Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Parent with dancer input

Program:

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Season Attended:

2024-25

# Of Levels In School:

Dancer Age:

Hours of Dance Each Week:

16-20 hours

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Years At School:

7 or more years

Leveling by Age or Skill?

Skill

Teacher Background:

Former professional ballet dancer

Parents Required to Volunteer?

Parent Volunteer Requirement:

Assisting in the dressing rooms and at the performance boutique.

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Yes

Weekend Schedule:

Half day

Students Per Class:

16-24

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Yes

Pointe Classes Per Week:

Daily

Live Music in Technique Class?

Yes

Dedicated Men's Program?

Yes

Men Taught by Male Teacher?

Yes

Men Taught Batterie?

Yes

Boys In Level:

Less than 5

Separate Technique Class for Boys:

Yes

Techniques Taught:

General Classical, Vaganova, Balanchine

Technique Teacher Rotation:

The school rotated teachers on a fixed schedule

Did School Director Teach?

Occasionally

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

Curriculum Comments:

Ballet, pointe, repertoire, character, modern, jazz, variations

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

1x per week

Partner Ratio:

A few girls had to share but most had their own partner.

Who Taught?

Male teacher

How Much Partnering Improved:


No	Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching:


Poor	Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

Attention and corrections were evenly distributed between the males and females

Description of Partnering Class:

Boys from several levels were combined to work with individual levels on partnering

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

Character, Modern, Jazz, Hip-Hop

Other Class Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

Yes

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught:

Improv, Repertoire, Choreography workshops, Technique

Contemporary Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Master Classes?

Yes

Master Classes Description:

Various artists/teachers from around the country in varying styles

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Yes

Physical Training Types:

Pilates (mat or reformer), Weight training, Gyrotonic or Gyrokenisis

Physical Training Schedule:

Occasionally

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?

Unsure

How Parents Notified?

Student told parent. School not involved

How Treatment Obtained?

Scheduled it independently

PT Available?

Unsure

Was There a Recovery Plan?

Yes

Describe Recovery Plan:

We worked with physical therapists and the school on her treatment and transition plan back into class.

Mental Health Therapists Available?

Unsure

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

Were Students Weighed?

Was "Coded Language" Used?

Additional Comments:

There is a focus on healthy minds and bodies and developing strong dancers. They bring in guest speakers and work with students/families individually if there are concerns raised by other students, teachers, or families.

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Yes

Handboook & Paperwork:

Comprehensive and complete. I knew what to expect for the year

Quality of Communication?


Poor	Excellent

Who Received Communication?

With parents and students

Exams

Formal Exam?

Yes

Written Feedback?

Yes

Exam Adjudicator:

Internal

Exam Rubrics Clear?

Agree

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

Yes and parents are included. The meeting was with Artistic Director and my teachers

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:

Healthy and supportive

Placement Notification Timing:

At the spring evaluation

How Dancer Was Notified:

In-person meeting with school director/staff

Dancer Had Mentor?

Mentoring Details:

Some of the teachers have grown into mentors

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?

Yes

Programs Performed:

1-3

Shows per Program:

Casting:

Everyone auditions for parts

Peformance Calendar:

Nutcracker, demonstrations, and the spring show.

Private Lessons

Private Lessons Available?

Unsure

Summer Intensives

School Holds an SI?

Yes

School's SI Required?

Outside SI OK?

Yes, it's strongly encouraged

How Did School Help?

No guidance. They allow attendance at other Summer Intensives but it isn't encouraged.

Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction:

A+

Continuing Ballet Placement:

A-

Emotional Support:

A+

Performance Opportunities:

Program Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

Quality of instruction

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