Dayton's dance ecosystem punches above its weight for a mid-sized Midwestern city. With roots stretching back to 1938—when Josephine Schwarz founded what would become Dayton Ballet—this former manufacturing hub has sustained professional ballet and contemporary companies through economic booms and busts. Today, parents and adult learners face a more complex landscape: multiple pathways exist, but they serve fundamentally different purposes. This guide distinguishes between them to help you find your fit.
Pre-Professional Training: The School of Dayton Ballet
For dancers ages 8–18 serious about classical ballet careers, the School of Dayton Ballet represents the region's most rigorous pathway. As the official school of Dayton's professional company, it operates on a tiered curriculum grounded in the Vaganova method, with advanced students training 15–20 hours weekly.
The school divides into three divisions: Children's (ages 3–7), Student (ages 8–14), and Pre-Professional (ages 12–18). Entry to the Pre-Professional division requires audition; approximately 60 students currently train at this level. Graduates have joined Cincinnati Ballet, Louisville Ballet, and BalletMet Columbus, among others.
Performance opportunities distinguish this program from recreational alternatives. Pre-Professional students appear annually in Dayton Ballet's The Nutcracker and mount a full spring production. Tuition runs $3,200–$4,800 annually for full-time Pre-Professional students, with merit scholarships available.
Best for: Young dancers with demonstrated facility and family commitment to intensive training schedules.
Professional Company Affiliates: Training Through Performance
Dayton Ballet II
Listed second here not by quality but by function: Dayton Ballet II is not a school but a trainee company, one of the few such programs in Ohio outside Cleveland and Columbus. Eight to twelve dancers, typically ages 18–24, comprise the roster each season.
These dancers receive stipends (not salaries—currently $200 weekly during the 32-week season) and perform in Dayton Ballet's mainstage productions alongside the professional company. They also dance in educational outreach and smaller community venues. The position functions as a bridge between conservatory training and professional contracts; recent alumni have joined Nashville Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, and Dayton Ballet's main company itself.
Admission requires audition, usually held in March for the following September. Candidates typically present classical variation and contemporary solo, plus company class participation.
Best for: Post-high school dancers needing professional performance experience before auditioning for paid contracts.
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company School
DCDC, founded in 1968, operates the region's most established modern dance school—distinct from classical ballet training, though ballet technique classes are required. The school serves approximately 200 students across recreational and pre-professional tracks.
The pre-professional program, DCDC Youth Ensemble, focuses on African American dance traditions, contemporary floorwork, and improvisation—techniques rarely emphasized in classical ballet schools. Students perform in DCDC's annual DanceBash and may audition for the professional company's DCDC2 apprentice group.
Faculty includes current company members, and advanced students occasionally take company class. Annual tuition: $2,400–$3,600 for Youth Ensemble members.
Best for: Dancers prioritizing contemporary and modern technique, or seeking training grounded in African American dance aesthetics.
Community and Recreational Studios
The Dance Center of Dayton
Located in Oakwood, this 35-year-old studio emphasizes accessibility over pre-professional screening. Classes span ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and hip-hop, with enrollment open to ages 2 through adult without audition.
Ballet offerings include creative movement (ages 3–5), graded technique (ages 6+), pointe preparation, and adult beginner through advanced levels. Notably, the studio welcomes adult beginners—no prior experience required—through "Ballet Basics" and "Ballet Barre" classes meeting twice weekly. Drop-in rates ($18) and 10-class cards ($150) accommodate irregular schedules.
The faculty includes former professional dancers and Wright State University alumni. Annual recitals feature all students; competitive troupes exist for interested families but are not emphasized.
Best for: Recreational dancers, adults returning to dance, or families seeking low-pressure introduction to ballet fundamentals.
Dayton Dance Collective
A newer entry, founded in 2014 by four independent choreographers, the Collective operates as a shared teaching space rather than traditional school. Classes emphasize creative process over syllabus progression.
Ballet classes here incorporate contemporary release technique and somatic practices—unusual for ballet instruction. Workshops rotate monthly, covering contact improvisation, choreography, and hip-hop foundations. The atmosphere attracts dancers from Wright State's BFA program and working professionals seeking cross-training.
No annual enrollment; classes operate on punch-card or drop-in basis ($15–$20). Age range skews 16–40.
Best for: Dancers
