BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 223
Total Reviews: 1727

Bolshoi Ballet Intensive NYC

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

2
2
4
1

First time at a summer intensive?

9

Year of SI

1
8

Weeks available

9

Weeks attended

4
5

Reviewer

3
6

Curriculum

Techniques taught

9

Partnering (based on age)

1
8

Dedicated men's program?

9

# of boys in level

2
2
4
1

Other dance genres

8
1

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
3
6
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

1
1
6
1

PT offered?

1
1
7

Extra fee for PT?

3
5
1

Injury rate

3
5
1

Teaching

Who taught?

9

Guest teachers

8
1

Year-round teachers taught

9

Attention from teachers

Very Little
4
5
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
3
6
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

1
1
1
6
1
1
1

Studio space

Cramped
1
3
5
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
2
2
5
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

1
7
1

Saturday classes

9

Saturday class duration

9

Leveling

Leveling

1
8

Leveling type

4
3
2

Did students move levels?

3
6

Leveling fair?

9

Students per class

3
6

Performance

Performance?

8
1

Rehearsals happened

6
1
1

Casting equitability

Uneven
1
3
2
2
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
2
7
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

7
2

# of roommates

1
5
1

Bathrooms

1
6

Coed bathrooms

7

Air conditioning

7

Housing comment

  • Fabulous location in the Marymount Manhattan College Dorms!
  • Very small suites with very small bedrooms. The rooms were hot, kitchen appliances did not work, bathroom was tiny
  • Requires very independent living skills
  • Room can get hit if blinds left open. Huge windows looking out to city. Beautiful views. Fun lounge areas where students met and played games.
  • Housing was at Marymount Manhattan College
  • Housed at Marymount Manhattan Dorms, very secure building as it’s required to scan in when entering and room doors lock automatically so you always need a key. Non BBASI people also live in the building. Fairly nice suite style dorms with a kitchenette and bathroom in suite.
  • The view was amazing

Where did they stay?

1
2

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

1
6

Curfew reasonable?

7

Room check

1
6

How strict were dorms?

2
2
1
2

Infraction handling

1
1
3
3

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

7

Laundry free

5
2

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
1
5
1
Spotless

Cleaning required

2
5

Meal Plan

Meal plan

7

Activities

Weeknight activities

7

Weekend outings

9

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
3
6
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
4
5
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
1
1
4
1
1

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
4
2
3
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
1
8
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • Incredible experience. This was my son's first experience in such a large class of boys.
  • Before intensive started zoom meetings emphasizing rules, culture of ‘no star’ (teachers & faculty are the stars) no competitiveness, accepting differences, openness to come to faculty with minor problems, etc…, Get to observe one whole day of classes, and partnering everyday
  • The instruction was phenomenal. Daily partnering was terrific
  • Opportunity to learn from world class Bolshoi teachers and being a part of a wonderful, high caliber cross-cultural exchange.
  • The teachers were amazing. Top teachers from the Bolshoi program who were demanding but encouraging. Students appeared to love all of them based on the applause and cheering from students when the instructors were introduced on stage after the showcase. Dancers were treated like professionals and expected to come to train seriously. The program stressed that there were no stars but for the teachers and set the tone that all dancers were there for independent growth. Small class sizes were a plus!
  • It was all ballet from 9-5 daily with partnering every day. There were no fluff classes.
  • Getting to meet people from around the world as well as the performance at the end of the 6 weeks.
  • My teacher, Ms. Elena Bobrova is an absolute gem I valued her combinations and correction immensely. Daily partnering also allowed me to feel a lot more confident with partnering. Along with those my favorite things were one, being in New York City, and two, the cross-cultural immersion, Russian languages classes, being taught in Russian with a translator, all the Russian students, staff members, and translators (also students from other countries like China and Ukraine!!).
  • This was a true Vaganova program, however students prior knowledge and training and body awareness and intellect will determine what they get out of it.

Least liked about program

  • My son felt lonely, and a girl he partnered with on the first day said some very mean things to him.
  • The flooring
  • A group of serious dancers feeling very frustrated and disappointed about practicing certain variations for 5 weeks and then not performing any in the otherwise impressive showcase.
  • My daughter participated in the second 3 weeks and the teachers did not start fresh with rep classes so those who only attended the second 3 weeks had to play catch up in learning rep. Also, those who only attended the second 3 weeks were not cast in as many dances for the performance as those who attended all 6 weeks.
  • Truly nothing, I loved all of it and wished I’d done 6 weeks.
  • No contemporary classes
  • The other dancers that started in the dorms formed cliques with each other, I was living on my own. Socially I didn't know how to read if I was unpopular or just moved on to a different life stage so they didn't interact much with me. I was in the highest level the first week and they moved me to the second highest the second week, and that didn't help either, the biggest notable difference was the height of the dancers in the top two levels. I am short and the highest level had taller dancers. Average age of both levels was 17/18 but I knew people that age or older in the lower levels as well, especially boys. We had the advanced men for partnering and the same partnering teacher.

Suggested changes to program

  • I wish he bonded more with other students.
  • The flooring and the dorms
  • The director is really amazing in terms of organization and pulling off this stellar program, but be prepared for one-on-one dialogue to feel difficult and to go sideways.
  • Having the two sessions run independently so those only attending one of the 3 weeks sessions are not losing out on anything.
  • Maybe add in a conditioning or pilates class, as there were no supplemental classes besides character.
  • I don't think I would have changed anything.
  • I would have wanted the body conditioning they give in the actual school. It was very intense and you were in charge of your own stretching and exercising after.

Culture of program

  • Very international, the boys were very nice and supportive.
  • They made sure started everyone off on equal culture, emphasize- everyone is here to learn, no star, no competitiveness, accept differences- differences are not good or bad- just different, open communication- let staff know even if minor and more than once if have to… before the start- zoom meetings of rules and culture
  • Submersion in Russian technique
  • Warm, smiley studio vibes with everyone focusing on the dancing and learning, not drama. Expects mature dancers and high level of commitment. Very supportive of injury prevention. Safe while also allowing for a lot of independence and no coddling.
  • Supportive and focused on growth of the individual. The support staff did an amazing job keeping families informed with information before and during the program and were quickly responsive to messages.
  • good, no complaints
  • Truly a great culture, so many friendships were formed and each level was very close. The international aspect was interesting as people spoke many different languages but everybody got along so well and I loved everybody I met.
  • I really enjoyed the overall culture of this intensive, I loved all the girls in my level and I am still in touch with many of them!
  • In one word, serious.

Other comments

  • The instructors and some of the students are flown in from Russia. There are translators, since the instructors speak Russian. They also offer language classes and injury prevention extra classes.
  • Teachers speak Russian only, each teacher has an English interpreter, have international students- esp from Russia
  • Don’t be afraid of NYC. ;-) The Marymount dorm and studios are close to each other and the neighborhood is safe. Support this very special US-Russian cultural exchange!
  • We would choose the program again. The instructors are the main instructors from the Bolshoi Academy and amazing. My dancer absolutely loved the instructors.
  • My daughter loved being in NYC and having the freedom to explore the city. There is no meal plan so food was a little pricey but she loved being able to shop, cook in the dorm and go out to eat as she see fit. My daughter also had a minor medical emergency and the RA was attentive and escorted her to urgent care and the head of the program called me multiple times with updates. They were fantastic with her.
  • Truly a great program, all the teachers from Bolshoi were amazing. It takes some getting used to the translators but you adjust quickly. The freedom in NYC is very nice but some people struggled with the food situation because there was no dining plan however most girls did fine on their own.
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