The Portland Ballet

The Portland Ballet offers Dance for Joy, Curriculum Ballet, Career Track, a Men’s Program, K-Pop Class, Musical Theatre, Strength and Conditioning, and a Free Beginning Ballet Series. Dance for Joy is the beginning class in the education program, Curriculum Ballet is year-round ballet technique training with seven levels, Career Track is for advanced dancers with professional intent, and the Men’s Program is tailored to the needs and skills of young male dancers.

Programs

• Dance for Joy — 3-6 · Beginning class in the education program.
• Curriculum Ballet — 6-18 · Year-round ballet technique training; seven levels; students must audition for placement.
• Career Track — 14+ · Advanced dancers with professional intent; simulates a professional company experience.
• Men’s Program — Program tailored specifically to the needs and skills of young male dancers.
• K-Pop Class — 10-14 · Tuesdays, 7:00-8:00 p.m. · Optional add-on class; focuses on Kpop choreography, stage presence, sharp movements, and synchronization.
• Musical Theatre — 13-18 · Thursdays, 7:00-8:00 p.m. · Optional add-on class combining dance, acting, and musical theatre performance.
• Strength and Conditioning — Support class for rigorous ballet training; Level 4 & 6 and Level 6 sections are listed.
• Free Beginning Ballet Series — 6-11 · Saturdays · Free ballet class series.

At a glance

• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Current session: 2026-27 season (Sep 8–Jun 5, 2027); 2026-27 season (Sep 8–Jun 12, 2027)
• General schedule: Curriculum Ballet begins with Dance for Joy (ages 3-6) and progresses through seven levels of Curriculum Ballet (ages 6-19). Career Track is for ages 14+.

About the provider

The Portland Ballet was founded in 2001. Its leadership team includes Artistic Director Nancy Davis and Executive Director Jim Lane. The mission statement says that The Portland Ballet provides formal training for dancers of any skill level. Nancy Davis and Jim Lane trained at the School of American Ballet and had distinguished professional careers, and TPB alumni have danced with companies including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, St. Louis Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Ballet West, Ballet Idaho, Ballet Arizona, Philadelphia Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Mariinsky Ballet, and Batsheva Dance Company.

Advancement is based on ability, not age. Some students spend more than two years in one level. Career Track students aged 14-22 are eligible to audition. Female dancers in the Youth Company must be strong en pointe.

Last updated October 14, 2026.