Senior Constance Cabanes signed with BalletMet to dance professionally Jan. 28. She said out of 50 trainees, only three received contracts.
Cabanes explained the contract with the second company will allow her to gain more experience in the professional world. She said she will be a trainee until the current season ends in May and begin her contract with the second company in September.
She started dancing, she said, after being inspired by her older sister, who danced at the time. Her first year, she danced at a studio in Connecticut and fell in love with ballet. Since then, she has danced with BalletMet for 11 years and has been a trainee for three.
The trainees were observed all year to be selected for a contract, Cabanes explained. The artistic director watched classes and performances, including “The Nutcracker,” she added.
“During ‘The Nutcracker,’ girls at a higher level do a lot more dancing,” Cabanes said. “The contract is for one year, with a two maximum.”
Cabanes said she hopes to spend two years in the second company and then move into the main company or audition elsewhere.
Under the contract, Cabanes said she rehearses with the professional company and has group or understudy roles in performances.
“It’s mostly understudying a lot and learning what the main company does,” Cabanes said. “It’s a professional contract, but I’m still technically in training.”
Cabanes said she currently dances from 9 a.m. to around 4 or 6 p.m. every day. She begins each morning with ballet class, followed by other classes, such as pointe, she explained.
In the afternoon, she usually has separate rehearsals with the main company and trainees, and after a full day of dancing, she returns home to complete all of her schoolwork.
Cabanes explained she has taken online College Credit Plus classes since sophomore year to accommodate her busy schedule. She said the switch to online classes was difficult at first, but she has learned how to manage her time.
“Trying to learn how to teach yourself school at 15 was really tough,” she said. “I’m proud of how I’ve evolved from then.”
Cabanes said she has advanced as a dancer by prioritizing strength training. She lifts weights twice a week to improve her technique.
“Something in dance I struggled with was strength,” she explained. “It’s harder to build muscle when you’re flexible.”
Cabanes feels she has been successful in her dance career so far. As a trainee, she was picked for a principal role in a show alongside the second company members and is proud of the hard work she put in to receive them, she said.
Cabanes said she appreciates her family, friends and director for helping her be successful.
Cabanes added she is looking forward to growing artistically and continuing her training.
“I’m really excited to work professionally,” she said. “It’s different from being a student. There are less rules and it’s a very different way of movement.”
Published and digitized March 2026.
