Dance

We seek to sustain, elevate, and define the future of ballet through our unique and exceptional partnership.

The Boston Ballet/Walnut Hill partnership centers the future of dance, and the dancer of the future. We provide an environment where the professional dancer of the future will flourish. Our aim is to develop a truly exceptional dancer with tremendous intellect who will see ballet as a reflection of and a tool to advance our society. We are the only program in the world that combines a professional ballet company with a college preparatory academic experience within a premier high school for the arts.

We aim to develop a complete dance artist, both as a dancer (interpretive artist) and choreographer (creative artist). We are dedicated to developing a complete person, with strong emotional intelligence and cultural competencies. This synergistic approach will give each of our dancers a next-generation professional toolkit to enter the dance world. Our program makes it unnecessary for our dancers to pursue any college or conservatory training in order to enter a professional company.

apply now

WATCH WALNUT HILL

From Studio to Stage

Dance students in Boston Ballet School's Professional Division at Walnut Hill have progressed to some of the world’s leading companies, conservatories, and colleges.

View Our Recent Matriculation List

View Our Recent Matriculation List

We proudly announce that our graduates from the past 10 years have been offered positions with the following companies and dance programs:

Ailey/Fordham
American Ballet Theatre
Arizona Ballet
Atlanta Ballet
Ballet Austin
Ballet West
BalletMet
Boston Ballet
Boston Conservatory at Berklee
Butler University
Carolina Ballet
Charlotte Ballet
Cincinnati Ballet
English National Ballet
Fordham Ailey
Grand Rapid Ballet
Houston Ballet
Indiana University
Joffrey Ballet
The Julliard School
Kansas City Ballet
Minnesota Ballet
Nashville Ballet
National Ballet of Canada
Nevada Ballet Theater
Netherlands Dance Theater
New York City Ballet
Oregon Ballet
Orlando Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Pennsylvania Ballet
Richmond Ballet
Royal Birmingham Ballet
San Diego Ballet
San Francisco Ballet
Sarasota Ballet
Scottish Ballet
St. Louis Ballet
Stuttgart Ballet
SUNY Purchase
Texas Ballet Theater
The University of Arizona
The University of Cincinnati
Wake Forest University

Curriculum Overview

Designed to reflect Boston Ballet’s repertory, a carefully crafted curriculum trains well-rounded, versatile dancers to prepare them for the demands of today’s dance world—from Petipa, to Balanchine, to Kylián. Curriculum requirements include Technique, Pointe, Men’s Class, Pas de Deux, Variations and Repertoire, Modern, Character, Pilates, Men’s Conditioning, and workshops, such as Forsythe technique.

All faculty and staff are committed to nurturing the whole student. We partner with health care providers from Boston Children's Hospital to educate and develop healthy habits in students. Our team of wellness consultants provide on-site physical therapy, doctor consultations, nutrition education, and injury prevention. Wellness partners have been carefully chosen because of their specialized skills in working with young developing dance students.

After receiving your high school diploma from Walnut Hill, you will be evaluated for acceptance into Boston Ballet's one-year Graduate Program. Upon completion of the Graduate Program, you will have the opportunity to audition for Boston Ballet II, a two-year program that prepares dancers for dancing with a professional company, bridging the gap between training and career placement.

Performance Opportunities

Classroom training is enhanced by various performance opportunities for students throughout the school year. Each school year ends with the annual Next Generation performance featuring Professional Division students with Boston Ballet II and a live orchestra at Boston Ballet's home stage, Citizens Bank Opera House. Past repertoire includes works by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Christopher Wheeldon, and world premieres by Jill Johnson and Lia Cirio. Students may also be selected to participate in annual performances of Mikko Nissinen's The Nutcracker and other Boston Ballet company performances.

In addition to community performance opportunities, students may also participate in the Senior Solo Dance Showcase and in the Student Choreographic Project, which aims to cultivate and identify future choreographers for the field of dance. Our goal is to inspire a student’s unexplored creativity by providing a choreographic experience through a structured process to enhance their education.

Watch Professional Division Dancers

For more videos, including from other majors, visit our main Watch Walnut Hill page.

Next Generation: An Inside Look

Dance
Student Work

Student Choreographic Project - February 2023

Dance
Student Work

Tips & Tricks - Dance

Admission
Dance

Student Choreography 2022

Dance
Student Work

Meet the Faculty

Miranda Weese

Interim Director of Dance

Read Bio for Miranda Weese

Joan Boada

Boston Ballet Faculty

Read Bio for Joan Boada

Alexander Brady

Dance Faculty

Read Bio for Alexander Brady

Naoko Brown

Dance Teacher

Read Bio for Naoko Brown

Pavel Gurevich

Boston Ballet Dance Faculty

Read Bio for Pavel Gurevich

Rie Ichikawa

Boston Ballet Dance Faculty

Read Bio for Rie Ichikawa

Yevgeniy Ivanenko

Accompanist

Read Bio for Yevgeniy Ivanenko

Marnen Laibow-Koser

Dance Accompanist

Read Bio for Marnen Laibow-Koser

Denise Lewis

Dance Teacher

Read Bio for Denise Lewis

Yige Liu

Dance Accompanist

Read Bio for Yige Liu

Cynthia Lucas

Boston Ballet Faculty

Read Bio for Cynthia Lucas

Alla Nikitina

Dance Faculty

Read Bio for Alla Nikitina

Michaela Romulo

Dance Department Associate

Read Bio for Michaela Romulo

Course Catalog

Steps to Apply

Complete the Inquiry Form

Complete an Application

Our application process is structured to help us get to know you as a whole person and evaluate your readiness for curriculum in arts, academics and as a community member. Applying to Walnut Hill will allow you the opportunity to explore our programs by meeting educators and artists to see for yourself if we are the right place for you. Please be aware that you are able to apply for more than one arts focus if applicable but that you can only choose one arts major once enrolled at Walnut Hill.

You will find our preferred application on Veracross. In addition to submitting an application, each applicant must complete an audition or portfolio review depending on what artistic focus you are interested in applying. Please visit the audition section of our website here for more information about this.

To begin the application process, please submit an inquiry and Veracross, our application portal, will email you to create an account.

Our application requires biographical information, a student questionnaire, and a parent questionnaire. Applicants are asked to submit one academic teacher recommendation of the student's choice and one arts recommendation of the student's choice. We also require an official transcript containing three years worth of academic grades.

We recommended that applicants request these documents directly from their online application.

If you prefer to send a PDF version, please use the links below and send them to the Admission office.

Transcript Request Form
Academic Teacher Recommendation
Arts Instructor Recommendation

Any student currently in a home-school environment is required to submit Standardized Test Results (SSAT) along with the supplement below.

Home-School Supplement

Application Fees:

The application fee is $72 for U.S. citizens and $107 for international applicants. Fees are required to submit an online application and can be paid directly through Veracross.

Fee waivers are available upon request by emailing the Director of Enrollment Management, Kevin Smith at ksmith@walnuthillarts.org.

If you have specific questions about your application, please be in touch with the Admission Office at 508.650.5020 or admissions@walnuthillarts.org.

Schedule an Audition or Portfolio Review

Schedule an Interview

Once an online application is submitted, Walnut Hill requires each applicant to interview with their assigned admission representative. Find your Admission representative below:

Kevin Smith

Director of Enrollment Management

https://calendly.com/kevinsmithwalnuthill

Andrew Houlihan

Associate Director of Admission, Visual Art & Writing, Film and Media Arts Applicants

https://Calendly.com/houlihan

Amanda Leshowitz

Assistant Director of Admission, Theater & Music Applicants

https://calendly.com/aleshowitz

Jillian Rothman

Assistant Director of Admission, Dance Applicants

https://calendly.com/jillian_rothman

Michelle Rush

Associate Director of Auxiliary Programs & Admission

Kathryn Tolley

Admission Office Assistant