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).

2026-27 Calendar

Fall Semester: Sept. 8 – Dec. 20, 2026

Tuesday, Sept. 8	Family Orientation
Wednesday, Sept. 9	First Day of Classes Primary – Advanced Training Program
Saturday, Sept. 12	First Day of Fall Jazz and Performance Ensemble Classes
Monday, Sept. 14	First Day of Pre-Primary and Adult Fall 10-wk. Session
Monday, Oct. 12 - Saturday, Oct. 16	Family Observation Week for Primary - ATP
Saturday, November 14	Last Jazz Class (Observation) 10-Week Session
Saturday, November 21	Last Day of Classes for Pre-Primary and Adult Ballet Fall 10-Week Session
Wednesday, Nov. 25 – Sunday, Nov. 29	CLOSURE Thanksgiving Break
Monday, Nov. 30	First Day of Pre-Primary and Adult Ballet Winter 10-Week Session
Thursday, Dec. 3	Advanced Training Program Open Rehearsal
Saturday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13	Nutcracker Story for Young Audiences
Dec. 21 - Jan. 3	CLOSURE Winter Break

Spring Semester: Jan. 4 – May 29, 2027

Monday, Jan. 4	First Day of Classes
Monday, Jan. 18	CLOSURE MLK Day
Saturday, Feb. 6	First Day of Spring Jazz and Performance Ensemble Classes
Monday, Feb. 22	Last Days of Pre-Primary (Observation) and Adult Ballet 10-Week Winter Session
Friday, Feb. 26 - Sunday, February 28	CLOSURE UNCSA Festival of Dance
Monday, March 8	First Day of Pre-Primary and Adult Ballet 10-Week Spring Session
Wednesday, March 11 - Saturday, March 14	Youth America Grand Prix Senior Jazz and Upper Division TBD
Monday, March 22 - Saturday, March 26	Family Observation Week for Primary - ATP
Monday, March 29 - Sunday, April 4	Closure WSFCS Spring Break
Saturday, April 24	Last Day (Observation) of Spring Jazz Classes 10-Week Session
Monday, April 26 - Friday, April 30	Exam Preview Classes (select classes)
Wednesday, April 29	Last Day of Pre-Primary Wednesdays 15-wk. Spring Section
Monday, May 3 - Friday, May 7	Level 1 - Level 5 Assessment Classes
Thursday, May 20	Celebrate Dance! Lower Division and Upper Division Graduation and Upper Division Solo Showcase
Saturday, May 22	Last Day of Pre-Primary (Observation) and Adult Ballet 10-Week Spring Session
Saturday, May 22	Primary A-C Ballet Presentation and Last Day of Primary Classes
Monday, May 24 - Friday, May 28	Level 1 - ATP Spring Performance Production Week
Saturday, May 29	Spring Performance

Links and Documents

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