Leeds Associates Training Programme

2025/26

Applications Now Closed

Audition:
Saturday 26th July 2025 (SLP College, LS25 1AG)

Application Deadline: Friday 18th July 2025

Course Start Date:
Saturday 27th September 2025

Scroll down for more details about this programme, including course dates, timings and fees.

About the programme

Our Associates Training Programme offers ballet and contemporary dance training for students aged 7-21yrs, who are seeking additional training and have a passion to perform. This programme focusses on enhancing balletic technique, whilst also providing an environment for students to develop their musicality, artistic performance levels and confidence during repertoire and creative classes.

Throughout the course students will work with a diverse variety of teachers and choreographers from leading dance institutions. At the end of the programme, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate some of their learnings to family and friends in a small and intimate showcase, where students will perform ballet and contemporary repertoire.

  • Weekly associate-style training: with exposure to multiple teaching styles of ballet & contemporary in a supportive, structured environment.
  • Develop and progress your technique: with regular training on Saturdays that complements your local dance training you will improve posture, strength, balance and musicality that will enhance all areas of your dance journey
  • Train with industry professionals: work with teachers and choreographers who are currently or have previously worked with leading dance companies and schools
  • Grow your artistry and confidence: express your artistry with the opportunity to perform in the end-of-year showcase
  • Build friendships and teamwork: work in a tight-knit group of passionate dancers and make friends that will last a lifetime

Join this programme

Please visit your local website to find audition dates for our next Associates Training Programme in your area.

Entry Selection & Audition Information

The journey begins with an audition process, where selected students are invited to join our programme. Unfortunately it is not possible for us to accept every candidate onto the course after the audition process as we aim to keep our group sizes at a level that ensures we offer high quality training and attention to students throughout the course.

On the audition day, candidates will register in the reception area. We ask that all parents leave the site once children have safely entered the audition. After the audition, students will be brought to the reception area for collection.

As part of the audition process, candidates will learn a piece of repertoire from our production during the audition, which they will then perform to the panel at the end.

For the audition, we recommend that dancers arrive with their ballet uniform underneath their clothes, with their hair and personal presentation in place as parents are not permitted to enter with the students. Dancers can wear their normal ballet attire of choice and skirts are optional.

Weekly Training & Programme Outline

The 21-day programme,  provides young aspiring dancers with the opportunity to develop their balletic and contemporary technique, to learn new dance vocabulary and to develop their performance, artistry and confidence.

Students will be challenged throughout the course in a safe and enjoyable environment, with teachers and choreographers who have worked, or are currently working, within renowned ballet and performing arts companies around the world.

Students will take part in 2.5 hours of training each week. The contents of each week will change throughout the course based on our curriculum.

First Half of the Course:

Students will take part in a 1hr ballet class, focussing on classical ballet technique, strength and flexibility. This will be followed by a 30 minute repertoire class, where students will focus on artistry and performance by beginning to put their technique into practice by learning solos and corps de ballet repertoire. Students will also complete a 1hr contemporary class, where they will learn the basics of contemporary technique and focus on the release of the body.

Second Half of the Course:

The ballet class and ballet repertoire classes will now share the 1.5hrs, to allow students to continue to work on technical aspects whilst having additional time to work on artistry and performance development. The 1hr contemporary class will continue as before, with a shift in focus towards putting the technical training into practice by developing group repertoire.

Students will train for 20 sessions before taking part in a small and intimate showcase during the 21st session to family and friends.

All classes and rehearsals take place in top-quality facilities. Students train under the guidance of teachers and choreographers who are currently or have previously worked with leading dance companies and schools.

If accepted onto the course, students will be required to purchase the leotard.

Working with students on a weekly basis allows us to get to know them as individuals, to see their strengths and weaknesses, and to help them to develop their confidence and performance levels.

Our Aim: Why Are We Different?

We are passionate about performance and strongly believe that dance education should consist of technical classes alongside repertoire and creative classes.

Not only will students focus on improving ballet technique, but every week they will take part in creative classes, within which students will learn to perform repertoire from renowned ballets as well as unique pieces created by the artistic teaching team.

As well as this, our core aim is to create an environment in which students can learn from a diverse teaching faculty from many different ballet and performing arts backgrounds. This enables students to broaden their outlook and gain a greater appreciation for the different interpretations and contributions that individual teachers and choreographers bring to the studio.

Contemporary Dance: Why?

Contemporary allows dancer’s to challenge the brain and express themselves with more freedom in their movement. Contemporary requires a high level of focus and it is allows students to engage with a multitude of senses in order to understand the space around them and how their body moves through that space.

In today’s world, we believe that it is vital for students to be versatile and to be able to adapt from classical ballet to contemporary. Not only is this beneficial for their progress and development as a dancer, but the majority of vocational schools and ballet companies now include contemporary works – so studying this from an early age is greatly beneficial.

Will there be a performance?

At the end of the course dancers will have the opportunity to demonstrate their learnings in a showcase in front of parents/guardians. During this showcase, students will perform ballet and contemporary repertoire. Please note, this showcase is not open to the public and will be smaller and more intimate compared to the Sunday Performance Programme.

Age Groups & Timings

There will be 4 groups, students will be allocated to groups which will be determined based on a combination of age and ability. All students must take part in both the ballet and contemporary aspects of the course.

Juniors: 10am – 12:30pm
Mids: 10:30am – 1:00pm
Seniors: 1:00pm – 3:30pm

Leeds Associates 2025/26: Dates & Fees

Course Fees: £795.

On accepting a place, a deposit of £100 is required, which will also act as the first payment.

The remaining balance may be paid up front or in 8x monthly instalments.

All fees are non-refundable.

The course will take place on the following Saturdays:

2025
September: 27th
October: 11th, 18th
November: 1st, 15th, 29th
December: 6th, 20th

2026
January: 17th, 31st
February: 7th, 21st
March: 14th
April: 25th
May: 9th, 16th
June: 6th, 20th, 27th
July: 11th, 18th

Unleash your potential with Ballet Britain

“This has been a fabulous opportunity for my children. They’ve grown so much as dancers and in their confidence, we can’t thank you or recommend you highly enough.”