic education. Certified elementary and middle school teachers under the direction of the Okaloosa County School District supervise the educational program. French, art and music are taught weekly.
Celebrating its milestone 15th anniversary, the NFB is a regionally recognized, semi-professional ballet company and school. The organization’s educational endeavors epitomize excellence with the nationally acclaimed Académie, an integrated arts and education program for students in 3rd through 8th grade. Additionally, NFB operates the dance intensive Pre-Professional Program for 9th through 12th grade students preparing for a career in dance. Led by Artistic Director and CEO Todd Eric Allen, an area native, the organization is funded in part by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.
For more information on the NFB Académie or to reserve an audition time, please visit www.NFBallet.org/Academie, call (850) 664-7787 or email office@nfballet.org.
