BALLET HELP DESK

After-School Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 83
Total Reviews: 138

Hartt School Community Division

After-School Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

1
1

Program

2

Season Attended

1
1

# Of Levels In School

  • 6
  • 6 levels total. Leveling is by ability and motivation rather than age. My dancer was among the youngest in her level, and there were older recreational dancers in lower levels. There are no post-graduate levels at the school.

Dancer Age

1
1

Hours of Dance Each Week

1
1

Was Student Scholarshipped?

2

Please Describe Scholarship

  • My dancer was on significant financial aid. I applied for and received the aid offer after her audition, so I don’t know whether or to what extent their desire to have her as a student factored into our financial aid award. I believe the award was primarily based on family finances. I am not aware of any merit scholarships for the dance division (although I believe they are available for the music division).

Years At School

2

Leveling by Age or Skill?

2

Teacher Background

2

Parents Required to Volunteer?

2

Parent Volunteer Requirement

  • They have a group of Parent Boosters. The group of parents are very competitive and does not seem welcoming. The students whose parents are boosters seem to be cast in lead roles and promoted to the next level regardless of talent. This made me not want to join the group.

Curriculum

Days Per Week

2

Classes Per Day

2

Weekend Classes?

2

Weekend Schedule

2

Students Per Class

2

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

2

Pointe Classes Per Week

2

Live Music in Technique Class?

1
1

Dedicated Men's Program?

2

Boys In Level

2

Techniques Taught

1
1

Technique Teacher Rotation

2

Did School Director Teach?

2

Classroom Corrections

1
1

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
1
1
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
1
1
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
1
1
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • After school program that uses the studios of The Hartt School. There is no real connection to the university program, but some of the teachers teach or are alums. The number of classes vary per level. My student was a Level 5 dancer so class happened M, T, Th, F w/ no weekend class. They took ballet for the most part with one contemporary class during the week.
  • At dancer’s level: technique class 4x/week, contemporary class 1x/week, pointe class 2x/week (full hour class), optional dance conditioning class on Saturdays, optional repertory classes. Rehearsals after classes several days per week.

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

2

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

2

Other Class Quality

Poor
1
1
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

2

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

1
1
1

Contemporary Quality

Poor
1
1
Excellent

Master Classes?

1
1

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

2

Physical Training Types

1
1

Physical Training Schedule

2

Were Trainers Certified?

2

Physical Training Quality

Poor
1
1
Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments

  • The class is offered once per week, and everyone in the school has an opportunity to sign up. It is run like a multi-age group exercise class.
  • The class was offered to my dancer’s level, but she was not able to participate in it this past year, so I cannot truthfully rate the class. Because this form requires me to input a rating, I’ve given it a 5 based on the excellent training we’ve encountered in all our other experiences with the program.

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

1
1

How Parents Notified?

1
1

How Treatment Obtained?

  • Independently, the school had no recommendations and was very hands off in this area.

PT Available?

1
1

Was There a Recovery Plan?

1
1

Mental Health Therapists Available?

1
1

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

2

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

2

Were Students Weighed?

2

Was "Coded Language" Used?

1
1

Additional Comments

  • Mental health is a huge issue. It seems like a disproportionate number of dancers are crying during a class in the restroom, during performances, etc. The school handles injuries poorly. Students feel pressured to work through injuries and to not take time off for fear of being cut from performances. I suspect that the few hours of training does not allow for the necessary strengthening to prevent injuries. There were a lot of injured dancers.
  • The program is the community division of a college dance program (the Hartt School), and I know that medical and physical therapy services are available for the college dancers. I haven’t yet had cause to inquire as to whether those services are available to community division dancers as well. The same goes for mental health services. I can say that the injury rate among the dancers seemed very low, and there was plenty of body diversity in the class. Regardless of body type, all of the dancers are very well trained to use correct technique and utilize their individual facility, which probably accounts for the low rate of injury.

Communication

Formal Orientation?

1
1

Handboook & Paperwork

1
1

Quality of Communication?

Poor
1
1
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

2

Exams

Formal Exam?

2

Written Feedback?

2

Exam Adjudicator

2

Exam Rubrics Clear?

1
1

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

1
1

Well Prepared For Exam?

Not at all
1
1
Completely

How Heavily Did Exams Weigh in Promotions

Not at all
1
1
Heavily

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
1
1
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
1
1
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • Competitive, fake, bulldozing parents
  • Warm, non—competitive, supportive, respectful, high standards

Placement Notification Timing

  • The end of the year about 2 weeks after the last performance.
  • At the end of the year, in the report from the exam. I also want to add that while conferences with the director were not automatic, we were definitely encouraged to schedule one if there was anything we wished to discuss. Students were welcome to join such conferences, but not required to do so.

How Dancer Was Notified

2

Dancer Had Mentor?

2

Mentoring Details

  • Non-existent
  • I would say that the teachers (one of whom is also the director) act as mentors to all the dancers, although I’m not aware of any specific mentoring activities taking place outside of class. I know that my dancer adores and looks up to her teachers, and feels like they really love teaching. The teachers are an ideal combination of good humored but holding very high standards. My dancer loves that classes are very efficient and she makes a ton of progress in them, but the teachers still know how to laugh and really seem to care about each student. Dancer leaves class feeling inspired and motivated.

Overall School Culture

Lord of the Flies
1
1
Warm & Inclusive

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

2

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
1
1
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
1
1
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
1
1
Spotless

Performance Opportunities

Company Affiliated?

2

Programs Performed

2

Shows per Program

2

Casting

1
1

Peformance Calendar

  • There is a Nutcracker, and 1 spring show. There is also an end of year recital. Some in Level 6 compete in YAGP. I think the YAGP participants must be in Level 6, but has nothing to do with talent. The parents have to pay for extra rehearsals.
  • My dancer transferred in for the second half of the year, so we are not familiar with the audition or performance process for Nutcracker. For the spring shows, her level only performed group pieces all together, so there was nothing to audition for. The upper levels of the school participate in a showcase earlier in the spring, together with the most advanced students from the music division, and then also dance in a show at the end of the year with all of the dance levels. There may be additional performance opportunities throughout the year of which I am not yet aware.

Competition

Competitions required?

2

Did Dancer Compete?

2

Non-Competing Dancers Left Out?

1
1

Why?

  • The dancers in Level 5 that year were told that they would be doing solos in YAGP, but then suddenly without explanation they were told they were not. It seemed as if there were a few dancers who were prepared and ready to perform, but instead of letting those who were ready perform the AD cancelled all of the solos for that level. Two dancers were doing 3 classical variations and contemporary solos with 2-3 teachers available for choreography making the process chaotic and unnecessarily competitive. The upper level did a combined Level 5/6 group piece which made scheduling practice time chaotic.
  • It seems like only level 6 dancers compete at the solo level in YAGP, and only those who wish to do so. My dancer’s level brought a group contemporary piece to YAGP, but it was before my dancer joined the school later in the year. I don’t know if she will be able to participate in the competition experience this coming year due to family finances. If her class goes without her, then I expect she will feel left out, although not due to anyone (teachers or classmates) making her feel that way. If anything, I expect them to reassure her that it’s totally fine and not a big deal.

Private Lessons

Private Lessons Available?

1
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

  • The scheduling of privates always seems to prioritize the upper level dancers. There is no transparency with scheduling privates. Instead of equitably scheduling time in a first come, first serve way, it seems that people have to take what they are offered.

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

2

School's SI Required?

2

Outside SI OK?

1
1

How Did School Help?

  • The school seems to encourage student to go away, but at the same time when students are offered positions at full time programs the teachers talk down about the programs. The school is in an area close enough to other boarding and full time programs so that if offered an opportunity most dancers and their parents make it work. After a student left to go to a full time program, a teacher spoke to students who wanted to attend that school's SDI about how "confusing" the training is at that school and discouraged them from attending. The school in question is well known for offering good training and financial aid support.
  • I do not know, as my dancer had already auditioned for summer intensives and accepted an offer before transferring to the school. I do know that the school celebrated the dancers’ acceptances, including sharing them on the school’s social media for those dancers who opted to do so.

Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction

1
1

Continuing Ballet Placement

1
1

Emotional Support

1
1

Performance Opportunities

1
1

Program Comments

Program's Best Aspect

  • Some teachers, facilities of the college, Nutcracker, performance opportunities
  • Extremely detail oriented, high quality training - far superior to what my dancer received at her previous school in the state which has a much more prestigious reputation. Teachers encourage and inspire dancers to push themselves, and maintain a positive but no nonsense class atmosphere. My dancer was thrilled to find that there was no talking in class, which allowed them to cover much more ground than at her previous school. The set combinations (changed every month or so for each teacher) also allow the dancers to build a great deal of stamina since the class can move at a very fast pace without having to teach new combinations each time. This also allows the teachers to fit more dancing into the class time, and to give more complex combinations and focus on detailed corrections since there is more time to perfect them.

Program's Worst Aspect

  • competitiveness, poor communication/ administration
  • I wish that there were more class hours offered at my dancer’s level. I would prefer at least 5 technique classes per week, and pointe more than twice per week - although since the pointe classes are a full hour, my dancer made much more progress in those two classes per week than she did at her previous big-name school where the promised pointe classes were completely replaced with rehearsals. I also think the lower class load may be a big part of the low injury rate.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

  • It's an after school program decent teaching. I would make sure that the teachers really have a solid background in emotional support. Most students are going to leave and try to get more full time training, and is a good thing for the school. Bad mouthing students and other dance programs when they are given opportunities is petty and unnecessary. Also, deal with overbearing parents and students immediately and fairly when problems arise.
  • Nothing other than offering more class hours.

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • For an after school program, the training is ok. There is favoritism, and bulldozer parents are abound. Keep that in mind. I found that interacting as little as possible was the best strategy for the year that we were there, but I would keep that in mind when considering the school.
  • This school is a hidden gem. I did not even know it existed until we decided to leave my dancer’s previous school, and I wish more families knew it was an option! The instruction is fantastic (students are accepted to top summer intensives, full-time day programs, and college dance programs) and the faculty and staff genuinely care about students and families. Also, significant financial aid is available for families who need it.
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