Preparatory Dance

Founded in 1975, UNCSA Preparatory Dance Program is the Triad’s preeminent dance education program for children age three to adult to train with rigor and joy towards cultivating a love and long-lasting knowledge of the arts and its many future possibilities.

We believe dance training in the Preparatory Dance Program builds life skills of commitment, work ethic, teamwork, and self-confidence to become great artists, students, mentors, citizens, and individuals. Success is broad and our mission is to provide a high-quality training environment reflective of the diversity of our community that provides a foundation that can be applied in performance, teaching, collegiate study, and beyond.

The Preparatory Dance Program utilizes the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum, which combines solid technical and artistic training, dancer health, and principles of child development. The program consists of ABT Curriculum levels Pre-Primary – 5. The levels are divided into three divisions according to the stages of both child and dance talent development: Primary Division (Pre-Primary through Primary C for ages 3 to 7), Children’s Division (Level 1A – 3B for ages 8 – 12), and the Upper Division (Level 4A – Advanced Training Program for ages 11 – 18).

2025-26 Calendar

Fall Semester: Sept. 2 – Dec. 14, 2025

Tuesday, Sept. 2	Family Orientation
Wednesday, Sept. 3	First Day of Classes
Monday, Sept. 8	First Day of Pre-Primary and Adult Fall 10-wk. Session
Monday, Oct. 13 - Saturday, Oct. 18	Family Observation Week
Saturday, November 15	Last Day of Classes for Pre-Primary and Adult Ballet
Wednesday, Nov. 26 – Sunday, Nov. 30	CLOSURE Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday, Dec. 3	Advanced Training Program Open Rehearsal
Saturday, Dec. 6	Last Day of Classes: Jazz (13-week session) and Performance Ensemble
Saturday, Dec. 13 and Sunday, Dec. 14	Nutcracker Story for Young Audiences
Dec. 15 - Jan. 4	CLOSURE Winter Break

Spring Semester: Jan. 5 – June 6, 2026

Monday, Jan. 5	First Day of Classes
Monday, Jan. 5	First Day of Pre-Primary and Adult Ballet Spring 15-wk. Session
Monday, Jan. 19	CLOSURE MLK Day
Saturday, Feb. 7	First Day of Jazz and Performance Ensemble
Friday, Feb. 27 - Sunday, March 1	CLOSURE UNCSA Festival of Dance
Monday, March 9 - Saturday, March 15	CLOSURE WSFCS Spring Break
Monday, March 23 - Saturday, March 28	Family Observation Week
Saturday, April 25	Last Day of Beginner Musical Theatre Jazz (10-week session)
Monday, April 27 - Friday, May 1	Exam Preview Classes (select classes)
Wednesday, April 29	Last Day of Pre-Primary Wednesdays 15-wk. Spring Section
Monday, May 4 - Friday, May 8	Level 1A - 5 Assessment Classes
Thursday, May 7	Last Day of Thursday Adult Ballet Classes 15-week Spring Session
Saturday, May 9	Last Day of Pre-Primary Saturdays 15-week Spring Session
Saturday, May 9	Last Day of Saturday Adult Ballet Classes 15-week Spring Session
Monday, May 11	Last Day of Monday Adult Ballet Classes 15-week Spring Session
Saturday, May 16	Last Day of Classes: Senior Jazz 13 wk. Spring Session
Saturday, May 16	Primary A-C Ballet Presentations
Saturday, May 23 - Monday, May 25	CLOSURE Memorial Day Break
Thursday, May 28	Celebrate Dance! Lower and Upper Division Graduation and Upper Division Solo Showcase
Saturday, May 30	Last Day of Primary A - C Classes
Monday, June 1 - Friday, June 5	Level 1 - ATP Spring Performance Production Week
Saturday, June 6	Spring Performance

Links and Documents

For more information about the Preparatory Dance Program, visit Facebook and Instagram.