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Guide to Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s 2022-2023 Academic Year

Jun 6, 2022 | Ballet

For more than 65 years, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) has been “changing lives through dance” from its home in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Is this the year your child experiences the transformative power of ballet?

If you’re thinking about introducing your child to the world of dance or if you’re looking to help your experienced dancer go to the next level, we’ve got you covered with this guide to what’s in store at the world-renowned ballet school starting September 2022. Classes are organized into three divisions covering ages as young as three up to 19. We’ll look at what each division offers, wrapping up with important next steps.

Children’s Division

Three different classes are offered: Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, and Tap. Creative Movement is for three- and four-year-olds. Out of the toddler stage, they’re ready to refine their coordination and balance. Creative Movement taps into kids’ sense of fun and exploration – they’ll barely notice they’re learning! Creative Movement class will help your child understand what classical ballet is all about. If they like it, they’ll be prepared to move up to Pre-Ballet.

Pre-Ballet, for ages five and six, is the next step after Creative Movement. Young dancers learn ballet techniques that provide the foundation for all future training and performance. They’ll also begin barre work and learn the vocabulary used in ballet.

Tap class is offered for Pre-Ballet students only. Tap dancing is all about rhythm and musicality. So is ballet! As students learn and practice tap routines, their coordination and cognitive thinking skills improve.  CPYB believes so strongly in the benefits of tap that they make these classes available to Pre-Ballet students at no additional cost!

We just skimmed the surface of the kid-focused dance instruction available at CPYB. For a deeper dive, visit this page to find out more about the Children’s Division.

Primary Division

Dancers ages six and up will be placed in one of three levels that best matches their abilities. Level 1 instruction teaches basic ballet positions and incorporates barre work. For students to move up to the next level, their bodies need to be ready – after all, ballet dancing is a physically demanding endeavor. The Artistic Leadership considers physical development as well as aptitude to determine when individuals are ready to move up.

In each successive level, students are introduced to more challenging movements, all under the watchful eyes of instructors who have years of experience bringing out the best in young dancers. You can explore more about Levels 1, 2, and 3 by clicking here.

Pre-Professional Division

As the name implies, this division is for dancers who want a professional career. Because of CPYB’s reputation in the world of dance, our Pre-Professional classes often draw in students from other schools. Enrollment ages fall between 13 and 19, but it’s the years of prior dance experience that will allow students to flourish, adding advance techniques and artistry to their repertoire. Learn more about the Pre-Professional Division.

Next Steps

Enrollment in CPYB’s 2022-2023 academic year is open now. Tuition can be paid in full to earn a 5% discount or in two installments for a 3% discount. Payments can also be made in three installments, but no discount applies. CPYB offers limited scholarship opportunities on a need and merit basis.

Although the class level for Children’s Movement and Pre-Ballet is based strictly on age, auditions are required for children 10 and older. Children 9 and younger can simply enroll! You can learn all about auditions on this page.

No matter where your child may be on their dance journey, CPYB has a place for them. Through careful attention and detailed instruction, CPYB teachers are ready to change your child’s life through ballet.

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