Apprentice Programme

Created in 2006, the Apprentice Programme enables up to 12 Apprentices to work with the Dresden Semper Opera Ballet and the Palucca School Dresden for a complete season.

The Apprentices will be involved in the performances of the Company as well as benefiting from a complete training programme offered in conjunction with the Palucca School.

Offering a combination of performance experience, combined with an intensive training, the Programme is designed to facilitate young dancers’ integration into the professional world.

Working with the Faculty of both the Company and the School, the apprentices will benefit from special classes designed for the apprentices, workshops learning the Company’s repertoire, coaching, mentoring and classes in additional subjects such as contemporary, improvisation, pointe work, pas de deux and partnering. Theory classes, relevant to the content of the Programme are also planned to provide a well-rounded education both in the Company and at the School with an intensive artistic guidance by a tutor.

The apprentices participate also in the performances and activities of the Palucca School and can also be coached for competitions or other such events as the Directors feel of benefit to the apprentices.

The programme is a joint-venture between the Dresden Semper Opera Ballet and the Palucca School Dresden, and during the duration the Apprentices also enjoy the benefits of being fulltime college students with access to the full facilities provided by the Palucca School.

Prof. Jason Beechey
Aaron S. Watkin

August 2009 

The audition involves two steps.

1) Aptitude Test
First, please contact Frank Seifert by email with your full CV and dance photos, and he will arrange to do class with the Dresden SemperOper Ballet in the presence of Aaron S. Watkin.

Applications for season 2010|2011 can be sent at the earliest in the beginning of February 2010 to:

Frank.Seifert@semperoper.de

Upon completion of class, if Aaron S. Watkin is interested in a candidate, the candidate will be required to send a DVD to the Palucca Schule with a contemporary solo. The DVD should be sent to:

Palucca Schule Dresden - Hochschule für Tanz
Basteiplatz 4 | 01277 Dresden - Germany

2) Audition
Following the viewing of the DVD at the Palucca School Dresden, the Palucca School Dresden will inform the candidate if they have been successful and will be able to proceed with the registration in the Programme. 

Apprenticeships run for one company/academic season and apprentices receive an official student status at the Palucca School Dresden and a contract as an apprentice with Dresden SemperOper Ballett.  Guest students of the Palucca School are required to present the A1 German Level Language Certificate before beginning.