Orlando MET's mission is to provide the best quality education and training in classical ballet to every person who seeks a professional career as a ballet dancer. We apply the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum as the core of our syllabus and integrate the best of the Vaganova and Cuban methods in every academic year.
Every student begins in the Regular Academic Program (RAP), with afternoon classes. Students who show commitment, technique, attendance and discipline may be invited by the director into the Pre-Professional Academic Program (PAP), with daytime training.
How we teach
Small classes: 8 to 12 students, a semi-private approach
Faculty certified in ABT NTC, Pilates, Progressing Ballet Technique and personal training
Examinations twice a year, in December and June; promotion by readiness, not age
Body conditioning and cross-training in every level
Uniform
Nikolay is our official and only uniform brand, available at the Nikolay Store Orlando. Leotard colors by level: Pre-Primary pink, Primary A lilac, Primary B ice blue, Primary C lavender, Level 1 white, Level 2 light blue, Level 3 French blue, Level 4 light navy, PAP coffee.
The Primary Division is designed for children ages 3 to 7, across four levels: Pre-Primary, Primary A, Primary B and Primary C. Before a dancer sets foot in a full ballet class, they spend these foundational years developing the physical and artistic tools that make everything else possible — muscle memory, flexibility, coordination, musicality and the discipline that defines classical training.
What they learn
Basic positions of the feet, arms and body through age-appropriate exercises
Musicality and rhythm — learning to listen, respond and move in time
Spatial awareness, coordination and body control in a structured group setting
Studio etiquette, focus and the joy of working together
The habits of preparation — arriving ready, wearing the uniform, caring for the space
Preparing for the Young Division
The Primary Division is the direct preparation for Levels 1, 2 and 3, where the full classical ballet class — barre, centre, allegro and eventually pointe — is introduced. A Primary student who completes this preparation enters the Young Division with the physical foundation and the studio discipline that makes real technical progress possible.
Annual registration fee: $95. Schedule and tuition are provided after the audition and depend on the level assigned. Every student performs in the end-of-year production at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in June.
Academy life
Mother's Day mom-student class
Father's Day dad-student class
Celebrate Friendship in February — invite a friend to class
The Young Division, Levels 1 through 4, ages 7 to 15, is where the full classical ballet class is introduced at its most foundational level and progressively built into a complete technical and artistic practice. Students who arrive from the Primary Division step into a real barre, a real centre, and a structured progression that grows with them year by year.
The Young Division is organized in two tracks that share the same philosophy and values but differ in depth and scope of training.
Lower Young Division, Levels 1 & 2
The entry point into the full classical ballet class. The vocabulary is introduced from its simplest elements and built systematically at the barre and in centre work, with musicality and coordination at the core of every class.
Classical technique: barre and centre work with vocabulary introduced progressively from the simplest terms to more advanced concepts
Allegro and petit allegro, developing rhythm, coordination and elevation
Contemporary technique (introduced from Level 1 onward)
Body conditioning every week, Alixa Flexibility Method, Pilates and cross-training with certified instructors
Character and musicality woven into every class
Upper Young Division — Levels 3 & 4
Training deepens in complexity, intensity and artistic demand. Students begin performing and competing, and the curriculum expands to match their growing capacity.
Pointe work beginning at Level 3; boys' technique formally separated at Level 3
Contemporary technique with increased vocabulary and performance work
Variations from the classical repertoire
Body conditioning every week, Alixa Flexibility Method, Pilates and cross-training with certified instructors
Character and musicality woven into every class
Examinations and promotion
Orlando MET applies examinations to all students twice a year, in December and June. Promotions are based on readiness, physical development, technical comprehension and emotional maturity — not on age alone. It is not uncommon for a student to spend more than one year at a level, and that is always a sign of careful teaching.
Annual registration fee: $95. Schedule and tuition are provided after the audition and depend entirely on the level the student is placed in. Every student performs in the end-of-year production at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in June.
Academy life
Mother's Day mom-student class
Father's Day dad-student class
Celebrate Friendship in February — invite a friend to class
PAP is Orlando MET's most intensive academic training program, in four levels, designed to help dancers grow as disciplined, thoughtful, responsible and expressive artists. Admission is by invitation only, after term evaluations in January or July. Dancers must be homeschooled; the academy provides work stations for FLVS coursework, DBAs and exams.
12:15 individualized technique lab (Friday: contemporary repertoire and creation)
1:00 to 2:00 competition coaching, repertoire, meetings, archive work (Friday dismissal 1:00)
Additional classes include contemporary and modern technique, improvisation, music theory, ballet history and acting. Technique runs on a two-week cycle: combinations are introduced in week one, refined in week two, and recorded for the academy archive every second Thursday.
Performance and competition
All PAP students are invited to compete at Youth America Grand Prix and to perform with the Youth Studio Company. This season: Studio Concert I on December 19, 2026, Studio Concert II on March 13, 2027, and the PAP Final Examination on June 17, 2027. Choreographic projects in March and June give students their first experience creating a ballet.
Academy life
Mother's Day mom-student class
Father's Day dad-student class
Celebrate Friendship in February — invite a friend to class
Laura Torres is the founder and Academy Director of Orlando Metropolitan Ballet Academy. Trained in the Cuban school of classical ballet, she holds certifications in the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum and brings together the best of the Vaganova method, the Cuban school and the ABT NTC into every class she teaches and every production she stages. Under her direction, Orlando MET has become the only ballet academy in Orlando to compete at the YAGP Finals five consecutive years (2022 to 2026), and she received the YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award in 2022 — one of the most prestigious recognitions the competition offers. Laura also designs and produces all of the academy's full-length productions, from sets and costumes to lighting and choreographic adaptation.
Faculty
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Staff
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Admission begins with an audition, required for every level. We audition all year long, in person or by video. Every student is unique — natural ability, concentration, maturity, response to corrections and previous experience all matter — so Orlando MET places every dancer by individual development, not by age.
How it works
Submit the request form below and we will reach out within two business days to schedule your audition
Take a placement class at the level we think fits, or send a short video of barre and centre work (up to 5 minutes each, uploaded to YouTube)
If there is space in the class assigned you receive an invitation to enroll by email
Reply, complete all forms and return them in person or by email to secure your spot
Classes are capped at 12 students. Schedule and tuition are shared with the audition result, because they depend entirely on the level assigned. Annual registration fee: $95.
Orlando Metropolitan Ballet Academy has been among the most decorated ballet academies in Florida since its first YAGP season in 2020. The academy is the only one in Orlando to have competed at the YAGP Finals five consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026), placing among the Top 24 out of 1,800 finalists drawn from approximately 12,000 competitors worldwide. Our students have also been selected as Prix de Lausanne candidates, chosen by an international jury of nine professionals from a worldwide pool of applicants — one of the most selective processes in classical ballet. In 2022, Academy Director Laura Torres received the YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award, one of the competition's highest recognitions.
Orlando Metropolitan Ballet Academy has been among the most decorated ballet academies in Florida since its first YAGP season in 2020. The academy is the only one in Orlando to have competed at the YAGP Finals five consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026), placing among the Top 24 out of 1,800 finalists drawn from approximately 12,000 competitors worldwide. Our students have also been selected as Prix de Lausanne candidates, chosen by an international jury of nine professionals from a worldwide pool of applicants — one of the most selective processes in classical ballet. In 2022, Academy Director Laura Torres received the YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award, one of the competition's highest recognitions.
YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award
Laura Torres, Youth America Grand Prix, 2022. Presented to teachers whose students demonstrate exceptional artistic and technical quality across multiple divisions and multiple seasons.
Prix de Lausanne
Orlando MET has produced Prix de Lausanne candidates, selected from a worldwide pool of applicants by a nine-member international jury. The Prix de Lausanne is one of the most prestigious and selective ballet competitions in the world for dancers ages 15 to 18, with fewer than 25% of applicants accepted to compete in Lausanne, Switzerland.
YAGP results by season
2020 Season — YAGP Tampa, FL
Nicole Bustamante, Top 24, Junior Classical Division
Camila Moya, Top 24, Junior Classical Division
2021 Season — YAGP Tampa, FL
Madison Taberham, Top 24, Senior Classical Division (invited to YAGP Finals)
Nicole Bustamante, Classical and Contemporary, Junior Division
Camila Moya, Classical, Junior Division
Michelle Cordero, Classical and Contemporary
Ensemble "The Strength My Mother Gave Me," 3rd Place, Ensemble Category (choreography by Amyia Burrell, coached by Laura Torres)
2021 Season — YAGP Boston, MA
Madison Taberham, 1st Place, Senior Classical Division; Top 12, Senior Contemporary Division
Ensemble "Kingdom of the Shades" from La Bayadère (Nicole Bustamante, Camila Moya, Madison Taberham), Top 12, Ensemble Category, invited to YAGP Finals
2021 Season — YAGP Finals, New York
Madison Taberham, Finalist, Senior Division
Nicole Bustamante, Finalist; scholarship offers from Houston Ballet and John Cranko Schule, Germany
Nicole Bustamante, Top 12, Senior Classical Division; Top 12, Senior Contemporary Division
2024 Season — YAGP Chicago, IL (February)
Nicole Bustamante, 3rd Place, Senior Classical Division; Top 12, Senior Classical Division; Top 12, Senior Contemporary Division
2025 Season — YAGP Nashville, TN
Sapphire Cuthkelvin, Top 12, Junior Classical Division; Top 24, Junior Contemporary Division
Danny Portillo, Top 12, Pre-Competitive Classical Division (invited to Finals); Top 12, Pre-Competitive Contemporary Division
2025 Season — YAGP Boca Raton, FL
Top 12, Pre-Competitive Classical Division
2026 Season — YAGP Tampa, FL
Sapphire Cuthkelvin, age 14, 3rd Place, Junior Classical Division; Top 12, Junior Classical Division; Top 24, Junior Contemporary Division
Emma Estremadoyro, age 11, 3rd Place (tie), Pre-Competitive Classical Division; Top 12, Pre-Competitive Classical Division
Danny Portillo, age 10, Top 12, Pre-Competitive Classical Division; Top 12, Pre-Competitive Contemporary Division
Emma Estremadoyro and Danny Portillo, Pas de Deux "Otis," 2nd Place, Pas de Deux Category
Ensemble "Fairy Doll," Top 6, Large Ensembles Category
2026 Season — YAGP Boca Raton, FL
Emma Estremadoyro, age 11, 2nd Place (tie), Pre-Competitive Classical Division; Top 12, Pre-Competitive Classical Division; Top 24, Pre-Competitive Classical and Contemporary Divisions
Ensemble "Otis," 2nd Place, Small Ensembles Category; Top 12, Small Ensembles Category
Where our alumni dance next
Nicole Bustamante, Nashville Ballet II
Princess Grace Academy, Monaco
Paris Opera Ballet School, France
Royal Swedish Ballet School, Sweden
John Cranko Schule, Stuttgart, Germany
Elmhurst Ballet School, United Kingdom
School of American Ballet, ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School
San Francisco Ballet School, Boston Ballet School, Washington Ballet School
Houston Ballet Academy, Miami City Ballet School, Oklahoma City Ballet School
Ballet cannot be taught without the stage. Every season Orlando MET stages a full-length production from the classical repertoire — with sets, costumes and lighting designed by Laura Torres — giving principal roles to our own students. Productions take place at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and at Orlando MET studios.
2026–2027 season
The Nutcracker: The Sugar Plum Fairy's Winter Tale — December 10, 2026, Dr. Phillips Center
Studio Concert I — December 19, 2026, open to the public
Studio Concert II — March 13, 2027, open to the public
End-of-year performance — June 12, 2027, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Production history
The Sleeping Beauty — 2020
Orlando MET's first full-length production. Three acts and a prologue, staged by Laura Torres during the pandemic at the Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater, Dr. Phillips Center, December 20, 2020. Aurora danced by Nicole Bustamante and Camila Moya; Prince Désiré by Luciano Perotto. Sets, costumes and lighting designed by Laura Torres.
Grand Pas de Quatre / Concert No. 1 — 2021
First studio concert, featuring the Grand Pas de Quatre and works from the classical repertoire performed by Youth Studio Company members.
Coppélia — 2022
Delibes' comic ballet staged by Laura Torres, with students in the roles of Swanilda, Franz and Dr. Coppélius. Full academy participated in the village and doll scenes.
The Sleeping Beauty — (second staging)
A return to Tchaikovsky's masterpiece, with an expanded cast as the company grew.
Don Quixote (Don Q)
Minkus' vibrant three-act ballet, featuring the famous Act III Grand Pas de Deux, staged by Laura Torres with students in the principal roles of Kitri and Basilio.
The Wonderful Witch of Oz
An original story ballet created by Orlando MET, with roles spanning every division from Pre-Primary through PAP. A showcase of the full academy on one stage.
The Nutcracker: The Sugar Plum Fairy's Winter Tale
Orlando MET's signature holiday production, staged annually with the full academy. Pre-Primary snowflakes through PAP principals all share the stage. Performed at the Dr. Phillips Center.
Tickets go on sale at the Dr. Phillips Center box office and online two to three months before each performance, from $55 to $65.
The Sleeping Beauty was Orlando MET's debut full-length production — three acts and a prologue, staged by Laura Torres on December 20, 2020 at the Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The production was made during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Dr. Phillips Center going above and beyond to create a safe environment for the community.
Aurora was danced by Nicole Bustamante (2:00 pm) and Camila Moya (7:00 pm). Prince Désiré was interpreted by Luciano Perotto in both performances. Sets, costumes and lighting were designed by Laura Torres and manufactured by local artists and seamstresses.
The production was subsequently staged a second time as the company and the academy grew, with an expanded cast.
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Act III, Aurora's Wedding Pas de Deux (Orlando MET's Sleeping Beauty, 2020.
Don Quixote — known in the studio as "Don Q" — brings Minkus' vibrant three-act ballet to the stage with Orlando MET students in the principal roles of Kitri and Basilio. The production is celebrated for its technically demanding solos, the famous Act III Grand Pas de Deux, and the spirit of Cervantes' original story carried entirely through dance.
Staging and choreography adaptation by Laura Torres. Full academy participation from Pre-Primary character roles through PAP principals.
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Act III Grand Pas de Deux (Orlando MET's Don Quixote.
Orlando MET's Nutcracker returns on December 10, 2026 as The Sugar Plum Fairy's Winter Tale. Casting is announced on August 28; Saturday rehearsals run through October and November, with dress rehearsal on December 5.
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Snow scene, Orlando MET's Nutcracker.
Orlando MET staged Delibes' beloved comic ballet with students from the Pre-Professional Program in the principal roles of Swanilda, Franz and the eccentric Dr. Coppélius, supported by the full academy in the village festival and doll workshop scenes. Sets, costumes and staging by Laura Torres.
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Swanilda's friends, Act I (Orlando MET's Coppélia, 2022.
Prokofiev's beloved symphonic fairy tale brought to life through classical dance. Each character, Peter, the Bird, the Duck, the Cat, the Grandfather and the Wolf — is portrayed through movement and mime, making this one of the most expressive and accessible productions in the Orlando MET repertoire. Roles span every level of the academy from the youngest Primary students through PAP.
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Orlando MET's Peter and the Wolf.
The classic character ballet staged by Orlando MET, celebrating imagination, the joy of character work and the beauty of ensemble dancing in the finest tradition of the classical repertoire. A production that gives students at every level the experience of inhabiting a role from beginning to end.
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Orlando MET's Fairy Doll.
The Wonderful Witch of Oz is Orlando MET's original story ballet for families, with roles for every division from Pre-Primary to PAP.
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Orlando MET's Wonderful Witch of Oz.
The Orlando MET Youth Ballet Studio Company (OMB-YSC) produces full-length ballets from the world classical repertoire, giving principal roles to our students so they grow as dancers and artists. Everything happens in a positive, coached environment that keeps the natural pressure of the live performing industry, so when the time comes to take the leap into a professional company they already know the way of life, the lingo and the codes.
Two to four events every year: full-length productions, studio concerts and private events
Open to all PAP students; RAP students perform in showcases and may be invited
Productions at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in June
All photographs on this site were taken by Luis Corona with Orlando Metropolitan Ballet Academy students.
Customized, strengthening, challenging and corrective. With only 12 students per level we guarantee improvement and progress. For dancers older than 8 with previous ballet training; younger dancers join the Summer Camp.
Dates and schedule
Group A: July 6 to 31, 2026, Monday to Friday, 2:15 to 4:30 pm. $760 for four weeks or $260 a week
Group B (pointe work): July 6 to 31, 2026, Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. $1,450 for four weeks or $480 a week
Registration fee $75
Every day
Classical technique (barre, center, allegro, grand allegro and pointe), contemporary, at least one conditioning session (Pilates, Progressing Ballet Technique, stretching, Cuban conditioning), and repertoire for Level 3 and higher.
Scholarships of 10% to 100% are awarded at the audition. Audition in person or by video: barre and center under 5 minutes each, or a classical variation.
Orlando Metropolitan Ballet Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designated by the IRS. The continuity and growth of the academy depend on tuition and donations, and every contribution is tax deductible. As a nonprofit, our aim is to eventually provide a tuition-free education in ballet to every student enrolled.
What your gift supports
Partial scholarships for committed students
Summer intensive scholarships, from 10% to 100% of tuition
Costumes, productions and the studio in Lake Nona
Our sponsors
Orange County, United Arts of Central Florida, Lake Nona, and Nikolay, our official partner school.
Welcome to Orlando MET. We are a boutique academy in Lake Nona with one idea at the center of everything: classical ballet, taught with rigor and joy in classes of eight to twelve, changes a young person for life.
We combine the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum with the Vaganova method and the Cuban school. Our students have gone on to Paris Opera, Princess Grace, John Cranko and the School of American Ballet, and for five consecutive years (2022 to 2026) we have been the only academy to represent Orlando at the YAGP Finals.
Turn the pages, watch the rehearsals, and when you are ready, come and take class with us.
Laura Torres Academy Director
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