BALLET HELP DESK

After-School Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 91
Total Reviews: 153

Dance Center of San Antonio

After-School Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

2
1

Program

3

Season Attended

1
1
1

# Of Levels In School

  • "10, but all train together so hard to differentiate."
  • "0-8 I believe."
  • "Level 10"

Dancer Age

1
2

Hours of Dance Each Week

1

Gender

3

Company Affliated?

2

Was Student Scholarshipped?

3

Years At School

2

Leveling by Age or Skill?

1

Teacher Background

1

Parents Required to Volunteer?

1

Parent Volunteer Requirement

  • "Backstage helping- chaos!!"

Curriculum

Days Per Week

2
1

Classes Per Day

1
2

Weekend Classes?

3

Weekend Schedule

3

Students Per Class

3

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

3

Pointe Classes Per Week

1
2

Live Music in Technique Class?

3

Dedicated Men's Program?

3

Boys In Level

1
1

Separate Technique Class for Boys

1

Techniques Taught

3

Technique Teacher Rotation

1
2

Did School Director Teach?

1
2

Classroom Corrections

2
1

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
2
1
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
2
1
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
2
1
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • "Typically ballet and variations with pointe at the end of class. The curriculum was actually mostly having comp students work on their routines and having non comp students copy what they've seen. Very little actual teaching."
  • "It’s hard to know… we don’t have exams and most everyone just moves to next level."
  • "Usually about 2-3 per day, ballet, variations, modern depending on the day"

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

2
1

Partner Ratio

3

Who Taught?

3

How Much Partnering Improved

No
3
Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching

Poor
2
1
Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

3

Description of Partnering Class

  • "Very little training in partnering."
  • "Just a couple boys to share"
  • "Bad"

Additional Comments

  • "There were only two males old enough for partnering, with about 30 females."
  • "We don’t have enough boys"
  • "Had only 2 boys."

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

2
1
1
2
2
3
2

Other Class Quality

Poor
1
2
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

3

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

3

Contemporary Quality

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

Master Classes?

3

Master Classes Description

  • "Guest teachers during summer intensive. As a student you are required to attend 6-8 weeks of intensive there and not allowed to go anywhere else."
  • "Guest teachers at winter and summer intensives"
  • "Abusive Russian teachers"

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

2
1

Physical Training Types

1
1
1

Physical Training Schedule

1

Were Trainers Certified?

1

Physical Training Quality

Poor
1
Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments

  • "Many dancers were always injured. Abused flexibility."

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

3

How Parents Notified?

1
2

How Treatment Obtained?

  • "Your own doctor"
  • "You weren’t. You had to suck it up and keep dancing. I had a broken spine for a year and I had to hide it. I was ELEVEN."

PT Available?

3

Was There a Recovery Plan?

3

Describe Recovery Plan

  • "Nonexistent"
  • "No plan"
  • "Nothing"

Mental Health Therapists Available?

3

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

3

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

3

Were Students Weighed?

2
1

Was "Coded Language" Used?

3

Additional Comments

  • "Not supported there."
  • "Everyone was constantly injured. High presence of anorexia and bulimia. Mental health was ignored. Trauma from there caused me to attempt on my life recently."

Communication

Formal Orientation?

3

Handboook & Paperwork

3

Quality of Communication?

Poor
3
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

1
1
1

Exams

Formal Exam?

3

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
3
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
1
2
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • "The owner sets the standard of an unhealthy culture. Bullying by some students is ignored. Comments about body size from the director. Favoritism is very common and students are afraid to ask questions. Parents are too."
  • "Toxic and unhealthy"
  • "Toxic, mean, isolating"

Placement Notification Timing

Repeated Responses:
  • "May" (3 responses)

How Dancer Was Notified

1

Dancer Had Mentor?

1

Mentoring Details

  • "Nobody cared about you."

Overall School Culture

Lord of the Flies
3
Warm & Inclusive

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

3

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
1
2
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
2
1
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
1
1
1
Spotless

Performance Opportunities

Company Affiliated?

1

Programs Performed

1

Shows per Program

1

Casting

1

Peformance Calendar

  • "Rehearsals last for 3 hours each Saturday starting in September. Tech week- you have to be there every day for 5 hours. I was forced to go to tech week violently throwing up due to illness because the director threatened me."

Competition

Competitions required?

1

Did Dancer Compete?

1

Non-Competing Dancers Left Out?

1

Why?

  • "Director only paid attention to a few competition girls. Others were nothing to her."

Private Lessons

Private Lessons Available?

1

Are Private Lessons Encouraged?

Not at all
1
Strongly recommended

Who Takes Privates?

1

Private Lessons equally available to all students?

Strongly disagree
1
Strongly agree

Explain

  • "Generally only approved for a few dancers"

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

1

School's SI Required?

1

Outside SI OK?

1

How Did School Help?

  • "They didn’t"

Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction

1

Continuing Ballet Placement

1

Emotional Support

1

Performance Opportunities

1

Program Comments

Program's Best Aspect

  • "Leaving"

Program's Worst Aspect

  • "Where to start. Director was a monster, I still struggle with PTSD years after, I permanently broke my spine, struggled with eating disorders and depression. Girls were very toxic. Constant bullying."

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

  • "To make them go out of business"

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • "Do not go here. Unless you want to struggle with deadly mental health issues and constant injury. I was told to lose weight at 73 lbs and 5’3”. I became weak due to malnutrition and broke my spine."
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