BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 240
Total Reviews: 1992

ARB/Princeton Ballet

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

2
4
2

First time at a summer intensive?

4
4

Year of SI

1
2
3
2

Weeks available

8

Weeks attended

5
2
1

Reviewer

5
3

Curriculum

Techniques taught

1
2
1
1
6
4

Partnering (based on age)

1
7

Dedicated men's program?

1
4
3

# of boys in level

1
7

Other dance genres

1
5
1
8
7
1
1
2
1
2
1
2

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
1
1
3
3
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

8
1
1
1
1
2
3
3

PT offered?

4
3
1

Extra fee for PT?

1
6
1

Injury rate

3
3
2

Teaching

Who taught?

2
6

Guest teachers

8

Year-round teachers taught

4
2
2

Attention from teachers

Very Little
1
2
5
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
1
6
1
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

6
1
1

Studio space

Cramped
1
6
1
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
5
3
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

1
7

Saturday classes

8

Saturday class duration

8

Leveling

Leveling

8

Leveling type

6
1
1

Did students move levels?

4
4

Leveling fair?

2
6

Students per class

2
5
1

Performance

Performance?

4
3
1

Rehearsals happened

1
2
2

Casting equitability

Uneven
1
2
2
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
2
4
2
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

6
2

# of roommates

1
4
1

Bathrooms

6

Coed bathrooms

6

Air conditioning

6

Housing comment

  • "They house at Rider University and take public transportation to the Princeton Ballet studios. Also they provide breakfast and dinner. Lunch is purchased by the students, but many options available including a very nice grocery store."
  • "It was in a sorority house, and you for each room there were two beds, two desks, two closets, and two dressers. I had two room mates because there was an option to do just the first two weeks or the last three. The dorming experience was excellent, the only issue was the food wasn't the best. However there was a fridge to store your own food, and a grocery store right under the dance studio. We took NJ transit bus each morning to the studio."
  • "Food was not available on Sundays and no lunch was given. Dorms were clean and well kept."
  • "Housing was in a sorority house that was more like an old dorm, and the building was pretty run-down. Only 2 toilets and 3 showers on the floor. The room was air conditioned which was nice but the entire place smelled like urine."

Where did they stay?

1
1
1

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

6

Curfew reasonable?

6

Room check

1
5

How strict were dorms?

2
1
1
2

Infraction handling

2
4

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

6

Laundry free

1
1
4

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
1
1
4
Spotless

Cleaning required

6

Meal Plan

Meal plan

6

Food quality

Gross
1
3
2
Excellent

Enough food

2
4

Dietary needs?

4
2

Specific needs

  • "no beef or pork"
  • "Vegetarian"

Dietary options

Limited
1
1
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

3
3

Weekend outings

8

Attended weekend outings

3
4
1

Favorite

  • "The mall"
  • "ABT in NYC (Swan Lake)"
  • "NYC ABT Romeo and Juliet performance"
  • "Only one, to the pool. Would have preferred something else."

Least favorite

  • "There were only to weekend outings. Once to the pool and once to a local mall."
  • "They were supposed to do fun things for 4th of July but all they did was get pizza."

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
2
3
3
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
1
3
4
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
1
6

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
1
2
5
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
1
5
2
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • "Seems like a very solid program that many don’t know about. They offer great instruction along with a turning class, partnering and wonderful guest teachers."
  • "Lots of attention to technique."
  • "Smaller program, more personal attention, excellent technique at all levels"
  • "I loved Cathy Moore my teacher and the area is a cute little shopping center with a grocery store, salad place, starbucks, pizza and pasta places, indian food, and more"
  • "The teachers were very welcoming and the technique classes were insightful"
  • "My daughter seemed to like the classes and learned a lot so I definitely think the education was good."

Least liked about program

  • "Not enough patience with pointe work."
  • "Program offers 2 + 3 weeks but many did all 5 and there wasn't much openness to new friendships when my dancer joined for the final 3 weeks. Not the program's fault. Food at dining hall improved only when large soccer intensive began that was also housed on Rider College's campus"
  • "Im more balanchine trained, so I should have read up on it better to learn that it wasn't the technique being taught"
  • "The food situation at the dorms was not good. There were very limited options and not consistent meals throughout the week"
  • "There was no communication, no social media, the girls didn't have many things to do. Most of the time they just walked around the campus. Also, the food was AWFUL and my daughter complained about it daily."

Suggested changes to program

  • "More personal feedback."
  • "Better quality dining hall food"
  • "Nothing"
  • "Include partnering."
  • "The dorm location and food, the activities for students living there, and I would definitely have someone posting photos/videos from the classes on social media... There was absolutely nothing posted at all!"

Culture of program

  • "A wonderful, supportive culture. My daughter came away with lots of new friends."
  • "Dedicated, but sometimes a little impersonal"
  • "The other dancers could have been friendlier but the culture of the school and in class was excellent"
  • "Supportive"
  • "Very welcoming and accepting."
  • "Supportive-- my daughter made a lot of friends"

Other comments

  • "Excellent first intensive, think about choosing first two weeks, doing all 5 weeks, or go with a friend"
  • "The program was very good and had a lot of teachers with varying backgrounds which helped enhance my experience."
Reviews
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Age: 15
Overall Rating

Attended 2025, Stayed In Housing
2 out of 5 rating
Age: 14
Overall Rating

Attended 2025, Stayed In Housing, Special Diet
4 out of 5 rating
Age: 13
Overall Rating

Attended 2024, Stayed In Housing
4 out of 5 rating
Age: 14
Overall Rating

Attended 2024
4 out of 5 rating
Age: 15
Overall Rating

Attended 2024, Stayed In Housing
4 out of 5 rating
Age: 14
Overall Rating

Attended 2023, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 14
Overall Rating

Attended 2023, Stayed In Housing, Special Diet
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 13
Overall Rating

Attended 2022
4 out of 5 rating