Philadelphia Hosts Dancer Auditions For New York's School Of American Ballet
By Molly Daly
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Auditions were held in Philadelphia on Sunday for the prestigious School of American Ballet's five week summer program.
The Rock School for Dance Education hosted the sessions. About 30 young dancers waited in the back of the huge studio, their hopeful faces reflected in the wall length mirror, as they watched the first group of ten being taken through the basic positions. The dancers were divided into two age groups.
"Today we're seeing 12 to 14 year olds first," says SAB's Molly Baran," and then 15 to 18 year olds."
The S.A.B. is the official school for the New York City Ballet, so scoring a spot in the summer intensive could mark the start of an illustrious career.
"The summer course is the way in which people come to our school year-round," Baran says, "and then in turn, get into New York City Ballet, or a number of other companies."
But 16-year-old Thuy Wyckoff, who's been dancing since she was four, says it's best not to place too much importance on the audition, and look at it another way.
"That it's just another class," she says, "and just to do your best and have fun, I think."
