SECOND AND TRAINEE COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES: ANALYSIS OF PAST AND PRESENT MISSIONS

Abstract

The Ballet profession in the United States has seen a trend growing with the introduction of a trainee or second company with affiliation to each ballet main company. This allows for the main company to have a roster of dancers who are pre-professional but can be used in the corps de ballet for larger productions. This system also allows an artistic staff to train pre-professional dancers to eventually become dancers in the main company. The purpose of this thesis is to compile and compare information on eighteen current professional ballet companies in the United States ranging in size and region of the country to determine the role of the trainee or second company within the organization. Data will be analyzed to determine the percentage of dancers in the main company who began their careers in a trainee or second company, and the percentage of dancers currently in each main company who began their careers in the affiliated trainee or second company. The majority of the information will be derived from the websites of these selected companies and an investigation into the career paths of the dancers in these companies that were chosen. Through a questionnaire, this study will also contain information provided by dancers who are currently in a trainee or second company for the 2015-2016 Season. The central goal of this thesis is to determine the status of professional ballet trainee and second companies and by comparison and contrast what structure could be implemented across all trainee and second companies for the benefit of the dancer, and the organization.