Conservatory &
Trainee Programs
Train with purpose. Take the stage. Build the confidence and experience to pursue your next step.
Your goals deserve a thoughtful plan.
Strong technique matters. So do artistic confidence, performance experience, and teachers who understand where you want to go.
Ballet Five Eight combines focused year-round training with personal coaching, frequent guest teachers, wellness events, and a strong community.
Conservatory and Trainee dancers perform together as the Studio Company, connecting their daily work with meaningful experience onstage.
Be known
Receive individual attention and personal coaching that help you understand your strengths, identify priorities, and work with intention.
Be challenged
Develop the consistency, versatility, and responsiveness that demanding training and professional environments require.
Be onstage
Apply your training through frequent performing opportunities, repertoire, and the Emerging Artist Showcase.
Meet your next challenge.
Placement is by audition and faculty evaluation. We consider your preparation, goals, and current training needs.
Conservatory I–III
Advanced training for high school dancers, with three levels that build technical strength, coordination, artistry, and readiness for increasingly demanding work.
Ballet, pointe or men’s work, repertoire, contemporary styles, and conditioning support a broad foundation.
Conservatory Post-Grad
A year of focused preparation for dancers who have completed high school and need further technical development before entering the Trainee Program.
Individual goals and regular check-ins help dancers understand their progress and plan their next step.
Trainee Program
Intensive training within Ballet Five Eight’s professional environment, with an emphasis on consistency, pace, artistry, and rehearsal readiness.
Trainees routinely take Company class, perform with the Company when cast, and participate in the Studio Company.
Studio Company is the shared performance ensemble for Conservatory and Trainee dancers. It is distinct from Ballet Five Eight’s Second Company.
Training comes alive onstage.
Frequent performing opportunities help dancers become more than strong classroom technicians.
Learn to prepare a role, retain choreography, work within an ensemble, and bring intention to each performance.
Through the Studio Company, dancers develop rehearsal discipline and learn how to carry their technique into storytelling.
Emerging Artist Showcase
The Emerging Artist Showcase gives developing dancers an opportunity to share their work, take artistic ownership, and put their preparation into practice before an audience.
Trainees may also perform alongside Ballet Five Eight’s professional Company when cast.
Teachers who help you see what comes next.
Personal coaching and frequent guest teachers bring depth, variety, and individual attention to your training.
Individual coaching
Work on specific technical and artistic goals with feedback you can carry into daily class. Learn to recognize patterns, apply corrections, and take responsibility for your development.
Frequent guest teachers
Encounter different teaching approaches and professional perspectives. Guest classes help dancers practice adapting, listening carefully, and working confidently with someone new.
Sarah Clarke
Associate Artistic Director
Sarah brings her experience as a performing artist and educator into the studio, connecting technical clarity with expressive choices and individual artistic growth.
Emma Michaux
Assistant Director of Conservatory & Trainee Programs
Emma draws on a professional career spanning classical and contemporary work to mentor dancers as they strengthen their technique and discover their artistic voices.
Students learn within a broader artistic community led by Artistic Director Julianna Rubio Slager, with Ballet Five Eight’s faculty and visiting artists.
Know how to approach your next opportunity.
In-depth Audition Seminars
Prepare thoughtfully for audition season, from presenting your work and organizing materials to choosing opportunities and approaching the audition room with confidence.
Personal coaching helps dancers connect their goals with practical preparation. Learn to reflect on feedback, communicate professionally, and make informed choices about the next stage of training.
Wellness events & healthy habits
Wellness events and conversations support a broader understanding of sustainable training. Develop habits around preparation, recovery, self-management, and communication alongside the physical work.
Men’s coaching & training
Develop power, control, coordination, and confidence through targeted coaching and repertoire.
- Allegro and variations.
- Strength and conditioning.
- Partnering technique as appropriate.
- Choreography retention and rehearsal preparation.
Individual feedback helps dancers connect athletic ability with musicality, precision, and expressive performance.
Challenged as dancers.
Valued as individuals.
Joseph Conservatory Alumnus“Thank you to the teachers for being so personal and being so uplifting and diligent, the critiques and corrections are always fantastic. Everyone is super supportive and loving, and I really love the environment.”
Katelyn Young Conservatory Alumna“The staff is so kind, but they really push us too! We are valued as individuals, and given corrections and feedback that help us continue to improve each year. They do not overlook any details - but they do it in a really kind way!”
Selah Strong Trainee Alumna“Ballet 5:8’s Trainee Program offers a beautiful balance of quality technical training necessary to develop strong students and professional performance experience that allows dancers to develop artistry and prepare for the next steps toward a professional career.”
Ambition grows best with support.
Train alongside dancers who understand the work, celebrate progress, and share the experience of pursuing demanding goals.
Academic planning
High school dancers should plan academics alongside their training. Options may include local early release or online education, depending on individual circumstances.
Ask the School office about scheduling and the Laurel Springs online-school partnership. Families coordinate graduation requirements with their academic provider.
Housing guidance
Moving to train is a family decision. Contact the School office to discuss current housing options, availability, eligibility, and costs for 2027–28.
Confirm arrangements before making travel or housing commitments.
Our mission—and your place here
Ballet Five Eight is rooted in Christian faith. Our mission is to spark discussion on life, faith, and human dignity through powerful storytelling and breathtaking dance.
We welcome dancers of all backgrounds and beliefs. You do not need to share our faith to train here. Every dancer deserves respectful instruction, meaningful feedback, and room to grow.
Let’s find your next step.
Audition in person on our national tour or submit a video through the School application.
1. Choose your audition
Review tour locations and times, or choose the video application option.
View audition information →2. Prepare your materials
Include a headshot and a full-body photograph in first arabesque, en pointe if applicable. Video applicants should follow the instructions in DanceApply.
3. Complete the School application
Use the School application for Conservatory, Trainee, and Summer Intensive consideration.
Start your application →Considering Second Company or Company? Those opportunities use a separate professional application. Explore Second Company or Company auditions .
Your questions, answered.
What is the difference between Conservatory and Trainee?
Conservatory develops advanced dancers through structured training levels. Trainee is the School’s highest training level and emphasizes readiness for professional class, rehearsal, and performance environments.
What if I have graduated but am not ready for Trainee?
Conservatory Post-Grad offers focused preparation after high school. Faculty can discuss whether this pathway fits your technical needs and goals following your audition.
What is the Studio Company?
Conservatory and Trainee dancers perform together as the Studio Company. It is a shared performance ensemble within the School, distinct from Ballet Five Eight’s Second Company.
How much performance experience will I receive?
Performing is an important part of training. Dancers have frequent opportunities through Studio Company work and the Emerging Artist Showcase. Trainees may also perform with the professional Company when cast. Roles and opportunities depend on readiness and casting.
Will I receive individual coaching?
Yes. Personal coaching and individual feedback help dancers identify priorities and work toward specific technical and artistic goals.
How do you help dancers prepare for auditions?
In-depth Audition Seminars and personal guidance support preparation, presentation, and planning. Dancers learn to approach opportunities thoughtfully and connect their training with their longer-term goals.
Are there guest teachers and wellness events?
Yes. Frequent guest teachers broaden dancers’ perspectives and help them adapt to different approaches. Wellness events support healthy habits alongside demanding physical training.
Can I complete high school while training?
Yes, with an academic plan that fits the training schedule. Families may explore local early release or online education. Contact the School office about scheduling and available resources.
Is housing available?
Contact the School office for current 2027–28 housing options, eligibility, availability, and costs. Year-round arrangements are separate from Summer Intensive housing.
What are tuition and financial aid options?
Request current tuition information from the School office. Scholarships and financial aid are available; visit our financial aid page or email schooloffice@ballet58.org to discuss your questions.
Do I need to share Ballet Five Eight’s faith?
No. Ballet Five Eight is rooted in Christian faith and welcomes dancers of all backgrounds and beliefs. Respect, care, and a commitment to excellent training shape our community.
Can I audition by video?
Yes. Use the video option in the School’s DanceApply application and follow the submission requirements.
Where does training take place?
Ballet Five Eight Studios, 11545 183rd Place, Suite 101, Orland Park, IL 60467.
Bring your ambition.
Build your next chapter.
Develop your technique, find your artistic voice, and gain experience in a community invested in your growth.
School of Ballet Five Eight
11545 183rd Place, Suite 101
Orland Park, IL 60467
schooloffice@ballet58.org