Berkeley Ballet

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Parent with dancer input

Program:

Berkeley Ballet

Season Attended:

2024-25

# Of Levels In School:

9; levels 8-9 are usually high-school-aged dancers and make up the studio company, level 7 dancers are studio company apprenticeships; dancers are sometimes held back a level

Dancer Age:

Hours of Dance Each Week:

11-15 hours

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Years At School:

1 year

Leveling by Age or Skill?

Skill

Teacher Background:

Both

Parents Required to Volunteer?

Yes

Parent Volunteer Requirement:

costume assistant, backstage help, prop management, schlepping, ushering, selling snacks/flowers at shows, monitoring dressing rooms - no specific number of hours, but every family must volunteer at least a bit

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Yes

Weekend Schedule:

Half day

Students Per Class:

10-15

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Pointe Classes Per Week:

Live Music in Technique Class?

Yes

Dedicated Men's Program?

Boys In Level:

There were no boys in my level

Techniques Taught:

General Classical, Vaganova

Technique Teacher Rotation:

Usually the same every day

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:

Monday technique and pointe (2.5 hours), Wednesday technique, pointe and modern (3 hours), Friday technique and contemporary (2.5 hours), Saturday technique and point (2.5 hours)

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

No partnering

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

Modern, Horton

Other Class Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

Yes

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught:

Technique

Contemporary Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Master Classes?

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

How Parents Notified?

My student did not get injured

PT Available?

Was There a Recovery Plan?

My dancer did not get injured

Mental Health Therapists Available?

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

Were Students Weighed?

Was "Coded Language" Used?

Additional Comments:

When offering corrections, teachers must obtain verbal consent, overall and at the time, before touching any student. Nonbinary students are supported, and dancers can pursue pointe or batterie, delay pointe work, and otherwise veer from the regular syllabus with guidance from the teachers.

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Yes

Handboook & Paperwork:

Comprehensive and complete. I knew what to expect for the year

Quality of Communication?


Poor	Excellent

Who Received Communication?

With parents and students

Exams

Formal Exam?

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?


Not	Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?


Not	Completely

Describe School Culture:

empathetic, inclusive, supportive, communicative

Placement Notification Timing:

A couple of weeks after the end of the regular term (usually at start of June)

How Dancer Was Notified:

Written communication via email or regular mail

Dancer Had Mentor?

Mentoring Details:

n/a

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:

1-3

Shows per Program:

Casting:

Everyone auditions for parts

Peformance Calendar:

Whole school: 4 performances of Nutcracker (with members of the recently disbanded Post:ballet company), 1 spring showcase, 1 ballet ball fundraiser; the studio company (levels 7-9) usually has 2-3 additional performances per year with the community/in partnership with other arts organizations in the area

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:

Cost, studio availability, time constraints

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

School's SI Required?

Outside SI OK?

Yes, it's strongly encouraged

How Did School Help?

There is an SI seminar/roundtable so dancers/guardians can ask questions; photography sessions are made available (at a cost) to get audition photos (headshots/arabesque, etc.); at levels 6 and up, all dancers must attend at least 2 in-person auditions per year, no matter whether they plan to actually go to an SI; teachers are very available to answer questions/provide advice about SIs

Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction:

Continuing Ballet Placement:

A+

Emotional Support:

Performance Opportunities:

Program Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

Inspiring and accessible faculty; warmth/inclusivity of the program; live musicians!

Program's Worst Aspect:

Dancers are required to attend a makeup class if they miss due to illness or a scheduling conflict, and it was sometimes difficult finding an appropriate adult open division class that works with a dancer's busy schedule.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

Nothing!

Anything Else We Should Know?

This is a joyful place, and my dancer loves her teachers, even the quirky/demanding ones. The AD is a kind and enthusiastic person, and all of the leadership and admin staff are communicative and helpful and foster a healthy and respectful environment.

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