PATHWAYS PROGRAM

The development-focused Pathways Program is designed to nurture and train young dancers who aspire to transition into full-time pre-professional training in the future.

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The new program aims to cultivate a deep love and passion for the art of ballet and provide strong technical and artistic foundations alongside academic commitments, individual goals and personal pathways.

Why Choose our Pathways Program?

♥  Tailored Program

The Pathways Program is customised to each student’s academic and training needs, allowing students to remain enrolled at their current schools while accelerating their ballet training.

Training hours are adjusted according to each student’s school timetable, creating a seamless balance between academic and artistic pursuits. This immersive experience provides ideal preparation for a future full-time training environment.

♥  Flexible Schedule

Training schedules are coordinated directly between the Pathways Coordinator and each student. Depending on academic commitments, students may choose:

  • Two half days, or
  • One full day and one half day within our Full-Time Program.

♥ Private Lessons and Solo Coaching

Students have access to private lessons and solo coaching for:

  • Technique development
  • Repertoire
  • Competition preparation
  • Artistic coaching

♥ Artistic Director’s Class

A unique opportunity for students to take a weekly class with Artistic Director Damian Smith on Thursday afternoons, offering inspiration, mentorship, and artistic guidance from an accomplished professional.

♥ Recommended Classes

Pathways students may join selected classes from our Full-Time Program, including:

  • Ballet technique
  • Repertoire
  • Pointe
  • Conditioning
  • Choreography
  • Partnering

Students are also strongly encouraged to participate in the Aspire Ballet Program on Saturdays, offering rigorous Vaganova-based training, pointe work, and classical variations. In addition, students explore Character Dance, taught in alignment with Alida Segal’s International Character Dance Syllabus.

The recommended commitment for Pathways students is a minimum of 10 hours per week, which can be adjusted once a final academic timetable is confirmed.

♥ Flexible Fees

Fees are tailored to each student’s individual schedule and selected classes, following consultation with their academic advisor or school director. This ensures accessibility while aligning with academic commitments.

Program levels

The Pathways Program is divided into three levels, allowing dancers to progress according to age, experience, and stage of development. Each level is carefully structured to support technical growth, artistry, musicality, and overall wellbeing, preparing students progressively for advanced and full-time training.

  • Core Plus RAD Program: Grades 3–5
  • Saturday Aspire Ballet Class: Level 1 or 2
  • Contemporary class
  • Fortnightly private lesson: development focus
  • Highly recommended: Aspire Repertoire Class
  • Core Plus RAD Program: Intermediate Foundation–Intermediate
  • Saturday Aspire Ballet Class: Level 2 or 3 and Repertoire
  • Weekly private lesson
  • Contemporary class
  • Pathways Friday Ballet Technique Class
  • If appropriate: Senior Pathways Class: Vaganova technique based class
  • Highly recommended: Character Class Level 1
  • Recommended: Jazz and/or Performing Arts Program
  • Competitions if appropriate 

Includes selected Full-Time classes (Certificate IV) in conjunction with high school education.

  • Core Plus RAD Program: Intermediate+
  • Saturday Aspire Ballet Class and Repertoire / Pointe: Level 3+
  • Weekly private lesson
  • Contemporary class
  • Senior Pathways Class: Vaganova technique
  • Character class
  • Recommended: Artistic Director’s Class
  • Recommended: Jazz and/or Performing Arts Program
  • Selected classes from the Certificate IV Full-Time Program
  • Competitions if appropriate

AUDITIONS AND EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Entry into the Pathways Program is by audition only.

Audition dates will be announced soon.

In the meantime, families are invited to submit an Expression of Interest via the link below.

Meet our Pathways Coordinator

Ezlimar Dortolina

Born in Venezuela, Ezlimar started her ballet studies with Nina Novak in Caracas. She was a recipient of the UNESCO Ashberg Scholarship to study at the Ecole Superieure de Danse Rosella Hightower in Cannes, France and also received a scholarship to study at The Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC.

She has worked as a soloist and principal dancer in companies in the United States and South America such as Ballet Teresa Carreño, Ballet Contemporaneo de Caracas, Ballet Concierto, Tulsa Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre, State Street Ballet and the Oklahoma City Ballet.

Her repertoire includes the leading roles of Esmeralda, Le Corsaire, Grand Pas Classique, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Black Swan, Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Allegro Brillante, La Traviata, Cerrudo´s Lickety Split and others.

As a Soloist with the Oklahoma City Ballet, she danced in Tudor´s Lilac Garden, Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker, Robert Mills´s Pushing Pennies (pictured) and Paris Rouge, Balanchine’s Rubies, Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, Stanton Welch’s Play, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Moyna in Giselle and the leading role of Jacob Sparso’s Carmen.

Ezlimar joined the faculty of the National Theatre Ballet School in April, 2021 and was the supporting teacher for the Summer series of IBW in 2021.

Ezlimar is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT National Training Curriculum. She is also a PBT certified instructor, ACB Pre-Primary through Level 4, Level 1 of the International Character Dance Syllabus and attended the professional Development course on Vaganova technique by Mr. Runquiao Du.