Audition registration is now open for the 2026-2027 Northwest Florida Ballet (NFB) Académie academic year. All auditions are by appointment only and will take place at the Sybil Lebherz Center for Dance Education (NFB Studios), located at 310 Perry Avenue SE in Fort Walton Beach. Incoming third-grade students will audition on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and April 26 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Incoming fourth-grade students will audition on April 25 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Auditions will also be held for incoming fifth-grade students from April 28 to 30 during the regular fourth-grade Ballet class.
Registration must be completed on our Auditions page by 2 p.m. on April 23 using the appropriate grade level form. Incoming third-grade students are not required to have previous dance experience, while incoming fourth-grade students are required to have at least one year of current Ballet training. Upon registering, incoming third-grade applicants will be assigned a 20-minute time slot, and incoming fourth-grade applicants will be assigned a 30-minute time slot. Parents will be allowed to wait in the lobby, where NFB representatives will be available to discuss this unique program. Results and orientation details will be mailed after all auditions are completed. Incoming fifth-grade applicants must have 2 years of current Ballet training and will be contacted upon registering to attend a current fourth-grade Ballet class, where they will be evaluated.
Prospective Académie students and their parents are encouraged to attend a tour event at the NFB studios on April 21 or 23 from 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. to observe a typical school day. An evening Q&A session with NFB Artistic Director/CEO Todd Eric Allen is also available on April 22 at 6 p.m. to learn more about this nationally recognized program. To RSVP for an informational tour, please email us with your preferred date. For all requirements, the audition reservation form and additional details, please visit our Auditions page or call Joy Elpedes at (850) 664-7787. Spanish translations of all related materials are also available online. Visit www.nfballet.org/Auditions to learn more.
Celebrating over 20 years of excellence, the NFB Académie is a free, integrated arts and academic program for third through eighth-grade boys and girls who demonstrate the potential to excel in dance. Certified Okaloosa County school teachers ensure rigorous educational training. In addition to their regular academic classes, students selected for the program will have concentrated daily instruction in ballet and weekly instruction in art, music and French. The NFB Académie is a nationally acclaimed program recognized as an A+ school since its inception.
