Programme


For children ages 6+

Hong Kong Ballet is offering high-quality classical ballet training with a special syllabus developed by our world-renowned faculty and artistic staff. Our unique curriculum follows a progressive structure designed to build a solid foundation in ballet technique and develop artistry in students of all ages. While most ballet schools in Hong Kong offer training based on the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) training and exam system, Hong Kong Ballet’s curriculum draws from the Vaganova and international traditions.

Girls and boys are placed in class levels according to age, experience and ability. In the programme’s first year, we start with the simple joy of moving to music, building a classical technique foundation and introducing basic ballet terminology. In subsequent levels, the classical programme teaches critical foundational techniques, creative artistry and dynamic performance skills in a supportive environment to develop strong, expressive dancers. Supplementary conditioning, character dances, repertoire classes and pointe classes are also offered.

Level Progression

All students must enter a placement assessment during the intake period before entry. Once a student is admitted into our programme, they will be placed in a class based on their current technical ability.

The syllabus is designed to build upon concepts introduced in the previous level. A student may spend one or two years at each level based on a number of factors, but growth is a major consideration. The health of our students is paramount and it is best to have a student repeat a level if they do not demonstrate the strength and correct placement for the next level syllabus. The year-end assessment of the student’s progress will determine the student’s placement the following year. 

Levels

In Ballet 1 - 2 (ages 6+), classes will meet one day per week from September–June. Students may continue training in their home studio, but it is not compulsory.

In Ballet 3 - 4 and above (ages 8+), classes will meet two to three days per week from September–June. Designed to complement and supplement the students’ training at their home studio, the classes give students additional training to accelerate their learning and broaden their ballet experiences.  

In Ballet 5 - 6 and above (ages 10+), classes will meet two to three days per week from September–June. Students who are not enrolled in external ballet training must take three classes per week with us. Designed to complement and supplement the students’ training at their home studio, the classes give students additional training to accelerate their learning and broaden their ballet experiences. 

Elite Ballet Training Programme  (ages 11＋)  is designed for talented, dedicated young dancers. Students 11 and up will receive professional training in classical technique and pointe work. Throughout the programme, there will be opportunities for students to apply their training through performances and workshops. This exclusive programme supplements the students’ training at their home studio. Students in this class should be training at their home studio at least twice a week, otherwise enrolled in our Programme at Ballet 4-6 level.

Boys’ Class is a distinct programme designed specifically for boys ages 6+ and intermediate boys ages 10+. The classes concentrate on the important technical skills necessary for male dancers.

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITY

Students enrolled in Ballet 2 and above are required to participate in The Nutcracker performances in mid to late December. Faculty members may also select Ballet 1 students to participate in the performances. Students will need to commit extra time at regular rehearsals on Saturday or Sunday mornings, starting from late September, as well as run-throughs and stage rehearsals with company dancers in early December. Students should attend auditions for roles on 3 & 4 September 2022.

Apart from The Nutcracker, students will be offered various opportunities to perform during their training at Hong Kong Ballet. They will also perform in a year-end class demonstration, where they can show their family and friends the skills and artistry that they have learned throughout the year. In addition to their weekly classes, students may be required to attend rehearsals in order to participate in performances. Advanced students will have the opportunity to audition for roles in Hong Kong Ballet productions.

Enrollment

Candidates must register for the entry assessment based on their age as of 31 December, 2022. Underage enrolment is not accepted. Candidates with less experience may consider enrolling the assessment in a lower age group.

TRAINING VENUE

Hong Kong Ballet Studios, Happy Valley

COURSE FEES

Level

Session of Training

Class duration

Full Payment^

Two Installments*

Ballet 1 -2

1 class per week, 34 weeks

1 hour 15 mins

HKD 10,000

HKD 5,500/ installment

Ballet 3-4

2 classes per week, 34 weeks

1 hour 15 mins

HKD 20,000

HKD 10,000/ installment

Ballet 5-6

2 classes per week, 36 weeks

1 hour 30 mins

HKD 25,000

HKD 13,000/ installment

Ballet 5-6

3 classes per week, 36 weeks

1 hour 30 mins

HKD 36,000

HKD 18,000/ installment

Level

Session of Training

Class duration

Full Payment

Two Installments*

Elite 1

1 class per week, 32 weeks

1 hour 30 mins

HKD 11,000

HKD 5,800/ installment

Elite 2

1 class per week, 32 weeks

2 hours

HKD 12,000

HKD 6,300/ installment

Elite 3

1 class per week, 32 weeks

2 hours

HKD 12,000

HKD 6,300/ installment

Upon enrollment, students will be committing to classes for the entire academic year from September 2022 to June 2023. 

Parents can choose to pay the tuition fee for the whole year in one full payment or in two installments. Please note the numerical difference between the two payment methods.

^For parents who choose to pay in one full payment, the course fee will be assessed during enrollment.

*For parents who choose to pay in two installments, the first installment will be assessed during enrollment. The second installment will be due in early February (two weeks before the second term).
 

Entry Assessment

  • Classical Ballet Training Programme
  • Elite Ballet Training Programme
     

Prospective students ages 6+ will need to undergo an evaluation for proper class placement. This assessment will resemble a trial ballet class, and HKB teachers will see if a student is excited to explore their love of ballet and dance. Teachers evaluate students based on their ability to follow instructions, natural musicality and expression, taking into consideration previous experience and physical ability. We want to ensure that ballet training will be safe and healthy for our students as it requires a great deal of flexibility and strength.

Mid-Year Entry Assessment

Dates : 
8 Jan 2023 (Sun)

*Very Limited remaining places in year 2022-2023.

Date: 8 Jan 2023 (Sun)
Venue: Hong Kong Ballet Studios, Happy Valley
Groups:   11:30-12:30 - Group A (born on/after 2018-01-01)
12:30-13:30 - Group B (2017-01-01~2017-12-31)
13:30-14:30 - Group C (2016-01-01~2016-12-31)
14:30-15:30 - Group D (2015-01-01~2015-12-31)
15:30-16:30 - Group E (2012-01-01~2014-12-31)
16:30-17:30 - Group F (Born on or before 2011-12-31)

*The assessments for entry in 22/23 academic year have now closed. Thank you for your interest in our programme. Please stay tuned for upcoming sessions for 23/24 entry which will be open for application in Summer 2023!

Faculty

Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet/ Artistic Advisor

Septime Webre is an internationally recognised ballet director, choreographer, educator and advocate. He joined Hong Kong Ballet as its Artistic Director in July 2017 after 17 years as Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet in Washington DC, US from 1999-2016. Previously he served as Artistic Director of the American Repertory Ballet, based in Princeton, New Jersey, US from 1993-1999. In addition, Webre has served as the Artistic Director of Halcyon, a Washington DC-based foundation, launching an annual international Festival for Creativity in Washington DC in June 2018.

During Webre’s tenure at The Washington Ballet, the institution’s budget grew by 500%, and it enjoyed unprecedented advances in the scope and quality of its work on stage, in the size and reach of its professional school and in the development of several far-reaching community engagement programmes that he founded. Webre also launched an array of artistic initiatives, including The American Experience, which developed great works of literature like The Great Gatsby and Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises into full-length ballets.

As a choreographer, Webre’s works appear in the repertoires of ballet companies throughout North America, including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Colorado Ballet, Ballet West, Atlanta Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Memphis, Milwaukee Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, and many others, and he has worked frequently in theatre as well as opera. His new work for HKB, Romeo + Juliet, set in 1960s Hong Kong, will have its world premiere in June 2021. As a dancer, Webre was featured in solo and principal roles from the classical repertoire as well as in contemporary works by choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor and Merce Cunningham. He has served on the board of Dance/USA and on the juries of a number of international ballet competitions, including those in Varna, Bulgaria, Istanbul, Cape Town, New York and Seoul. Webre's work has received numerous honors, grants and awards. He holds a degree in History/Pre-Law from the University of Texas at Austin and is the seventh son in a large, boisterous Cuban-American family.


Artistic Advisor

Born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Luis R. Torres was previously the Ballet Master with Les Ballets Jazz De Montréal. He graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Dance and Psychology and completed a Master of Fine Arts from George Mason University. Torres has enjoyed an extensive dance career with Ballet Arizona, Ballet Theatre of Maryland and The Washington Ballet, where he performed as a Soloist and Principal Dancer. Torres created roles in many works by world renowned choreographers and has held the positions of Ballet Master at Chamber Dance Project, The Washington Ballet’s Studio Company and Trainee Program, Adjunct Professor at George Mason University and Repetiteur for Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Septime Webre as well as Guest Teacher/Choreographer.


Associate Director of Training

Irene Lo was a former Coryphée of Hong Kong Ballet. She was the recipient of Hong Kong Dance Award in 1999, awarded by Hong Kong Dance Alliance and received the “Most Promising Dancer” award from the Friends of Hong Kong Ballet in 2000. Lo was also invited to be the adjudicator for Asian Grand Prix as well as Philippine Dance Cup in Manila. In recent years, she had taught in South Africa and Malaysia.

Currently, Lo is a faculty member of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) full-time, ballet and yoga instructor for City Contemporary Dance Company(CCDC), Hong Kong Dance Company and a faculty member of Hong Kong Ballet’s Classical Ballet Training Programme. Lo is also a certified Yoga and Aerial Yoga instructor.

Lo was appointed Rehearsal Mistress for Children Dancers with Hong Kong Ballet in Peter Pan, Alice (in Wonderland) in 2021 and The Nutcracker in 2021.  

Recently, Irene was nominated for the "Outanding performance by a Female dancer 2020" by Hong Kong Dance Alliance with her Woman on pointe in Helen Lai's "Rite of Spring". Irene Lo was currently awarded the full scholarship by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund 2021 for her postgraduate MFA Dance studies at the HKAPA.


Instructor

Corps de Ballet

MR JUSTIN D'AGOSTINO ARTIST

Born in Hong Kong, Leung Saulong trained at The Hong Kong Camy Academy of Dancing, completed the Gifted Young Dance Program under the directorship of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and received a Diploma in Performing Arts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from HKAPA. Leung joined Hong Kong Ballet as an Apprentice in 2015 and became a member of Corps de Ballet in 2019.

With Hong Kong Ballet, Leung has danced in John Meehan's Swan Lake, Terence Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Septime Webre and Charla Genn's Giselle, Anna-Marie Holmes' Le Corsaire, Nina Ananiashvili’s Don Quixote, Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet, Ronald Hynd's Coppélia, Septime Webre's ALICE (in wonderland) and The Great Gatsby and Pär Isberg’s Pinocchio.

Leung received gold awards at the Open Dance Contest in Hong Kong in 2009 and 2011.


Instructor

Lynn Liang trained at Shen Zhen Arts School and further studied in The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2012. She joined Hong Kong Ballet as a member in 2014. After she left the company she became a ballet teacher in 2019. Current, she is a faculty member of Hong Kong Ballet's Classical Ballet Training Programme. She is also a freelance dancer based in Hong Kong. 


During the Academy year, Liang obtained a full Scholarship. Liang won silver prizes in the Junior Group at the Asian Grand Prix in 2011 and at the Japan International Tsukuba Ballet Competition in 2010. She won third prize in performance and the Excellent Performance Prize at Taoli Cup Dance Competition in 2009. 


Instructor

Corps de Ballet

Born in Hong Kong, Jeremy Chan started his ballet training at Jean M. Wong School of Ballet and received the Tsinforn C Wong Memorial Scholarship to study at The Royal Ballet School in London. He graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor's degree in Classical Dance and then joined Hong Kong Ballet as a Corps de Ballet member. Chan performed in the 2020 Prix de Lausanne Finals Interludes and won third place in the 2016 Youth American Grand Prix in New York.


Instructor

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