National Ballet Academy
Artistic Director: Christopher Powney
The Nationale Balletacademie (National Ballet Academy) is affiliated to the, world renowned, 
Het Nationale Ballet. (Dutch National Ballet)
As the Netherland’s top national school for classical ballet, the National Ballet Academy aims to provide the highest level of training for aspiring young dancers to equip them with the skills to obtain positions within the National Ballet and other top international companies. The National Ballet Academy endeavours to set the highest of standards at the forefront of dance training and provide students with a safe, caring and stimulating environment wherein they will attain their full potential as a dancer, artist and human being.
The first phase of the National Ballet Academy is a preparatory course. This study programme can take seven or eight years. The first two years run parallel with primary school groups 7 and 8. The following five and six years, run parallel with HAVO or VWO secondary education classes. Pupils follow a programme that combines regular and ballet education.
Students receive daily lessons in classical ballet technique. In addition, there are classes in pointe shoe technique, modern dance, world dance, creative dance and Pilates. For boys there are special lessons, such as jumping technique and power training.
During the final year of the preparatory course, selections will take place for the (abridged) HBO phase of the National Ballet Academy. This is an intense training programme that provides students with the necessary skills and information to compete on the world stage, within top international companies such as and Nederlands Dans Theater. A more varied and specialised schedule in pointe shoe technique for the girls, boys coaching, advanced pas de deux, repertoire, variations, contemporary and improvisation is then followed. The study programme includes several theoretical subjects - for example, dance and health, music and dance and cultural history.
Besides the compulsory section of the study programme, there is room to map out a personal study path suited to individual career ideals. In keeping with tradition, each academic year is concluded with a series of performances in one of Amsterdam’s major theatres.
The National Ballet already plays a significant role in the students ‘study. Not only is this internationally renowned company involved within the curriculum, schedule and appraisals – pupils will also dance in some of its major productions – like Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker or Romeo and Juliet.
The National Ballet Academy has a rich history of graduate success and currently many past students of the academie now dance with the National Ballet, among them, Igone de Jongh, Rachel Oomens, Rink Sliphorst and Hannah de Klein. The school is also privileged to employ a large number of renowned ex-dancers from the National Ballet as teachers within the National Ballet Academy.
When all requirements have been satisfactory fulfilled, the student receives a diploma Bachelor of Dance (Bda). For more information, please contact the dance education office, tel. +31 20 527 7643, email: 
nba-info@ahk.nl
