Maple Ridge ballerina begins full-time studies at New York’s School of American Ballet

Maple Ridge dancer Versailles Comeau, 14, has begun full-time studies at New York City’s School of American Ballet on a partial scholarship. She started Sept. 5, during her Grade 9 year; it is the earliest grade at which the school accepts full-time students. The school is affiliated with New York City Ballet and is among the world’s most prestigious ballet schools. If she chooses, Comeau will complete her next four years of studies there.

Comeau began dance at age three, studying hip hop, jazz, tap and other styles. At 10, she played a young Clara in Ballet Victoria’s Christmas production of The Nutcracker, an experience that led her to focus on ballet. At 11, she attended a three-week Royal Winnipeg Ballet summer intensive on a full scholarship.

In 2024, Comeau began training at Ballet Bloch in North Vancouver. She auditioned for and was accepted into summer programs at the National Ballet of Canada, the Paris Opera and the School of American Ballet. After receiving a scholarship to the New York school, she declined the other two programs and spent five weeks there.

In 2025, she attended a Royal Ballet spring intensive in London, then spent two weeks each at the Paris Opera, Monaco’s Princess Grace Academy and English National Ballet in London. Comeau said the experience taught her about the more exacting requirements of classical ballet training, including the positioning of the head and arms.

This year, while training at Richmond Academy of Dance, Comeau worked on her solos and competed at Youth American Grand Prix in Boston. She placed second in classical ballet in her age division among about 260 competitors and placed in the top 24 in contemporary ballet. Invited to the finals in Houston, Texas, she received several scholarships, including short-term scholarships to San Francisco Ballet and Germany’s John Cranko Schule, a full scholarship to Royal Winnipeg Ballet, scholarships from Nashville Ballet Company for contemporary and classical ballet, and a scholarship to Philadelphia’s The Rock School for Dance. She also returned to London for final-round auditions at The Royal Ballet School but was not accepted.

Comeau won her ballet category at the BC Performing Arts Provincials in June. After spending another five weeks at the School of American Ballet this summer on a full scholarship, she was invited to attend full time. She said she is especially eager to learn the faster, more contemporary Balanchine style developed by George Balanchine, New York City Ballet’s co-founder and long-time artistic director. Her goal is to become a principal dancer with the company and one day perform in Swan Lake.