Charlotte Ballet (formerly NCDT)

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Parent with dancer input

Program:

Charlotte Ballet (formerly NCDT)

Season Attended:

2024-25

# Of Levels In School:

pre-ballet, level 1, level 2, level 3A, level 3B, level 4A, level 4B, level 5, trainee (bottom to top)

Dancer Age:

Hours of Dance Each Week:

11-15 hours

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Years At School:

3 years

Leveling by Age or Skill?

Skill

Teacher Background:

Former professional ballet dancer

Parents Required to Volunteer?

Parent Volunteer Requirement:

Nutcracker volunteers (gift shop, backstage, carpool, etc), ushers during regular performances

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Yes

Weekend Schedule:

Half day

Students Per Class:

25-30

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Yes

Pointe Classes Per Week:

Live Music in Technique Class?

Dedicated Men's Program?

Men Taught by Male Teacher?

Yes

Men Taught Batterie?

Unsure

Boys In Level:

Less than 5

Separate Technique Class for Boys:

Yes

Techniques Taught:

General Classical, Balanchine

Technique Teacher Rotation:

The school rotated teachers on a fixed schedule

Did School Director Teach?

Never (school admin was NOT designated as an upper level teacher)

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:

Mon: technique, pointe Tues: technique, pas Wed: technique, pointe Thurs: technique, variations, contemporary Sat: technique, ensemble (ballet or contemporary ballet rep en pointe)

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

1x per week

Partner Ratio:

Most girls had to share a partner.

Who Taught?

Male teacher

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:

Since there were only a few men in class, male trainees came in to do pas with the ladies each week. 2-3 ladies per male partner.

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

Musical Theater

Other Class Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

Yes

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught:

Improv, Repertoire, 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?

Yes

Communication

Formal Orientation?

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:

positive and professional, but with a side of favoritism and parent meddling

Placement Notification Timing:

early June

How Dancer Was Notified:

Written communication via email or regular mail

Dancer Had Mentor?

Mentoring Details:

Lack thereof. I think it's so most get treated the same, but for those interested in being professional dancers, mentorship is a must.

Overall School Culture:


Lord of the Flies	Warm & Inclusive

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building:

Yes

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:

More than 5

Casting:

Everyone auditions for parts

Peformance Calendar:

For Nutcracker, most roles performed half the shows (11-12 of 24 total). Most dancers received 2 roles. Ensemble performances are end of January, and there are 2 shows. Spring show is a Festival Performance, and there is 1 show.

Private Lessons

Private Lessons Available?

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

Yes

School's SI Required?

Outside SI OK?

Yes, it's strongly encouraged

How Did School Help?

A summer intensive meeting is held in the fall each year reviewing the school's SI, but also recommended programs outside of the school, auditions held by other programs at the school, and parent feedback on past SI experiences. Following, parents and dancers can contact teachers/admin if further discussions are wanted or needed. My dancer often asked what programs they recommended for her, and they were spot on.

Outcomes

Percent That Went Full-Time:

31%-40%

Percent That Went To College:

More than 50%

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


No support	Lots of support

Support Description:

Hardly any conversations are initiated by the school. Parents had to initiate and even then, it was vague.

Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction:

Continuing Ballet Placement:

Emotional Support:

A+

Performance Opportunities:

A+

Program Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

The teachers! All former professionals and excellent teachers.

Program's Worst Aspect:

Some favoritism and some of the admin bowing down to parent demands.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

More mentorship

Anything Else We Should Know?

The communication is very transparent and professional. But your dancer definitely needs to self-advocate, which is a good thing to learn.

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