Train Hard. Be Seen. Make Real Progress.
The American Youth Ballet Festival returns March 12–14, 2027, giving serious young dancers the best parts of an intensive and festival experience—high-level training, meaningful performance opportunities, direct feedback, and connection with working artists—without rankings, medals, or competition pressure.
“Young dancers deserve opportunities to train hard, be seen, receive honest feedback, and grow—without feeling that every performance has to become a ranking. AYBF is about progress, artistry, and the relationships that help dancers move forward.”
— Julianna Rubio Slager, Artistic Director
Serious training. Real feedback. A healthier way to grow.
Master Classes
Dancers train directly with distinguished faculty in ballet, contemporary, repertoire, and related professional disciplines. Classes are challenging, focused, and designed to move dancers forward.
Be Seen Without Being Ranked
Perform for experienced artistic leaders and receive meaningful feedback without scores, placements, medals, or the pressure to measure your worth against another dancer.
Community & Connection
Meet dancers, teachers, directors, and working artists from beyond your home studio. AYBF creates space for real relationships—not just a few minutes onstage and a score sheet.
Festival Details
Who Can Attend
- Dancers ages 10–20
- Intermediate and advanced students
- Individual dancers registering on their own
- Schools, ensembles, teams, and directors bringing groups
Levels
- Intermediate 1
- Intermediate 2
- Advanced
- Directors may place students; individuals may be placed by age or faculty recommendation.
Performance & Adjudication
- Optional adjudication available for dancers or schools seeking feedback
- Schools may bring up to 3 pieces
- Individual dancers may bring 1 piece
- Performance opportunities are designed to encourage growth, not competition.
Meals & Tickets
- Optional catered meals may be available during the festival weekend
- Parent performance tickets may be limited due to seating capacity
- Additional logistics will be shared with registered participants.
Train with artists who know the professional field.
AYBF participants work directly with professional artists, directors, and educators in Master Classes throughout the weekend. Faculty also provide clear, constructive participant feedback designed to support real technical and artistic growth.
Yumelia Garcia
Master Classes + Participant Feedback
Julianna Rubio Slager
Master Classes + Participant Feedback
Sarah Clarke
Master Classes + Participant Feedback
Dora Ciacca
Master Classes + Participant Feedback
Alessandro Angelini
Master Classes + Participant Feedback
All the benefits of being challenged and seen. None of the ranking.
Competition can motivate dancers, but constant comparison can also pull attention away from the work itself. AYBF keeps what is valuable: rigorous preparation, performance experience, visibility, professional-level expectations, and outside feedback. You still train hard. You still step onstage. You still receive honest critique. The measure of success is what you learn and how you grow.
Schedule Snapshot • March 12–14, 2027
The detailed 2027 schedule will be released closer to the festival. The sample format below reflects the type of weekend experience dancers can expect.
Friday
Registration, opening ballet class, dancer seminar, community gathering, and teacher networking.
Saturday
Ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, repertoire, rotating meals and tech, followed by performance and faculty feedback.
Sunday
Ballet class, career Q&A, improvisation, final workshop, and festival wrap-up.
Inside AYBF
Registration Is Open
Registration Information
Registration for the 2027 American Youth Ballet Festival is now open. Secure your place for a weekend of high-level training, performance opportunities, faculty feedback, and connection with dancers and teachers from across the region.
Register for AYBF 2027For Schools & Directors
Directors may bring ensembles, teams, or selected students for a weekend of Master Classes, performance, faculty feedback, and community-building. AYBF gives dancers many of the developmental benefits families often seek from competitions—outside eyes, visibility, accountability, performance experience, and serious training—without a competitive scoring environment.
Ask About Bringing a GroupJoin Us for AYBF 2027 • March 12–14
Train hard with master teachers, perform for experienced artistic leaders, receive meaningful feedback, and leave with specific ideas for your next stage of growth.