Quick answer: An online school for dancers lets a ballet student study around class, rehearsal and performance instead of the other way around. For a pre-professional dancer, the best fit is an accredited online high school for ballet dancers with no live class times, so the studio day stays intact and schoolwork happens in blocks before, between and after training. This page compares day programs, summer intensives, company trainee paths and college, and gives a sample study week.
Dancers at serious schools often train for many hours a day. A 2016 Dance Teacher report found that pre-professional teens often dance “upward of five hours a day,” and that many of them study online alongside that training. The questions parents ask follow from that: which school format fits, what the audition calendar does to the school year, and which path comes after graduation.
Forest Trail Academy (FTA) is one accredited option, and the school page for student athletes and performers explains how it works for students with training schedules. The sections below apply to any school you consider.
Table of Contents
Online school for dancers: how it fits a ballet school day
Ballet schools handle academics in several ways, and the format you choose should match your dancer’s studio schedule.
- On-site academics. The 2016 Dance Teacher report describes Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory, which holds academics in the morning and dance in the afternoon, and The Rock School, where students alternate between academics and dance.
- Family-chosen online school. San Francisco Ballet School, according to the same report, gives families a list of programs. Students choose their own study time and can make up work later in the week.
- A named set of partner schools. The School of Philadelphia Ballet’s academics page lists partnerships with accredited online and cyber schools and a “Cyber Classroom” in its studios that students reserve for schoolwork between classes and rehearsals. The page lists three formats side by side: a tuition-free public online charter open to Pennsylvania residents, a self-paced private school, and a private school with live, teacher-led classes. It also says the enrollment, academic oversight and tuition agreement are between the family and the school they choose.
That last example shows the main choice. In a live-class school, lessons meet at set times, which suits a student who wants structure. In a self-paced school, the student sets the hours. A Pointe Magazine comparison of online and in-person school for ballet students calls these synchronous and asynchronous programs, says most students at Ellison Ballet choose asynchronous, and notes that some in-person exams are required in both formats.
Online high school for ballet dancers: what to look for
Pointe suggests comparing electives, AP classes, testing and price, and confirming that the school meets city and state requirements. For a ballet student, a few more items matter:
- No fixed class times. FTA’s student-athlete page says its program has no live classes and that courses are available at any hour from any place with internet access. That lets a dancer study at 7 a.m. before class or at 8 p.m. after rehearsal.
- Accreditation. Ask for the name of the accrediting body. FTA lists its accreditation on its accreditation and memberships page.
- Credits that match college plans. FTA’s graduation requirements list a General Diploma of 21 credits and a College Prep Diploma of 24 credits. Both include one fine arts credit and one P.E. and health credit. Ask the admissions team how outside dance training is treated for those two credits.
- Advanced coursework when the schedule allows. FTA offers honors and AP courses, and the grades 9 to 12 curriculum page lists core courses and electives.
- Human support. Self-paced study asks for self-motivation. FTA’s partnerships page for student athletes and performers says students get guidance from certified teachers and academic advisors.
A sample training-week study schedule for a ballet student
This is a sample, built to show how study blocks can sit around a full studio day. It is not an FTA schedule and not a promise of how long any course takes. Change the times to match your studio.
| Day | Morning | Studio | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | Study block, 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. | Technique class and rehearsal, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a lunch break | Study block, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Rehearsal or class, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Free time and meals | Study block, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. |
| Sunday | Rest | Rest | Planning block, 30 minutes: check next week’s lessons and due dates |
This sample adds up to about 17 study hours. A student with a lighter studio schedule can move a block to the afternoon. During tech and show rehearsals, the student can shrink study to the two short blocks and make up the rest in the rehearsal-free periods. Self-paced courses allow that, as long as the student still meets any course deadlines. FTA’s curriculum page says students have some deadlines and that most tests are taken online.
Planning around summer intensive audition season
The school year for a ballet student has a second calendar on top of the academic one. The School of American Ballet (SAB) is a useful example because it publishes its rules. Its summer course audition page lists these details for the 2026 summer program:
- The Summer Course ran from June 29 to July 31, 2026, for students ages 12 to 18.
- The National Audition Tour was held on January weekends, with cities from Dallas and Los Angeles on January 10 and 11 through Atlanta, Boston and Miami on January 25, and Pittsburgh on February 1.
- New York auditions were by appointment at SAB headquarters, with online registration required.
- Students who cannot attend in person can submit a video application.
- Financial aid has to be requested during online registration, before the audition.
SAB posts new dates each cycle, so use its site for the current year. The planning point is that audition travel falls on weekends in January and early February, in the middle of a school year. A dancer working in a self-paced course can finish a unit before a trip, carry a short review set on the road and pick up again on return. The summer itself is a second block. SAB’s Summer Course runs for about a month, so families can plan a lighter course load for that window and a heavier one for the months before and after. Enrollment at FTA is open any week of the year, which helps when a placement is announced late.
Company trainee paths and college dance programs compared
High school ends before the next decision starts. These are the paths ballet students and parents discuss, with facts from the programs’ own pages and from Pointe Magazine. Details change, so use the program’s current page for dates, ages and cost.
| Path | What the source says | What the school record needs to show |
|---|---|---|
| Company trainee program | Ballet West’s Trainee Division is a post-secondary program. Trainees are selected by audition and at the invitation of the artistic director, usually through its summer intensive and year-round programs. Trainees have 20+ hours of training each week, in the first half of the day, and may rehearse with the company in the second half. | A completed high school diploma, since the program is post-secondary. Ask the company about its own requirements. |
| College dance degree (BFA) | The student applies to the university and its dance department. Pointe’s article on combined BFA and trainee programs says students must be admitted to the school’s academic program and meet its general education requirements. | A transcript with the core credits the university lists, plus an audition for the dance department. |
| Combined BFA and trainee program | The same Pointe article (published in 2014) names University of Utah with Ballet West, Dominican University of California with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Virginia Commonwealth University with Richmond Ballet. Applicants typically audition for both the company’s trainee program and the university’s dance department. | Both: the academic transcript for the university and the audition for the company. |
The Pointe article lists the tradeoffs in the combined route: two sets of coaches, about twice the stage time of a regular trainee, and a degree as a backup, balanced against a heavy workload and a double admissions step. A diploma and a College Prep transcript with a full set of core credits keep each of these paths open. That is the case for planning academics in grade 9, even for a dancer who expects to audition for companies at 17 or 18.
College planning notes for dancers
- Start the transcript early. College dance departments admit through academics and an audition. Keep a course list, grades and credits from grade 9. FTA’s transcript guide explains what a transcript contains.
- Dual enrollment. FTA’s dual enrollment page describes college courses a high school student can take for credit.
- NCAA rules. The NCAA’s sport sponsorship table does not list dance or ballet. NCAA Eligibility Center steps matter for students who plan to play a sport it lists. If your student also plays one, check the school’s list in the NCAA portal, and read FTA’s NCAA courses page.
Questions to ask any online school before a dancer enrolls
- Is it accredited, and by whom?
- Are there live classes? If yes, at what times, and are they recorded?
- Can my dancer start any week of the year, or only at the start of a term?
- How does the school treat a long summer intensive or a trip for an audition?
- Who answers my dancer’s questions, and when?
- Where are tests taken, and do any need a local proctor or a set time?
- How does the school count credits from a previous school or a pre-professional program?
- How do you handle P.E. and fine arts credit for dance training?
- Does tuition include advising and activities? FTA publishes its numbers on the tuition page.
- What does the transcript look like on the day it goes to a college or a company?
FTA is a private, accredited, secular online K-12 school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Courses are self-paced, taught by certified teachers, and enrollment is open any week of the year. It also has an overview for athletes and performers, and the grades 9 to 12 curriculum lists the courses.
Frequently asked questions
Can ballet dancers do school online?
Yes. Many pre-professional students do. The Dance Teacher report and Pointe’s comparison both describe students who train for long hours and study online. The format ranges from live classes to fully self-paced courses.
How do dancers fit school around training?
Most split study into short blocks before and after the studio day, then make up what remains when the studio schedule is lighter. The sample schedule above shows one way to do it.
Will colleges accept a diploma from an online school?
Colleges read the transcript and the school’s accreditation. Ask each online school for its accrediting body, and ask each college how it reviews online and homeschool records. FTA’s college acceptance list lists colleges that have accepted its graduates.
Do dancers need a diploma before a trainee program?
Ballet West describes its Trainee Division as post-secondary. Other programs set their own rules, so ask each one.
Can a dancer who is not in a big city attend a summer intensive audition?
SAB lists a National Audition Tour and a video application for students who cannot attend in person. Check any program’s own page for its options.
Can my dancer switch to an accredited online school in the middle of the year?
Yes, enrollment is open any week of the year at FTA. Credits from a previous school are reviewed, and at least 25% of graduation credits are completed at FTA, as the graduation requirements page states.
Book a call with admissions to talk through a schedule for your dancer.
