BALLET HELP DESK

After-School Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 83
Total Reviews: 138

Pacific Northwest Ballet

After-School Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

2
7

Program

9

Season Attended

1
1
4
1
2

# Of Levels In School

  • 8
  • 8
  • 8 in the student division but there are also two levels in professional division which is above student division
  • 8 levels in student devision. Their Professional division is their bridge program, I think 1-2 years?
  • 8
  • 8
  • 8
  • Pre-ballet levels, then 8 levels and then 1-2 year PD program
  • 1-8 then pre-pro

Dancer Age

2
4
2
1

Hours of Dance Each Week

2

Gender

9

Company Affliated?

7

Was Student Scholarshipped?

7
2

Please Describe Scholarship

  • We applied for financial aid and received it but I believe it’s partly based on merit because our financial picture improved somewhat from one year to the next but we still received a partial scholarship.
  • Full tuition scholarship. Had to submit a financial aid packet
  • Merit scholarships aren't offered for year round training, only financial aid that you apply for is offered
  • It’s based on financial aid application, not merit

Years At School

2
1
2

Leveling by Age or Skill?

2

Teacher Background

2

Parents Required to Volunteer?

2

Curriculum

Days Per Week

1
4
4

Classes Per Day

1
7
1

Weekend Classes?

9

Weekend Schedule

1
8

Students Per Class

2
7

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

5
4

Pointe Classes Per Week

5
1
1
1
1

Live Music in Technique Class?

9

Dedicated Men's Program?

1
1
7

Men Taught by Male Teacher?

2

Men Taught Batterie?

1
1

Boys In Level

4
5

Separate Technique Class for Boys

5
4

Techniques Taught

9
1

Technique Teacher Rotation

8
1

Did School Director Teach?

2
4
3

Classroom Corrections

4
3
2

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
1
1
7
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
1
2
6
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
3
1
5
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • 2-3 classes a day, mostly Balanchine but some teachers more classical. Modern, variation, pas once a week.
  • Technique Monday through Saturday, modern once per week, variations en pointe once per week, separate pointe classes 3 times per week
  • My daughter had technique every day, pointe 3 times a week and modern once per week
  • Technique class only, no options to increase or do additional classes
  • Technique 5 days per week, pointe 3 x a week, one modern class a week
  • Balanchine, with Technique, Variations, Modern, and Choreography
  • Tech 5 days a week , pointe 3 days, modern once

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

2
7

Partner Ratio

2

Who Taught?

2

How Much Partnering Improved

No
1
1
Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching

Poor
1
1
Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

1
1

Description of Partnering Class

1
1

Additional Comments

  • No
  • No

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

1
8
1

Other Class Quality

Poor
1
2
1
5
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

7
2

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

1
2

Contemporary Quality

Poor
1
1
Excellent

Master Classes?

7
2

Master Classes Description

  • Tina Johnson came as guest teacher
  • A lot more gets offered in lvl 6 & above
  • There were no conditioning classes in person. Just pre recorded videos that students were expected to practice at home. However the conditioning videos were incredibly basic and easy exercises that didn’t really do much even if done daily.
  • Christina Johnson taught a week

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

7
2

Physical Training Types

1
2
1

Physical Training Schedule

2

Were Trainers Certified?

1
1

Physical Training Quality

Poor
2
Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments

  • No

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

4
2
3

How Parents Notified?

7
2

How Treatment Obtained?

1
1

PT Available?

2
1
6

Was There a Recovery Plan?

8
1

Mental Health Therapists Available?

1
1
5
1
1

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

9

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

7
2

Were Students Weighed?

9

Was "Coded Language" Used?

1
6
2

Additional Comments

  • School takes body talk and mental health very seriously and promotes healthy practice as much as possible.
  • Several students got injured, and teachers could be cruel. A number of classmates quite mid year
  • School takes mental health and healthy nutrition seriously
  • Students here, level VI & up have seminar classes where they meet with a specialist to discuss mental health etc.

Communication

Formal Orientation?

7
2

Handboook & Paperwork

1
7
1

Quality of Communication?

Poor
1
2
6
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

7
2

Exams

Formal Exam?

9

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
1
1
2
5
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
1
2
2
4
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • Supportive, committed to diversity, excellence
  • Competitive, catty, technical, hard,
  • Friendly, relaxed, not competitive
  • Supportive, nurturing, challenging, attentive, thoughtful
  • Out of date
  • Inclusive, supportive, safe
  • Chill. Students are friendly, supportive
  • Supportive, caring, inclusive, tough (but in a good way),
  • Recreational, after school activity, few interested in pursuing a career

Placement Notification Timing

  • Usually during annual student/parent conference but officially by letter after year is over
  • During conferences
  • May
  • Often in Conferences and by a letter at end of year
  • Typically June
  • During conference mid year and at end of year
  • Spring conference and formal letter at end of year
  • June
  • March

How Dancer Was Notified

1
1

Dancer Had Mentor?

1
1

Mentoring Details

  • Formal program with seminar sessions where 2 ballerinas from the company led their levels sessions and really became mentors throughout the year
  • No mentorship for dancers level

Overall School Culture

Lord of the Flies
3
1
5
Warm & Inclusive

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

9

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
2
3
4
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
1
4
4
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
2
7
Spotless

Performance Opportunities

Company Affiliated?

2

Programs Performed

1
1

Shows per Program

1
1

Casting

2

Peformance Calendar

  • 1 school recital, opportunities to be in company productions if chosen, or audition
  • Literally no parts for anyone levels 4-6 who are over 5’2”. Boys sometimes can walk around on stage. Level 7 can get a very very easy part. Level 8 if may get simple parts or if you are top of class a few can do snow.

Private Lessons

Private Lessons Available?

1
1

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

2

School's SI Required?

2

Outside SI OK?

2

How Did School Help?

  • They hold conferences right before audition season
  • Not much guidance but gave recommendation at conferences. They usually promoted Balanchine training

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

  • The amount I grew in technique; the teachers; friends. Watching the company rehearse
  • The teachers were nice

Program's Worst Aspect

  • Sometimes the commute would get old and would get hike pretty late
  • No support or encouragement to pursue a career. Discouraged any additional training . The students are not interested In pursuing a career so they are not motivated. The levels are far behind those in other programs. They do NOT take their own into pre-pro.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

  • More performance opportunities & strength conditioning & partnering to start in earlier levels
  • Add a day program for serious dancers. Develop some local dancers in house for the company

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • It’s not a residential program, so it’s a lot of after school classes which sometimes is hard to balance w/ homework etc.
  • It is recreational.
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