Martin Center for Dance

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Parent

Program:

Martin Center for Dance

Season Attended:

2024-25

# Of Levels In School:

Children’s levels, then student intermediate to Advanced 2, then postgraduate day program (currently on hiatus this past year)

Dancer Age:

Hours of Dance Each Week:

16-20 hours

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Years At School:

5 years

Leveling by Age or Skill?

Skill

Teacher Background:

Former professional ballet dancer

Parents Required to Volunteer?

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Yes

Weekend Schedule:

Full day

Students Per Class:

Less than 10

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?

Boys In Level:

Less than 5

Separate Technique Class for Boys:

Techniques Taught:

General Classical

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

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

No partnering

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

None

Contemporary Offered?

Yes

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught:

Choreography workshops

Contemporary Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Master Classes?

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Yes

Physical Training Types:

Body conditioning

Physical Training Schedule:

Once or twice a week

Were Trainers Certified?

Some were certified and some were not depending on class

Physical Training Quality:


Poor	Excellent

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?

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Handboook & Paperwork:

No handbook provided

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:

The girls call each other “big sister/little sister”

Placement Notification Timing:

Upon arrival for first day of SI 2024 we found out she had been moved up

How Dancer Was Notified:

In-person meeting with school director/staff

Dancer Had Mentor?

Yes

Mentoring Details:

Everything from moral support with social issues at regular school to support with auditions (rehearsing variations, videos etc). My dancer’s dad passed away when she was 8 and her teachers are always there for her, to the point where she thinks of her male teacher in that role. I have known her teachers for nearly 20 years as my older children danced with them (and so did I many years ago). They have known her since she was born. I trust them implicitly and they are a huge, healthy part of her life.

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?

Programs Performed:

1-3

Shows per Program:

Casting:

School staff chooses students for roles - no auditions

Peformance Calendar:

A fall show and a spring show. As the school is only in its fifth year, and its Nutcracker choreography was stolen by the company the directors left just prior, they are in the process of rebuilding a Nurcracker and hope to present it this coming year.

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

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

Yes

School's SI Required?

Outside SI OK?

Yes, it's strongly encouraged

How Did School Help?

Provided support rehearsing an audition variation for high school program, recorded and edited video audition for summer program. Gave feedback on programs under consideration. Support when video audition was not successful.

Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction:

A+

Continuing Ballet Placement:

A+

Emotional Support:

Performance Opportunities:

A-

Program Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

The individual attention and encouragement for every single dancer. The way the dancers cheer for each other and lift each other up.

Program's Worst Aspect:

I can’t report any down sides. I guess if you really need to be affiliated with a professional company they are lacking that, but have established a non-profit entity in the hopes of having a youth company soon.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

I would like to see the program grow! I would like to see the performances get back to theatres rather than the black box/studio performances in our very impressive studio space. The kids want to be on a stage and it would be a great experience for them. (Again they are only in year five and their first couple of years were COVID - their soft open was December 2019).

Anything Else We Should Know?

The expertise of the teachers (ABT and Joffrey Company backgrounds) and their intense caring for every student is truly a thing to behold.

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