The year-long training course is scheduled to start on October 18 at the studios of Het Muziektheater.

To reach the international top, talented children from an early age must follow specialized training, like that given at the National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam. However, to date no specialized study course exists in The Netherlands for professionals who wish to provide first-rate ballet instruction for talented young people. To ensure excellent ballet education in the future and a continued supply of Dutch dancers for our famous dance companies, the National Ballet Academy in collaboration with Het Nationale Ballet has initiated a special training course.

During a number of intensive periods throughout the season, methodologist and teacher Petr Silkin of the Vaganova Institute in St. Petersburg, will teach on the crucial first phase in the development of young dancers en route to becoming technically proficient artists. Besides Mr. Silkin’s lessons in methodology, students will follow additional subjects such as anatomy/injury prevention, pedagogy/ didactics and music theory. Participants in this specialized training course include first soloist Larissa Lezhnina and former soloists Nicolas Rapaic and Nathalie Caris of Het Nationale Ballet.