Osipova Ballet Academy

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Parent

Program:

Osipova Ballet Academy

Season Attended:

2025-26

# Of Levels In School:

4 or 5

Dancer Age:

Hours of Dance Each Week:

1-5 hours

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Years At School:

2 years

Leveling by Age or Skill?

Unsure

Teacher Background:

Former professional ballet dancer

Parents Required to Volunteer?

Yes

Parent Volunteer Requirement:

They request 5-15 hours depending on the show, mostly help with costumes and watching the kids, checking them in and out, sometimes sewing if you have skill.

Date Submitted:

7/7/2026

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:

N/A

Live Music in Technique Class?

Dedicated Men's Program?

Boys In Level:

There were no boys in my level

Techniques Taught:

Vaganova

Technique Teacher Rotation:

Usually the same every day

Did School Director Teach?

Never (school admin was a designated upper level teacher)

Classroom Corrections:

Dancer specific: detailed but only a few dancers consistently got corrections

Attention From Teachers:


Very Little	A Lot

Quality of Instruction:


Poor	Excellent

Did Technique Improve?


Not at all	Tremendously

Curriculum Comments:

3 classes per week, conditioning/stretching + technique, approximately 5 hours per week. Classes were Tue/Thur/Sat.

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

No partnering

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

None

Contemporary Offered?

Master Classes?

Yes

Master Classes Description:

In the beginning of the year, they have 2-3 master classes that are typically about 1 hour each from professional Vaganova or YAGP teachers.

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:

My daughter developed significant bunions this year and the teacher didn't say anything about it, nor did the administration when I voiced this concern. I am unclear how we should be managing and preventing it from getting worse as we only have an in network podiatrist. We will need to find a dance physiologist on our own and come up with a management plan.

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Handboook & Paperwork:

Fairly comprehensive but missing a few pieces

Quality of Communication?


Poor	Excellent

Who Received Communication?

With parents and students

Exams

Formal Exam?

Yes

Written Feedback?

Exam Adjudicator:

Internal

Exam Rubrics Clear?

Neutral

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

Well Prepared For Exam?


Not at all	Completely

How Heavily Did Exams Weigh in Promotions:


Not at all	Heavily

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?


Not	Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?


Not	Completely

Describe School Culture:

Strong training, weak communication

Placement Notification Timing:

After the exam, end of May/early June

How Dancer Was Notified:

Written communication via email or regular mail

Dancer Had Mentor?

Mentoring Details:

No mentoring.

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:

Spring Gala, Spring Production, this year they are adding a Winter Production. Each performance takes place over 2 days.

Competition

Competitions required?

Did Dancer Compete?

Non-Competing Dancers Left Out?

Why?

I am not sure if competitions are required, seems like for some levels they are and some they aren't. My daughter does not want to compete.

Private Lessons

Private Lessons Available?

Yes

Are Private Lessons Encouraged?


Not at all	Strongly recommended

Who Takes Privates?

A select few kids

Private Lessons equally available to all students?


Strongly disagree	Strongly agree

Explain:

Private lesson policies are unclear and inconsistently applied. We were initially denied Summer Intensive privates until we questioned the policy, and were charged the non-student rate despite being returning students because we had not yet registered for fall.

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

Yes

School's SI Required?

Yes

Outside SI OK?

How Did School Help?

They show up for the audition at the assigned day/time. They receive an email saying they are accepted. I don't think any enrolled students are rejected but unsure. There was no guidance.

Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction:

Continuing Ballet Placement:

A-

Emotional Support:

B-

Performance Opportunities:

Program Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

The training is very good, the teachers are very good, the students are generally happy with their training, and they really like one another and have strong friendships.

Program's Worst Aspect:

Communication with parents is the weakest part of the program. We received no feedback about our daughter's technical progress or physical concerns, despite a handbook that references parent conferences. The most concerning issue was that a student who repeatedly climbed on classmates, verbally disrespected the teacher, used profanity around younger students, and regularly disrupted class was allowed to remain for months despite complaints from parents, significantly affecting the learning environment.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

Improve parent communication and follow-through. Provide regular feedback on student progress, explain level placements and curriculum changes, communicate training opportunities directly instead of expecting parents to discover them, and consistently enforce the studio's published behavioral policies to maintain a positive learning environment.

Anything Else We Should Know?

Many of the questions in this survey were difficult to answer because, after two years at OBA, I have limited visibility into many aspects of the program. Parent communication is minimal, particularly at the younger levels. Classes are closed, there is no receptionist or parent waiting area at the Middlefield studio, and outside of exam day I did not interact with administration. Our daughter's teacher did not communicate with us about her progress throughout the year beyond greeting us. Much of the information parents need is either not communicated or must be discovered independently through the website, student portal, Instagram, or by emailing the office. This includes opportunities such as conditioning classes and master classes, teacher backgrounds, level placement, curriculum changes, and private lesson availability. As a result, I could not confidently answer several questions about exams, curriculum, school culture, or progression because those processes were never clearly explained. The ballet training itself is strong, and my daughter genuinely enjoys attending. However, parents who value regular communication, transparency, and partnership in their child's development should know that they may need to be proactive in asking questions and seeking information.