By Dina Bugayevskaya

For 18 years, Northern California Dance Conservatory has inspired youth who love ballet to enjoy recreational dance and, in many cases, to go on to become professional dancers. NCDC operates with the philosophy that every person should enjoy the benefits that dance can bring to life.

This summer, NCDC restructured its program to drop its recreational classes and instead become a pre-professional dance company, positioning itself as a regional center for dance.

NCDC founder and Executive Director Jen Bradford has the experience to oversee this transition. Bradford was an artistic director of a similar company for four years in the early 2000s. After she got married and moved to Roseville in 2003, she kept commuting to the Bay Area for her students there. In 2006, she opened NCDC in Roseville. Now, as a pre-professional, audition-only company, NCDC boasts 34 dancers. 

Undergoing a change

The idea of the transition from a school to a pre-professional program came partly as a result of COVID, when Bradford was paying her teachers extra money to survive “because it was important to me to keep all my people employed,” she says. “I probably spent a lot more than I should have, but I just felt it was the right thing to do.”

Additionally, the conservatory has felt the effects of inflation, and the opening of other dance schools does not make the lives of studio owners easier, as they are forced to find ways to differentiate their offerings and become more competitive as a business.

For the recent restructure, NCDC shifted from recreational classes to pre-professional classes only. To become a part of the program, dancers go through auditions. The program requires 4-6 days of training a week, which is around 20 hours.

The pre-professional program focuses on classical ballet — with ventures into jazz and contemporary dance — and cross training in pilates and strength. “We coach them, not just in technique, but also mentor them in resume building, helping to give them the experience they need,” Bradford says.

School facilities are also available to rent, which helps to foster growth in the dance community while creating an additional revenue stream for NCDC. NCDC has its own Black Box theater that is technically a studio for performances within the school. Bradford believes that they can create a professional theater for the community.

“My hope is that NCDC’s studios will become a place where dancers of all genres can come together and support one another. Not just a rehearsal space, but a performance space,” Bradford says.

Popularity of dance industry

Social media along with television shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance” have brought more young people to dance classes. “It is more popular than it has ever been,” Bradford says.

The dance industry has seen a transition from dancers seeking contracts with companies through traditional avenues, to freelance artists that score gigs by marketing themselves on social media. Still, there is a shortage of work for dancers across the board.

Bradford says that NCDC has sent many of their dancers to Europe because of the availability of jobs in professional theaters and companies there. “We are lucky enough to have a lot of our alumni working professionally around the world and making a living doing what they love,” she says.

For others, social media presents a big opportunity. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have encouraged lots of young people to start dancing, like they see their favorite social media influencers doing. Many dance competitions and collaborations are created on social media. Similarly, choreographers have to adjust and make their businesses viable online.

Macey McGoldrick, an NCDC alum who currently dances in Boise, Idaho, says a lot of opportunity comes from social media, but also from connections and some degree of luck. “You have to be in the right place at the right time,” McGoldrick says.

Bradford believes that earning a position requires dancers to have substantial training and grit. Even with the change of the dance industry, not quitting helps stay afloat. The personal qualities of a dancer are still valued. “You have to be open, flexible, versatile. You have to absolutely not give up,” Bradford says. “I would never look at a dancer and say it is not a possibility.” 

NCDC’s programs

NCDC has three different levels for dancers starting at age 10. Each level has age limits, with company members allowed to stay until they turn 19.

Dancers do not have to start as a trainee first, “but of course, the younger you start, the easier it is going to be to transition and to be able to get to training,” Bradford says.

Most of NCDC’s staff and teachers have a master’s degree or years of professional experience. “All the teachers there are easy to talk to. If I ever feel that I need help with anything, or if I need any assistance in audition season, they are just there. It feels like a second home and a family,” McGoldrick says.

Lucas Weston, a 17-year-old student who is working toward a professional ballet career, appreciates that the NCDC has a wide range of teaching. NCDC helps him to be open to learning and trying new ideas.

“NCDC is preparing me for situations when I am away doing auditions or taking master classes outside,” Weston says.

Bradford says there is no age limit for a professional career in dancing. But it all depends on how dancers treat their bodies, and that is what they try to teach at NCDC. “Do you make sure you are fully healed, work with a sports therapist and cross train to prevent injury?” Bradford asks.

After NCDC’s programs, dancers start looking for professional work in dancing or continue their education in college. Some companies offer traineeships for ages 19 to 22 with the prospect of signing a work contract.

“But if you want it enough, you will find your way to be able to do that,” Bradford says about the difficulties of getting a job in dancing or choreographing. She adds that most of their dancers have goals of becoming professionals with their own voices and styles.

NCDC teachers teach choreography to their students and give them an opportunity to choreograph and present their own dances. McGoldrick works as a choreographer now. “If I hadn’t been there, I would not be who I am today.”

This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.