A Place to Move, Grow, and Belong: AUDITION for Metropolitan Ballet’s Boys’ Scholarship Program

What happens when young boys are given the opportunity to discover dance, not simply as an art form, but to build strength, confidence, discipline, and connection?

For nearly three decades, Metropolitan Ballet Company’s Boys’ Scholarship Program has been doing exactly that. Now celebrating its 28th year, the program invites boys ages 7-17 to audition for a year of tuition-free dance training, performance opportunities, and the chance to become part of a community of young men discovering what they can do through movement.

Auditions for the 2026–2027 Boys’ Scholarship Program will be held Friday, September 18, at Metropolitan Ballet Academy in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.

No previous dance experience is necessary for boys ages 7-11 and 12-17. Beginners should arrive ready to participate in a welcoming introductory class from 4:30-5:30pm. Gym clothes and socks are all that are needed, although dance attire and shoes are welcome for those who have them.

For experienced dancers, additional classes will be held at 5:30 and/or 6:30pm. Call for more details.

Training Designed for Young Men

The Boys’ Scholarship Program offers tuition-free, all-male classes designed to develop far more than dance technique. Through classical ballet, contemporary dance, and partnering, students build athleticism, flexibility, coordination, and “motor intelligence”: an awareness of how the body moves through space.

Leading this training is an exceptional faculty of professional dancers and educators, including Daniel Mayo, Vitaly Verterich, and Da’ Von Doane. Together, they create an environment where boys can challenge themselves, learn from one another, and discover the discipline and joy that come with serious training.

From the Studio to the Stage

For many students, the experience extends well beyond the classroom. For the past five years, Metropolitan has fielded a cast of boys for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, giving young dancers the extraordinary opportunity to perform on the stage of the Academy of Music alongside artists of Philadelphia Ballet. It is an experience that can transform the way a young person sees himself.

The possibilities don’t end there. The program’s students, affectionately known as the “MET MEN,” regularly earn scholarships to prestigious summer and year-round dance programs. Its alumni have gone on to perform professionally with organizations including BalletX, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Philadelphia Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Alabama Ballet, Rubberband Dance, and many others.

Nearly 30 Years of Opportunity

Since its founding in 1999, the Boys’ Scholarship Program has provided more than $1.7 million in tuition-free dance education to more than 425 boys.

Those numbers tell an important story, but perhaps the more meaningful measure is what happens to the young men who pass through the program. Classical dance asks students to work hard, pay attention, persevere, and continually refine their skills. It teaches them how to respond to challenges and how to contribute to an ensemble. Those lessons have value far beyond the studio, whether a student ultimately pursues a career in the performing arts, attends college, or follows an entirely different path.

For nearly 30 years, Metropolitan’s Boys’ Scholarship Program has opened the door to opportunity - one class, one performance, and one young dancer at a time.