Academy Newsletter: March 2026

Summer will be here before we know it, and summer enrollment is well underway! Don’t miss your chance to secure your preferred spot in Cincinnati Ballet’s signature summer programs!

Each summer, Cincinnati Ballet welcomes students from across the country to our programs spanning three campuses. For our own Otto M. Budig Academy students, this represents an opportunity to train alongside new peers, learn from new faculty, and explore new styles and perspectives in their dance training. Registration is open, and select space is still available in most sessions, but it won’t last long!

Summer Intensive
June 15 - July 24, 2026
Three- and six-week session options
Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance
Ages 12 - 22

Collegiate Intensive
Produced in partnership with the University of Cincinnati
June 15 - July 24, 2026
Three- and six-week session options
University of Cincinnati
Ages 18 - 24

Youth Summer Intensive
July 6 - 31, 2026
Two- and four-week session options
School for Creative and Performing Arts
Ages 9 - 14

Summer Dance Workshop
June 1 - 5, June 8 - 12, and July 27 - 31, 2026
Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance
Ages 8 - 11

Kids Dance Camp
June 1 - 5, June 8 - 12, and July 27 - 31, 2026
Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance
Ages 4 - 8

Variations Workshop
Registration opens later this month
June 1 - 5, 2026
Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance
Dancers in Young Dancer and Advanced Divisions

To learn more about Cincinnati Ballet's summer programs, please visit us at the link below. Registration for Summer Dance Workshop and Kids Dance Camp is available online now for eligible dancers. Registration for Youth Summer Intensive, Summer Intensive, and Collegiate Intensive was emailed in January and February directly to students placed in these programs.

Our second Master Class event of the 2025-2026 Season is this weekend, featuring Darla Hoover. Ms. Hoover danced with New York City Ballet and has led some of the nation’s most esteemed training institutions, including Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Ballet Academy East, and the School of American Ballet, and we’re thrilled she’ll bring her extraordinary breadth of experience as both a performer and teacher to Cincinnati Ballet.

Master Class with Darla Hoover
Saturday, March 7, 2026
12:00-2:00 PM
Sheakley Family Premier Studio
Cincinnati Ballet Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance

Cincinnati Ballet's Master Class Series is open to dancers in Young Dancer Division 3, Advanced Division A and B, and the Professional Training Division. We also invite observers of all ages—whether family members, friends, or dancers not able to participate—to join us in the studio. Each event features a technique class as well as a curated Q&A with the artist. Registration is open now, and we hope you’ll join us!

During our Spring Family Observation Week, March 16-22, we look forward to welcoming Academy families into the studio classroom to witness your student’s hard work and progress. Select classes for each division and track will be open for observation. Emails will be sent the week of March 9th with specific details for your dancer’s schedule. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us for this special week of classes! We can’t wait to show families what your dancers have been working on!

Family Observation Week
March 16-22, 2026

Preparations are well underway for Spring Production 2026, featuring dancers in our Children’s, Preparatory, Young Dancer, and Advanced Divisions—we can’t wait to celebrate you all on stage! Throughout March and April, we'll be sharing additional participant details as well as information regarding volunteer opportunities. As our dancers begin preparing in the studio, families can mark your calendars for the upcoming dates below.

Costume Dates
Costume Fittings for PD, YD and AD: April 27-30
Specific days and times for each class will be shared via email.
Costume Pickup Week for Children's Division: April 20-25

Ticket On Sale Date
Spring Production Tickets On Sale: March 18

Performance Dates
Performances for PD, YD and AD: May 15 and 16
Performances for Children's Division: May 16

Don’t forget! All Academy programs will take a Spring Break, but dates for those breaks vary by program. Please review the below as you mark your calendars.

Children’s, Preparatory, Community, Young Dancer, and Advanced Divisions: No classes Monday, March 30, through Sunday, April 5

CB Moves: No classes Monday, March 16, through Sunday, March 22

(And Professional Training Division dancers, we’re happy to welcome you back today from your winter break!)

Adult Dance + Fitness classes will continue during these weeks as regularly scheduled.

We wish our entire Academy community a restful and recharged spring!

The month of April will see not one but TWO spectacular productions from Cincinnati Ballet at the Aronoff Center!

From April 10-12, Director’s Vision: Liberty in Motion is a patriotic triple bill featuring works from choreographers Justin Peck, Claudia Schreier, and George Balanchine. Peck’s The Times Are Racing draws inspiration from a variety of dance styles while matching Dan Deacon’s electronic score with youthful impulse and vigor. Schreier’s First Impulse is a neoclassical style work rooted in contemporary ballet concepts. Balanchine’s Serenade is a milestone in the history of dance, as the first original ballet George Balanchine created in America.

March 7: Master Class with Darla Hoover

March 16-22: Academy Family Observation Week

March 16-22: CB Moves Spring Break – NO CLASSES in CB Moves Youth or CB Moves for Parkinson's

March 20: Final Tuition Payment Due (8 Installment Plans)

March 30-April 5: Academy Spring Break – NO CLASSES in Children’s, Preparatory, Community, Young Dancer, and Advanced Divisions

April 10-12: Director’s Vision: Liberty in Motion at the Aronoff Center

April 11: Community Division Showcase

April 16-19: Family Series: Pinocchio at the Aronoff Center