BALLET HELP DESK

After-School Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 111
Total Reviews: 204

Alabama Ballet

After-School Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

1
2

Program

3

Season Attended

3

# Of Levels In School

  • "There is 5 lower school levels(1-5), 3 upper school levels (Intermediate 1 & 2, advanced), and flex classes for dancers with other interests. Day program had 1 one level(ages 16+)"
  • "Pre-primary levels. Then levels 1-5. Then Intermediate 1 and 2. Then Advanced. There is also a day program."
  • "I already described it"

Dancer Age

2
1

Hours of Dance Each Week

2
1

Gender

3

Was Student Scholarshipped?

3

Please Describe Scholarship

  • "N/A"

Years At School

1
2

Leveling by Age or Skill?

3

Teacher Background

3

Parents Required to Volunteer?

3

Parent Volunteer Requirement

  • "Not required, backstage for Nutcracker in the community cast dressing rooms."
  • "N/A"

Curriculum

Days Per Week

3

Classes Per Day

1
2

Weekend Classes?

3

Weekend Schedule

3

Students Per Class

2
1

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

2
1

Pointe Classes Per Week

3

Live Music in Technique Class?

3

Dedicated Men's Program?

1
2

Men Taught by Male Teacher?

2

Men Taught Batterie?

2

Boys In Level

2
1

Separate Technique Class for Boys

2

Techniques Taught

3

Technique Teacher Rotation

3

Did School Director Teach?

2
1

Classroom Corrections

1
2

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
1
2
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
1
1
1
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • "Daily technique class followed by pointe during the week. The third class was either partnering, conditioning, contemporary, variations, or repertoire. On Saturdays they had technique and rehearsals after if there was an upcoming performance."
  • "Technique 5 days per week. Pointe 4 days per week. Contemporary 1 to 2 times per week. Partnering once per week. Conditioning once per week."
  • "There is an upper school which has the levels intermediate 1, intermediate 2, and advanced grade (for people in school) and day program (for homeschoolers). The lower school is levels 1-5. Levels are based on skill more than age. Lower school has technique class around 2-3 times a week, with an optional jazz or contemporary class. The intermediates have technique 4 days a week in the 1st semester, and 5 days a week in the 2nd. Advanced and day program have technique class 5 days a week. Intermediates have pointe 4 days a week, and they have a warm up class and a contemporary class once a week. The advanced and day program have these as well, and they have partnering and variations too."

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

3

Partner Ratio

1
2

Who Taught?

3

How Much Partnering Improved

No
1
2
Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching

Poor
1
2
Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

2
1

Description of Partnering Class

  • "Mostly partnering technique, occasionally they learned pas de deux."
  • "Male company dancers and student dancers attended, which was a nice combination. It was a highlight of the week."
  • "N/A"

Additional Comments

  • "Males were mostly company men."
  • "N/A"

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

1
1
2

Other Class Quality

Poor
1
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

3

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

3
1

Contemporary Quality

Poor
2
1
Excellent

Master Classes?

3

Master Classes Description

  • "4Pointe masterclasses, and broadway masterclass, taught by cast member of MJ the musical."
  • "One master class with a dancer from the MJ Broadway musical"
  • "A 4 pointe class and a musical theatre based class."

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

3

Physical Training Types

3
2
2
2

Physical Training Schedule

3

Were Trainers Certified?

3

Physical Training Quality

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments

  • "It was different everyday, and once a week so it didn’t do that much for me personally. There was never an opportunity to improve on anything."

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

3

How Parents Notified?

1
2

How Treatment Obtained?

  • "Used our own sports medicine doctor and physical therapist."
  • "local specialists are available"
  • "You will sit out of class"

PT Available?

2
1

Was There a Recovery Plan?

1
2

Describe Recovery Plan

  • "recovery plans were established by the physician and the school followed physician recommendations"
  • "They just told me I couldn’t do performances but I had to go to class and take notes."

Mental Health Therapists Available?

3

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

3

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

3

Were Students Weighed?

3

Was "Coded Language" Used?

3

Additional Comments

  • "Students are encouraged to observe class if injured. The PT took company as a main priority, but was available if needed."
  • "I broke my foot and was allowed to go to competition but had to perform a variation on flat 2 months after the injury"

Communication

Formal Orientation?

1
2

Handboook & Paperwork

1
2

Quality of Communication?

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

2
1

Exams

Formal Exam?

3

Written Feedback?

3

Exam Adjudicator

3

Exam Rubrics Clear?

3

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

2
1

Well Prepared For Exam?

Not at all
1
1
1
Completely

How Heavily Did Exams Weigh in Promotions

Not at all
3
Heavily

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
1
1
1
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
1
1
1
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • "Supportive"
  • "encouraging and fun, yet serious"
  • "Friend groups, age gap"

Placement Notification Timing

  • "At the end of the year"
  • "May"
  • "Around 2 months after the exam"

How Dancer Was Notified

3

Dancer Had Mentor?

1
2

Mentoring Details

  • "Informal"
  • "private lessons and coaching, assistance with pointe shoe fittings, general support and encouragement, and recommendations for cross training"
  • "I mean the teachers just were teachers but I didn’t really have an emotional connection to them"

Overall School Culture

Lord of the Flies
1
1
1
Warm & Inclusive

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

2
1

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
1
1
1
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
3
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
1
2
Spotless

Performance Opportunities

Company Affiliated?

3

Programs Performed

3

Shows per Program

3

Casting

1
2

Peformance Calendar

  • "Nutcracker was company affiliated. Shows in a theater with live orchestra. There were community cast auditions for children roles. Day Program was given opportunity to dance company roles. Rehearsals for older children roles typically on Saturdays. Between 10-14 shows total, shows split between 2 casts for children's roles. Winter Workshop was just students, there were 2 in studio performances. Rehearsals were mostly during our normal class schedule. Staff choose students roles. Sleeping Beauty was a company affiliated production, shows were in a theater with live orchestra. Staff choose roles, there were 5 shows. Rehearsals were during the day and evening. Spring performance was just school, there was 1 show in a theater. Staff choose student roles. Rehearsals during normal class schedule and additional rehearsals on Saturdays."
  • "For Nutcracker with the company, casting is done based on auditions by the Balanchine repetiteur. Otherwise, casting was done by class placement this year. Nutcracker included 12 shows. Winter Workshop was 2 shows, and Spring Performance was 1 show this year. Some classes performed Sleeping Beauty with the company this year."
  • "There is an optional nutcracker show which outsiders can audition for and insiders have to audition as well. There is a winter recital for the upper school and a spring recital for the whole school. For levels Intermediate 2+ you can do 1 YAGP competition which you pay extra for."

Competition

Competitions required?

3

Did Dancer Compete?

1
2

Competition Categories

2

Competitions Attended

  • "YAGP"
  • "Yagp"

Solo Rehearsals

2

Pas de Deux Rehearsals

2

Ensemble Rehearsals

2

Costume Responsibility

2

Did School Tution Cover Competition Fees?

2

What Were the Additional Fees?

  • "Competition fee, costume, and private lessons to learn and work on variation"
  • "Around $500 plus however much the costume costs"

Competition Fees Clear?

2

Competition Fees Reasonable?

1
1

Why?

  • "N/A"
  • "I mean it’s not terrible but I wish that they would provide the costumes if we pay that much"

Experience Description

  • "Did not like the competition, however my dancer benefited from the preparation."
  • "None of us placed at the one we went to, and their attitude was that it was for the experience. This can be a good outlook but usually people want to place."

Non-Competing Dancers Left Out?

1

Why?

  • "Dancer was not interested in competition"

Private Lessons

Private Lessons Available?

3

Are Private Lessons Encouraged?

Not at all
1
2
Strongly recommended

Who Takes Privates?

3

Private Lessons equally available to all students?

Strongly disagree
2
1
Strongly agree

Explain

  • "Studio space and teachers are limited in terms of availability, but if a student expresses an interest, they are typically accommodated."
  • "Anyone can ask any teacher to take private lessons"

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

3

School's SI Required?

3

Outside SI OK?

3

How Did School Help?

  • "Not a lot of guidance through audition process."
  • "None"
  • "There wasn’t really guidance"

Outcomes

Percent That Went Full-Time

1

Percent That Went To College

1

How Much Support Did Dancer Receive in Taking the Next Steps in Ballet?

No support
1
Lots of support

Support Description

  • "We have received feedback when we have reached out to the school for guidance."

Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction

1
1
1

Continuing Ballet Placement

1
2

Emotional Support

1
1
1

Performance Opportunities

1
1
1

Program Comments

Program's Best Aspect

  • "The ratio of teacher to students"
  • "the warm, supportive environment, the company affiliation and frequent interaction with company members, performance opportunities, and generally small class sizes"
  • "I liked the friends I had and since I was with them a lot we really bonded."

Program's Worst Aspect

  • "Communication in general"
  • "Little feedback is given to dancers and parents throughout the year, apart from a mid year evaluation"
  • "We spent a lot of time at the studios just for classes that didn’t help my technique that much."

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

  • "More variety of classes"
  • "I would like to see more communication and regularly scheduled conferences between parents/students and teachers/administration to promote better collaboration and understanding"
  • "I feel like they should give students the opportunity to take class from a wider variety of teachers and not just the same ones."

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • "A positive environment that fosters both growth and artistry."
  • "It’s nothing like a competition school or dance moms because we don’t often compete and we mostly just take classes."
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