As part of School of Philadelphia Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet II (PBII) was established in 2002 as the pre-professional training company of the Philadelphia Ballet. Designed to cultivate the next generation of professional dancers, PBII provides exceptional young artists with the opportunity to refine their technique, expand their artistry, and gain meaningful performance experience as they transition from student to professional.
Under the leadership of Davit Karapetyan, The Maxine and Jay L. Goldberg School Director, PBII offers unparalleled training and performance opportunities, providing the experience dancers need to join a company of professionals. PBII dancers benefit from rigorous daily training and a wide range of performance opportunities, including classical and contemporary works, as well as participation in Philadelphia Ballet’s mainstage productions. Dancers invited to join PBII train under full scholarship at School of Philadelphia Ballet and receive a weekly stipend to help offset living expenses.
Philadelphia Ballet II dancers serve as the organization’s community ambassadors, inspiring audiences through public performances, school programs, and community engagement. Each year, they reach thousands of individuals throughout the greater Philadelphia area. These unique opportunities offer invaluable learning experiences, allowing dancers to expand their technique and artistry and gain unique insight into the life of a professional dancer.
Testimonials
Ithink PBII is a perfect balance between school and company life. I love being able to dance alongside the phenomenal company artists and continue working on improving my dancing with the dedicated teachers of the Philadelphia Ballet School. I also really like how we are able to perform corps roles with the company while working on soloist level material with our director. One of the things I appreciate most about the whole company is the collective atmosphere. It really feels like everyone is a part of the same team which is something that I don’t think is universal in the ballet world. NOAH SEIDL, PBII (2023-24, 2024-25)
I like that there are so many performance opportunities with the company and within the second company. Performing in outreach and community events such as the Phillies game has introduced me to a variety of styles and exposed me to different audiences. NATALIE PATEL, PBII (2023-24)
I chose PBII over my other options because of how much I liked the company from an outside perspective. I thought the repertoire, dancers, and director were very good and they aligned with my vision/style of dance better than anywhere else. I would recommend it because it goes without saying: it’s one of the premier dance companies in the nation; with amazing rep, amazing dancers, an amazing director, and it’s in a great city as well. SOREN CAMPAGNA, PBII (2023-24, 2024-25)
