BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 256
Total Reviews: 2345

Carolina Ballet

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

2
5
6
4
3
2
2
1

Gender

24
1

First time at a summer intensive?

17
8

Year of SI

2
7
5
7
4

Weeks available

8
17

Weeks attended

1
11
7
2
4

Reviewer

1
6
11
1
1
5

Curriculum

Techniques taught

23
1
1
1

Partnering (based on age)

3
9
5
1
7

Dedicated men's program?

8
8
9

# of boys in level

8
17

Other dance genres

22
1
7
6
1
1
1
22
1
13
1
1

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
1
9
6
9
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

17
9
1
1
13
15

PT offered?

7
18

Extra fee for PT?

7
18

Injury rate

8
14
3

Teaching

Who taught?

2
22
1

Guest teachers

8
7
10

Year-round teachers taught

2
1
17
5

Attention from teachers

Very Little
2
6
8
9
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
1
5
9
10
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

1
1
2
5
18
2
1

Studio space

Cramped
3
4
9
9
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
1
4
16
4
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

1
6
17
1

Saturday classes

25

Saturday class duration

25

Leveling

Leveling

10
15

Leveling type

18
3
4

Did students move levels?

10
15

Leveling fair?

5
20

Students per class

5
11
5
2
1
1

Performance

Performance?

24
1

Rehearsals happened

8
10
6

Casting equitability

Uneven
1
1
6
7
9
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
3
2
5
4
11
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

14
11

# of roommates

11
3

Bathrooms

8
2
3
1

Coed bathrooms

14

Air conditioning

14

Housing comment

  • "The only nightly outings were Target runs a few times a week. It would have been nice to have movie or organized game nights. The supervision of younger dancers is great, however because they didn’t have a lot of freedom, there wasn’t a lot to do in the evenings. The outings were truly the only thing we would offer as constructive feedback for this intensive. It was a great experience."
  • "Very safe & welcoming campus at St Mary’s School"
  • "The St. Mary's staff was fantastic - from leadership to RAs it was clear they cared about the dancers and the experience they were having."
  • "We weren’t given much info about the dorm until we arrived. My student was housed at a different campus then the one the intensive took place at. Nothing was included for the bathroom that was shared by 3 girls, so we had to go out and grab cleaning supplies, paper towels, and toilet paper. We forgot about broom, and there were no brooms available from the RAs so the bathroom got hairy and gross. Would love communication about what’s needed for bathrooms ahead of time. Another issue was there was only 1 washer and 1 dryer available for use so there was a long wait to use them."
  • "This year, kids 15 and younger were @ St Mary's which is a lovely small campus with solid dorms. Kids 16+ were at a college nearby, but had to be bused to St Mary's for all meals and classes, so they had very long days away from their dorm rooms."
  • "The RAs were not very visible. My daughter didn't know who they were and never saw them. She said "it was hard to find the RAs""
  • "Typical dorm rooms."

Where did they stay?

1
2
8

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

14

Curfew reasonable?

14

Room check

3
11

How strict were dorms?

7
3
2
2

Infraction handling

1
5
7
1
1

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

14

Laundry free

4
2
8

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
1
3
7
3
Spotless

Cleaning required

10
4

Meal Plan

Meal plan

14

Food quality

Gross
1
1
5
5
2
Excellent

Enough food

14

Dietary needs?

11
3

Specific needs

Repeated Responses:
  • "Nut allergy" (2 responses)
Unique Responses:
  • "Vegetarian"

Dietary options

Limited
2
1
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

3
11

Weekend outings

5
20

Attended weekend outings

14
6

Favorite

Repeated Responses:
  • "Target" (2 responses)
Unique Responses:
  • "None really"
  • "Shopping"
  • "None"

Least favorite

  • "None"
  • "All of the weekend outings were outdoor, and required walking. With 90+ temperatures it was just too hot."
  • "New dancers arrive each week so the activities (museums?) were repeated."
  • "The swimming outing was to a local pool and not very fun. Other outings were in the heat and it was very hot."

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
3
5
9
7
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
2
8
10
5
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
1
1
1
19
2

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
4
10
11
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
2
3
1
4
15
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • "the show"
  • "Excellent faculty and variety of classes that felt valuable"
  • "For older students, working with the artistic director and learning new choreography from him was amazing. Got a feel for what it would be like to dance in his company and whether you liked the environment and him as a director."
  • "The instruction and rigor of the schedule was exactly what we were hoping for, especially in the last 2 weeks. In the first three weeks classes were smaller and there was a lot of personal corrections, the instructors were personable and invested. The last two added rehearsals, which gave more dancing time. I read in previous reviews that these rehearsals replace class time but that was not our experience - it was so nice to have a chance to perform after weeks of hard work."
  • "Learning more about Balanchine and getting really good corrections"
  • "You got a lot of attention and there was amazing teachers. We also danced a lot, so I got very strong."
  • "Dancing a good amount of time each day. Food plan was great to limit time spent leaving campus to find food."
  • "Great culture, lots of friendships made. Excellent feedback and coaching on technique that helped my dancer improve. Beautiful St. Mary's Campus"
  • "It was a great mid-level intensive, perfect for a 13 year old wanting to stay for 3 weeks. The campus is relatively safe and easy for this age to be alone that long."
  • "Teachers, training, lots of rigor. Got to partner with company men. It was an incredible experience."
  • "Small program with fantastic instructors and content. This program came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. We felt that it was a bit of a hidden gem and it was absolutely a perfect first intensive experience. St. Mary's campus is beautiful and creates a very safe environment for dancers."
  • "Teachers were attentive and gave good feedback"
  • "Good solid training. Intense intensive at least at level 4"
  • "The dancer culture was very friendly and welcoming, so many nice kids, no drama"
  • "Full show at the end"
  • "My dancer enjoyed the many teachers - all of which were company soloists and principal dancers. She moved from level 2 to level 3 during the summer and enjoyed classes at the studio that were part of level 3 and found them appropriately challenging (and the studios gorgeous)."
  • "There was pointe class every day, plus either pas, variations, or tech class in pointe shoes. My dancer gained strength and skill quickly."
  • "Teachers"
  • "Partnering was amazing. Some of the teachers were wonderful, while others were really unprofessional."
  • "I met new people, and felt like I improved in jazz, it was a good experience"
  • "I met lots of people and got to see how it’s like to have 5+ hrs of dance 5 days per week, (technically 6 days but I had one class on Saturday). I also really liked variations but I wish the class time was longer. I rly found the jazz classes helpful and my teachers taught the combos well, (not too fast) but I was in a lower level so idk how it would differ from the higher levels"
  • "Classes and instructors"
  • "The technique plus pointe classes were excellent."

Least liked about program

  • "how much the residential students were separated from the day kids (for ex. they don't eat lunch together)"
  • "Never saw a single photo or video from class of my dancer in her three weeks. Since we didn’t do the performance session, it would be nice to have a short parent observation class."
  • "Studio location was not close to walkable food options. Dorm kids had to ride bus back to dorm to eat lunch. We had a car though."
  • "Being in such a fun area, we were hoping for more fun, or just more outings. Things like Top Golf, River Floats, baseball games, there’s so much to do - it would have been nice to have a break from the dorms, especially on Sundays."
  • "the bagged lunch options"
  • "The lunches"
  • "N/A"
  • "The class size for level 2A was 25 dancers- too large."
  • "I felt like the classes were not structured enough. I also thought they had too much down time in the evenings with not enough activities planned to help them connect with girls outside of class and generally just having something to do besides sitting in their room."
  • "Air conditioning broke on buses, some days they used vans instead"
  • "This is pretty picky feedback - the overall experience was great! While St. Mary's is beautiful, the shared/floor bathrooms were to be desired. They could use better lighting and a good cleaning - they had a funky smell (not surprising giving the age of the campus and therefore older plumbing) and my dancer said it seemed like they weren't cleaned for several days on end."
  • "Since my daughter stayed at a dorm on a different campus then the one that hosted the intensive, she had to catch a bus to the other campus at 7:45-8:15 (although classes didn’t start until 10:30) each morning, and wouldn’t be able to catch the bus back to her dorm until 6:30. She had to make sure that she had everything she needed for the entire day before she left."
  • "The performance at the end is unnecessary and feels like a money grab with extremely expensive ticket prices and extra tickets required to observe class and attend a soirée. I would recommend this intensive but avoiding the performance opportunity so attending partial weeks without the performance is the way to go."
  • "Class sizes were too big. Lack of corrections. Favoritism in class and final performance."
  • "Not as much pointe classes as they prepared for the show."
  • "My dancer went weeks 3 and 4 of the 5 week program. During that time the dancers there for all 5 weeks started their rehearsals for the final show. These took away from class time where my dancer was left to watch from the side of class on several occasions - and dance in the back of the room at best. Not ideal. They tried to fix it after a few complaints. But it never really got better. Also, Saturdays were billed as dancing til 3pm, but all classes ended before noon."
  • "For students finishing after two weeks, there is no parent viewing or demonstration available."
  • "Communication was utterly terrible. The daily schedule would come out the late afternoon before. HOW IS THIS ACCEPTABLE? Literally your day is held hostage by this. Not only could the class times change daily, but so could the location. Also would NOT recommend the last two weeks of the intensive unless your only goal is the performance. Students were not able to move levels because rehearsals started immediately on day one. Entire last 2 weeks revolved around preparation for the showcase, which was absolutely underwhelming. I was not impressed with any level except the highest. Would never bother attending those final 2 weeks again."
  • "I found the ballet classes too easy, and I didn’t really like the terminology classes we had either but otherwise I liked the classes"
  • "I found the ballet classes for my level very beginner, and I found them too easy which was disappointing bc it’s a ballet intensive so I wouldn’t have wanted to take ballet classes that were too easy and I wasn’t feeling challenged enough. My session had no contemporary or hip hop classes for my lvl, so we only had jazz as another style than ballet, which I found disappointing cuz I was expecting more styles and was lwk excited to have contemporary. I also wish that we had more conditioning classes bc I only had one the whole time I was there."
  • "There was a lot of bullying occurring within the students and in the dorms that went unnoticed by RAs and staff."
  • "The exclusion between day and resident students. The day students were unable to eat lunch or come to excursions with the residents which created a barrier."

Suggested changes to program

  • "I'd say they should be more clear about what extra styles of dance each level gets. their website is misleading, as it says under the curriculum that there is modern, jazz, character, hip-hop, and contemporary, making it seem like each level will get to have these classes. In reality, there's no character or modern, and only some levels get contemporary. They also had lyrical, which only level 3 and up had. Overall, they should be more clear on which levels are actually getting these specific styles."
  • "A higher minimjm age for the boys in level 3+. Some (not all!) of the younger boys’ physical and emotional maturity was a big mismatch from girls 2-3 years older than them and it became a distraction multiple times when behavior issues arose. Staff dealt with this appropriately, but it feels like maybe 12/13 isn’t the right age to move up to this level for all."
  • "Anyone in a post grad program should be put in trainee level. My daughter was put one step down because she wasn’t there for the full 5 weeks. Wasn’t a huge deal once there, but created some anxiety leading up to arrival."
  • "Nothing I haven’t already stated."
  • "Wish they’d be more clear about the dress code for classes"
  • "Better lunches"
  • "Showcase recording or pictures provided since photography is not allowed for family members unable to travel to the end of intensive showcase."
  • "Class size, no doubt!"
  • "Not very organized especially with the campus that they were staying on. Several girls had to move out of their dorm due to a soccer camp coming in. Also, they said in the handbook that their was a process for taking a dancer off campus, no one ever responded to my e-mail request and when the dancer was picked up there was no one in the office to check her out."
  • "Smaller class sizes. Classes were small first couple of weeks but progressively got larger and larger."
  • "There is so much to see and do around Raleigh - spending a little more time planning \ organized Sunday activities/outings would be a nice addition."
  • "The living arrangement"
  • "The end performance and excessive charges for tickets --"
  • "Smaller class sizes."
  • "More pointe classes"
  • "Have more dancing in the afternoons and put conditioning in after dinner. It felt like there was little dancing after lunch. Also, there was less pointe than she wanted, in part due to the lack of pointe/variations in the afternoons."
  • "The first three weeks would be offered as a session vs only the last three."
  • "Organization. How is it this unorganized?"
  • "I wish variations class was longer, for my level it was 30-45 mins, I’d also want more conditioning classes since I had one the whole time I was there which is fine but I wish I had more (I was there for 2 weeks)"
  • "I’d like the schedule to be sent out earlier bc it wasn’t sent out early enough in advance imo. I’d also want there to be character classes as another style cuz I’ve never taken it before and it seems lwk fun. Ik this is normal for summer intensives but I noticed that lvl 2 and up have an hour break in addition to lunch which is 30-45 mins I can’t remember, I js think that adding an hour break is a bit unnecessary cuz I think they could’ve used that for another class or used it to add time to another class- idk I bet the dancers in the those lvls liked having those breaks tho lol-that’s js my opinion!"
  • "Better supervision, better awareness of student experiences, and implementing safety procedures and protocols for trips."
  • "The dorms, food, and exclusion towards day students."

Culture of program

  • "Overall supportive"
  • "Friendly, rigorous without being cut-throat. My dancer made friends and enjoyed the teachers and came home happy each day!"
  • "Hard working and no frills."
  • "Very positive - the director is very committed to this intensive being a place where all dancers feel empowered and confident."
  • "The teachers were welcoming, but strict, and seemed interested in helping us grow"
  • "Super nice but everyone worked extremely hard in class."
  • "Great - low/no drama, lots of encouragement among peers, strong friendships formed"
  • "Positive"
  • "Lots of jealousy and pettiness all around, that is not a culture we have dealt with at our home studio so it was very hard on my daughter to be the outcast. She got called out to demonstrate the second day and from then on the girls hated her. Her roommates were much older than her, 13 & 15 and that was just doomed from the start because they couldn’t stand having to room with a younger dancer."
  • "Positive with lots of rigor."
  • "Warm and friendly but also hard-working. My daughter made friends she is still in touch with nearly two years later. The teachers really connected with and paid attention to dancers and provided individual feedback for growth. The staff at St. Mary's was also wonderful - they really added to my dancer's experience with the program."
  • "Pretty positive. My daughter didn’t experience in catty, mean girl behavior, and teachers didn’t show favoritism in class. It felt like a safe space to learn."
  • "High energy classes, generally positive vibe"
  • "Social: lovely, warm, friendly, fun. Dancing: casual for levels 2-3, not very intense."
  • "Friendly both teachers and students. Good mixture of strictness and fun."
  • "Friendly and supportive"
  • "Friendly, professional, well organized."
  • "Welcoming"
  • "Focus for the portion that my child attended was totally revolved around the showcase, so I felt the culture was to show off their own students and dancers, as well as choreographers. Not much of a teaching culture, but an elitist showcase"
  • "Pretty good at least for my level"
  • "Students in my level were pretty nice but I heard there was bullying or smt happening in the lvl above mine. The teachers were also very good"
  • "While the instruction in ballet was good, the instructors and staff were indifferent outside of classes. They did not seem to monitor or care about student experiences once they stepped outside of class. It was as if the students were all on their own with no structure while in the dorms. There was no positive, nurturing atmosphere for growth and development."
  • "Rigorous and educational"

Other comments

  • "They get live piano accompaniment multiple times, which is lovely. Partnering frequency varies by level but includes boys from the higher level so that more partners are available. The later two weeks do shift to more time rehearsing for the performance (which is beautiful!), so if your main focus is technique and growth, choosing the earlier sessions may be preferred. Level 4 was held at CB studios every day. Levels 2 and 3 alternated between NCSU and CB studios. Each level is split A/B with slight differences in difficulty, but those will be combined for some classes throughout each week as well."
  • "Loved the instructors. Gave great personal attention to my daughter even though she only went for the 2 week session. Director and teachers were approachable for personal discussions with dancers about job opportunities."
  • "I believe this program has evolved in the best way - reading reviews from prior years it would seem they have really improved in the logistics and communication - we had no issues and I always felt informed. My dancer improved tremendously both in ability and confidence. The instruction was thorough and we found the leveling to be fair. It was a wonderful experience and the show at the end is lovely - a great way to cap off a summer of hard work and growth."
  • "Great program, would love to go back!"
  • "This is a small program with great outcomes (meaning dancer growth) and a highly skilled staff of year-round and guest instructors. While Carolina Ballet is a smaller company and the intensive not as well known, do not mistake the lack of a big name with lack of intensity or experience. If you have a desire to grow in Balanchine technique and artistry, this is a perfect place to be and do so with lots of personal attention."
  • "The end of session performance is excessively expensive -- an in class demonstration is much better in my opinion. A shorter session that avoids the performance is my recommendation"
  • "For serious dancers, I would only recommend if placed in level 4 at acceptance. Lower levels have a wide range of abilities and new dancers arrive/leave each week, so the combinations stay pretty basic and there are very few corrections for most students. Good intensive if your goals are to just stay shape and have a fun summer."
  • "I wouldn't send my dancer for the last session having seen what happen with rehearsals she wasn't a part of. I also feel, with the absence of variations in the afternoons, it was mainly morning ballet and afternoon 'other' dance. This changed a bit in level 3 which is where my dancer had partnering and more challenging classes."
  • "My dancer loved every minute of it and wished she had attended more weeks. Will definitely consider again for next year. She was also offered a year-round spot after completion of her summer weeks."
  • "Expensive and not really worthy of the cost. Again, unbelievably unorganized and borderline unprofessional"
  • "The teachers are good and I think it’s a good program to attend"
  • "It’s a good program, I’d def recommend it but ur experience definitely depends on ur level"
Reviews
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Age: 13, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2026
4 out of 5 rating
Age: 15, Female
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Attended 2026
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 18, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2026
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 12, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2026, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 14, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2025
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 11, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2025
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 13, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2025
2 out of 5 rating
Age: 12, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2025
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 12, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2025
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 14, Prefer not to say
Overall Rating

Attended 2025, Stayed In Housing
1 out of 5 rating