BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 255
Total Reviews: 2241

Ellison Ballet Classical Variations Intensive NYC

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

2
3
5

Gender

10

First time at a summer intensive?

10

Year of SI

2
3
2
3

Weeks available

10

Weeks attended

1
9

Reviewer

1
7
2

Curriculum

Techniques taught

1
9

Partnering (based on age)

10

Dedicated men's program?

7
2
1

# of boys in level

1
9

Other dance genres

4
1
6

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
2
1
2
4
1
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

1
8
1

PT offered?

6
4

Extra fee for PT?

9

Injury rate

3
5
2

Teaching

Who taught?

10

Guest teachers

8
1
1

Year-round teachers taught

1
1
8

Attention from teachers

Very Little
2
4
2
2
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
2
1
3
3
1
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

1
8
1

Studio space

Cramped
1
3
5
1
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
1
4
5
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

9
1

Saturday classes

10

Saturday class duration

9

Leveling

Leveling

2
8

Leveling type

1
7
2

Did students move levels?

8
1

Leveling fair?

1
9

Students per class

3
6
1

Performance

Performance?

10

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
1
6
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

9
1

# of roommates

9

Bathrooms

9

Coed bathrooms

9

Air conditioning

9

Housing comment

  • "Floors were co ed Chaperones were parents both male and female one per floor"
  • "The AC worked but it was very loud."
  • "Very strict rules that weren’t listed in the handbook"
  • "Rooms are tiny"
  • "There were some issues with the a/c not working. Each room had a very small kitchen area with a stovetop and sink."
  • "rooms are small, there is a stove top for cooking but no oven or microwave."
  • "In a very safe neighborhood, we loved the freedom to choose level of chaperone needed. My dancer was able to have the freedom to explore NYC with just her friends and she had the time of her life. Definitely would return for this reason alone. Subways were very safe, never experienced anything negative!"

Where did they stay?

1

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

9

Curfew reasonable?

9

Room check

9

How strict were dorms?

3
3
1
1
1

Infraction handling

1
3
5

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

9

Laundry free

8
1

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
4
4
1
Spotless

Cleaning required

6
3

Meal Plan

Meal plan

9

Activities

Weeknight activities

7
2

Weekend outings

10

Attended weekend outings

3
6
1

Favorite

  • "There was only one and it was SIX the musical and was enjoyed"
  • "ABT ballet"
  • "Broadway show"
  • "Romeo and Juliet Ballet by ABT"
  • "Ballet-ABT"
  • "The only organized outing was to see a broadway show."
  • "The broadway show"

Least favorite

Repeated Responses:
  • "N/A" (2 responses)
Unique Responses:
  • "N/a"

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
2
1
4
3
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
1
4
2
3
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
3
6

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
1
6
3
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
3
2
1
4
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • "Smaller class sizes which equal more attention"
  • "It was in NYC and a fun place for the dancers on the weekends."
  • "Being in NYC with dorm availability"
  • "learning various solos"
  • "Learning 4 classical variations in 2 weeks. Awesome teacher. Very talented and dedicated group of girls."
  • "Attention to details"
  • "Location"
  • "Living in NYC for two weeks"
  • "The teachers were very encouraging, everyone got lots of attention"

Least liked about program

  • "Liked everything"
  • "This program is so geared to the current Ellison Ballet students that they almost should be ashamed to have other dancers there. They only focus on the year around students. It is crazy. And they have a bunch of short dancers with short legs that look good on Social Media and can do a lot of turns but the school seems terribly overrated on many fronts. The school seems to be riding on a reputation earned a long time ago and has devolved into a money grab for the summer. Stay away!"
  • "Same teacher with little correction"
  • "The dorm rules are too strict."
  • "No names tags were given to girls, so the teacher could not even call them by name, no clear rules were given, like the girls can leave the building without telling anybody for a lunch."
  • "Lack of variety. Same schedule and teacher everyday."
  • "Each level had the same teacher for all classes throughout the program."
  • "extreme amount of body shaming, it was more than we ever could have anticipated even knowing that Ellison is known for being on the "strict" side."

Suggested changes to program

  • "Another conditioning class rather than just once a week"
  • "If they really want a good program, treat all the dancers as equal during the SI and don't favor and only pay attention to the year around dancers."
  • "More scheduled outings"
  • "Students should be allowed to visit each other in the dorm rooms."
  • "Different teachers and add one more class. Change schedule to start earlier in day and end earlier in afternoon."
  • "I wish the program rotated teachers. I think most dancers would’ve also appreciated more individual corrections."
  • "atmosphere"

Culture of program

  • "Hard-working and determined to get better"
  • "You are just a number to them."
  • "Adequate"
  • "Intense and fun"
  • "Favorites only have attention"
  • "Preference was given to those who were already there for the 4 week intensive."
  • "Competitive and intense"
  • "toxic"
  • "Motivating!"

Other comments

  • "Classes start at 11 and go until 5 Felt like I improved more in the two weeks variation intensive than I did in the four weeks intensive mostly because there weren’t any year-round students in my level in the two weeks whereas there were in the four weeks there were several year rounds and the teachers seemed to focus on them and give a lot of corrections to them and in the two week intensive there were smaller class sizes"
  • "This was the first summer intensive that I can honestly say was a waste of money. Very, very disappointed in the whole experience from start to finish."
  • "No"
  • "Do not take only 2 weeks, take more than 2 if you want something"
  • "The program really markets Mr. Ellison as a teacher, but most students did not have him as an instructor."
  • "you hear the rumors and you think it can't be all that bad, well it is that bad! No level of training is worth having your already very thin, typical "ballet body" dancer be made to feel fat and told they shouldn't be dancing all to hope one day you are thin enough to get mr ellison's attention. strict and toxic are too very different things. my dancer loves strict, but this was toxic."
  • "Absolutely loved this program. My dancer felt she grew more from these two weeks than the 4 week SI she did just before."
Reviews
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Age: 15, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2026, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 15, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2026, Stayed In Housing
1 out of 5 rating
Age: 16, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2026, Stayed In Housing
1 out of 5 rating
Age: 16, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2025, Stayed In Housing
1 out of 5 rating
Age: 15, Female
Overall Rating

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

Attended 2024
3 out of 5 rating
Age: 16, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2024, Stayed In Housing
2 out of 5 rating
Age: 16, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2024, Stayed In Housing
2 out of 5 rating
Age: 16, Female
Overall Rating

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

Attended 2023, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating