American Liberty Ballet Academy

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Parent with dancer input

Program:

American Liberty Ballet Academy

Season Attended:

2024-25

# Of Levels In School:

6, counting the professional company classes

Dancer Age:

Hours of Dance Each Week:

16-20 hours

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Please Describe Scholarship:

Some girls were on merit scholarship

Years At School:

5 years

Leveling by Age or Skill?

Age

Teacher Background:

Both

Parents Required to Volunteer?

Yes

Parent Volunteer Requirement:

Backstage help at shows

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Yes

Weekend Schedule:

Full day

Students Per Class:

Less than 10

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Pointe Classes Per Week:

Live Music in Technique Class?

Dedicated Men's Program?

Men Taught by Male Teacher?

Men Taught Batterie?

Boys In Level:

Less than 5

Separate Technique Class for Boys:

Techniques Taught:

General Classical, Vaganova

Technique Teacher Rotation:

The school rotated teachers on a fixed schedule

Did School Director Teach?

Often

Classroom Corrections:

Dancer specific: almost every dancer got specific corrections each day

Attention From Teachers:


Very Little	A Lot

Quality of Instruction:


Poor	Excellent

Did Technique Improve?


Not at all	Tremendously

Curriculum Comments:

ABT Curriculum

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

1x per week

Partner Ratio:

None, there were enough boys for every girl.

Who Taught?

Male and female teacher together

How Much Partnering Improved:


No	Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching:


Poor	Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

Attention and corrections were evenly distributed between the males and females

Description of Partnering Class:

Basic partnering skills, opportunity to perform during shows with the professionals

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

Character, Modern, Jazz, Horton

Other Class Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

Yes

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught:

Improv, Repertoire, Choreography workshops, Technique

Contemporary Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Master Classes?

Yes

Master Classes Description:

The students were invited to take class with the company taught by Deidre Neal former ABT Soloist

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

How Parents Notified?

School called parent

How Treatment Obtained?

Your family doctor

PT Available?

Was There a Recovery Plan?

My dancer did not get injured

Describe Recovery Plan:

When students were injured the director made a plan for them

Mental Health Therapists Available?

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

Were Students Weighed?

Was "Coded Language" Used?

Additional Comments:

This school goes above and beyond to not be the "typical" experience but inclusive to all

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Yes

Handboook & Paperwork:

No handbook provided

Quality of Communication?


Poor	Excellent

Who Received Communication?

With parents and students

Exams

Formal Exam?

Yes

Written Feedback?

Yes

Exam Adjudicator:

Outside adjudicator

Exam Rubrics Clear?

Strongly agree

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

Yes and parents were included. The meeting was with the Artistic Director

Well Prepared For Exam?


Not at all	Completely

How Heavily Did Exams Weigh in Promotions:


Not at all	Heavily

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?


Not	Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?


Not	Completely

Describe School Culture:

Community, supportive, inclusive, team

Placement Notification Timing:

During registration

How Dancer Was Notified:

Written communication via email or regular mail

Dancer Had Mentor?

Yes

Mentoring Details:

Informal, the school is small so each teacher looked out for my dancer

Overall School Culture:


Lord of the Flies	Warm & Inclusive

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building:

Safety of Area Around School?


Not Safe	Extremely Safe

Studio Space:


Cramped	Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness:


Dirty	Spotless

Performance Opportunities

Company Affiliated?

Yes

Programs Performed:

6-7

Shows per Program:

More than 5

Casting:

School staff chooses students for roles - no auditions

Peformance Calendar:

4 shows with professional company, two in studio student run showcases to learn how to organize a production

Competition

Competitions required?

Did Dancer Compete?

Yes

Competition Categories:

Solos

Competitions Attended:

Yagp, Jewels Festival

Solo Rehearsals:

Take place outside of regular classes

Pas de Deux Rehearsals:

Our school doesn't have students compete pas de deux

Ensemble Rehearsals:

Take place outside of regular classes

Costume Responsibility:

School provides for free

Did School Tution Cover Competition Fees?

What Were the Additional Fees?

Performance fees to cover costumes, scenery and theatre

Competition Fees Clear?

Yes

Competition Fees Reasonable?

Yes

Why?

Private lessons with director or company rehearsal director, expected

Experience Description:

Positive, walked away proud of their work and performance

Private Lessons

Private Lessons Available?

Yes

Are Private Lessons Encouraged?


Not at all	Strongly recommended

Who Takes Privates?

Anyone who wants them

Private Lessons equally available to all students?


Strongly disagree	Strongly agree

Explain:

They were

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

Yes

School's SI Required?

Outside SI OK?

Yes, but only for select students

How Did School Help?

School made strong recommendations on which programs to audition for and what to expect in the audition, helped with preparing materials to send, and students encouraged to train elsewhere during the summer were accepted into Ellison and ABT

Outcomes

Percent That Went Full-Time:

10%

Percent That Went To College:

10%

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


No support	Lots of support

Support Description:

The school is still new, most students are younger than my child, one girl that was older was accepted to NYU

Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction:

A+

Continuing Ballet Placement:

A+

Emotional Support:

A+

Performance Opportunities:

A+

Program Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

The supportive faculty

Program's Worst Aspect:

Needs conditioning classes

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

Needs conditioning classes!

Anything Else We Should Know?

You will be welcomed and receive lots of individual attention

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