In the summer of 2024, the Artistic Leadership at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet found themselves at a crossroads. When assessing the skillsets and instructional needs of their current students, they recognized that there were students with a desire to train full time who didn’t neatly slide into any of the defined levels of the CPYB school. Many of these students experienced gaps in their training during undeniably formidable years because of COVID. Rather than sacrificing the integrity of the students’ training or denying a child’s desire to dance because of less than perfect circumstances, CPYB made the choice to meet these students where they are; forging ahead as a leader in the dance community by developing a new division within the school – the Training Division.
The Training Division initiative was led by Alan Hineline, Director of Training and Pre-Professional Divisions & Resident Choreographer. Having worked with Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet since 1995, Alan carries inside of him both the connection to CPYB’s founding philosophy and the school’s vision for what lies ahead. The Training Division allows the school to grow in a way that respects its roots while serving as many students as possible.
Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s Training Division is a 1-to-2-year training opportunity for committed students ages 12 through 19. These students are solely focused on fostering their technique and cultivating their skills as a student of ballet to take them from where they are now, to where they want to be as part of their personal ballet journey.
When you care about each individual student and see beyond the collective ensemble to who they are individually, the personal needs, challenges, and potential stand out.
One key distinction between the Training Division and Pre-Professional Division is the removal of performances from the curriculum. This decision was made by Alan and the rest of the Artistic Leadership to provide focus and efficiency. Performances take an immense amount of energy, time and mental space. These precious commodities for students can instead be channeled into classroom training and the syllabus. Because the faculty of CPYB want to see their students develop their technique and fulfill their potential, the most efficient way forward is without the added pressure of performances.
The other reality that weighed heavily on the development of the Training Division is the emotional toll of auditioning for performances when a student just isn’t ready to take on the challenge of working to develop a character and learn choreography. What CPYB found was that students who weren’t prepared for the responsibility of a performance were being disheartened by the process rather than motivated.
Difficult truths, when delivered gently and with dignity, can be the greatest gift of kindness one receives. CPYB believes in giving that kindness to its students through compassionate transparency. It’s what the students want throughout their ballet training – honest feedback coupled with the tools to get to where they want to be.
The Training Division isn’t intended to be a long-term placeholder but rather a short-term commitment before merging back into the pre-professional division.
Regardless of where each dancer dreams their ballet career will take them one day in the future, the Training Division ensures that they have a place they belong – now.
