The CLI Conservatory is a ten-month training program designed to prepare students to enter the professional world of dance. For the class of 2024-2025, the CLI Conservatory program begins September 4th, 2024 and ends June 20th, 2025.

All of our faculty are working professionals in the dance industry. These choreographers are booking professional dancers for jobs throughout the year. The connections we provide to our students with our 100+ CLI Conservatory faculty members are one of the aspects that makes the CLI Conservatory unique. Some of our instructors include Teddy Forance (our Conservatory Director), Tiler Peck, Brain Friedman, Brian Nicholson, Chris Scott, Talia Favia, Lex Ishimoto, Kathryn McCormick, Riley Watts, and more. See more faculty here.

Auditions are a big part of life as a professional dancer. Throughout the program we are preparing dancers for auditions through mock auditions, dance on camera opportunities, professional photo shoots, Q+A sessions with agents, and more! We hold private auditions with Bloc, MSA, and Clear Talent Agencies at the end of the year along with other companies like Cirque Du Soliel, and major cruise lines.

We encourage dancers to audition for work if the opportunity arises. If you book work during the program, we ask that you are not away for more than one week so as to not miss too many rehearsals and classes. Enrolled dancers in the past have booked work on movies in the Boston area, dance conventions for weekend assisting, and choreographing for studios.

The CLI Conservatory is located in Southampton, Massachusetts. Southampton is roughly three hours from New York City and two hours from Boston, and in the backyard of the iconic performance space Jacob’s Pillow. We chose this location because it allows dancers to focus on their dance training with the CLI Studios world-renowned faculty without the distractions of a busy, major city.

Yes, dancers have the option to stay in apartment style housing at Hathaway Farms Townhomes located in Northampton, MA, about 15 minutes away from the studio. Dancers may choose either a single room or double room (sharing a room) and will be placed in a 2, 3, or 4 bedroom apartment. All units have full kitchens and in-unit washer and dryer.

Tuition is $2,500 a month, or a total of $25,000 for the ten-month program

One of our missions is to bring access to high quality dance training to all dancers regardless of socioeconomic status. We have worked to make the cost of our program much more affordable than a 4 year program or even dancers taking classes on their own in a major city. We also understand it can still be a high financial commitment. We offer a limited number of Early Admission and Priority Admission scholarships for exceptional dancers who are accepted to the program.

The main goal of the video submission is for our team to see your unique dancing ability so we can assess if you’re a good fit for our program. You should submit a video in any style of dance that you feel best demonstrates your abilities. The video should be a solo approximately one to three minutes in length (no duos, trios, or groups please). Your video can feature original choreography, a piece choreographed by someone else, or improvisation in any style of your choice. Video reels that you’ve edited together are also acceptable submissions. Please limit your submission to one video and one application.

The CLI Conservatory is a pre-professional program for well-rounded dancers looking to embark on a professional dance career. Dancers must be 17 years old or older OR a high school graduate to apply and be accepted.

All staff members and instructors receive training on best practices for working with students and appropriate workplace behavior. CLI Studios also has clear policies and procedures for reporting, reviewing, and addressing mental and physical health and safety concerns for participants. Procedures for reporting health and safety concerns will be provided to all dancers before they arrive at The CLI Conservatory.

We understand that injury can happen. We have relationships with local chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists to help diagnose and treat potential injuries. In the event of injury, we will work with you to develop a recovery plan to make sure you have the time you need to heal.