BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 255
Total Reviews: 2236

Joffrey Ballet School NYC

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

3
1
5
2
2
1
2
1
2

Gender

19

First time at a summer intensive?

11
8

Year of SI

1
6
3
4
5

Weeks available

1
3
10
5

Weeks attended

5
4
8
2

Reviewer

9
10

Curriculum

Techniques taught

1
2
12
9

Partnering (based on age)

1
2
1
15

Dedicated men's program?

8
8
3

# of boys in level

1
18

Other dance genres

4
2
7
10
3
4
1
6
16
12
1
1
1
1

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
1
1
6
4
7
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

9
7
4
2
5

PT offered?

4
10
5

Extra fee for PT?

3
14
2

Injury rate

10
8
1

Teaching

Who taught?

4
12
3

Guest teachers

4
5
10

Year-round teachers taught

1
1
13
4

Attention from teachers

Very Little
8
7
4
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
2
4
3
5
5
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

1
1
4
10
3
1
1
1

Studio space

Cramped
4
6
6
3
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
5
7
7
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

10
9

Saturday classes

19

Saturday class duration

19

Leveling

Leveling

3
16

Leveling type

11
5
3

Did students move levels?

7
2
10

Leveling fair?

8
11

Students per class

3
11
5

Performance

Performance?

11
6
2

Rehearsals happened

5
5
3

Casting equitability

Uneven
2
3
4
4
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
1
1
2
4
9
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

1
6
12

# of roommates

1
1
2
2

Bathrooms

6

Coed bathrooms

6

Air conditioning

1
5

Housing comment

  • "Room and bathrooms were not verified to be clean as new students came in. The AC was not working on move in day, maintenance fixed but but it went out again half way through the week, then worked again the next day."
  • "The curfew was great for me (9:00pm), but felt very limiting to my daughter."
  • "DO NOT EAT THE MEAL PLAN FOOD JUST EAT OUT :) ps. all the ra's ate out and went into debt over that because the meal plan food was just that bad."

Where did they stay?

1
1
1
3
1
7

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

6

Curfew reasonable?

6

Room check

4
2

How strict were dorms?

1
2
1
2

Infraction handling

1
4
1

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

6

Laundry free

6

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
1
3
2
Spotless

Cleaning required

1
5

Meal Plan

Meal plan

6

Food quality

Gross
3
1
2
Excellent

Enough food

3
3

Dietary needs?

4
2

Specific needs

  • "Gluten and dairy free"
  • "Pineapple allergy"

Dietary options

Limited
1
1
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

6

Weekend outings

3
16

Attended weekend outings

11
5

Favorite

  • "Staten Island Ferry"
  • "Times Square"
  • "I saw Giselle and Swan Lake by ABT. 10/10"

Least favorite

  • "Forth of July Fireworks"
  • "4th of July dorm party"

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
1
1
8
9
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
2
5
4
8
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
1
1
1
1
1
4
2
1
1
4
1

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
2
2
7
6
2
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
1
4
4
3
7
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • "Quality instruction"
  • "Lots of improvement. Mostly really good teachers."
  • "It was in NYC! Not only did my daughter grow in dancing but in maturity and the ability to get around a big city by herself."
  • "My daughter says flamenco was her favorite."
  • "The variety of different styles of dance classes. Good first intensive for young dancers."
  • "Great atmosphere and easy to make friends"
  • "Being in the city and getting to go out by yourself to explore."
  • "The community and friendships made. (Unless you had a bad roommate)"
  • "The teachers all taught the same style of ballet, vagonava, so there was no discrepancies."
  • "Children from all over the world, a lot of diversity. Teachers were strict, kept good order of relatively large classes."
  • "Pointe"
  • "Location, one ballet teacher was very good"
  • "Child made friends from other countries and learned to be independent"
  • "Good variety of dance styles offered, faculty qualifications"

Least liked about program

  • "The meal plan was disappointing."
  • "Experience depended a lot on the teacher, some teachers were great but others were not so great which would make class unenjoyable. AC did not work well so it was very hot."
  • "The meal plan was gross according to my daughter. No refunds were given, instead my account was credited for next year. Door dashing good was expensive and there were no kitchen facilities in the dorm."
  • "Not enough adult supervision for the youngest dancers during lunch/free time."
  • "The homeless population near the studio. I had a homeless lady yell at me during pick up and it made me feel unsafe. Luckily I was with my husband and some other parents."
  • "Was told partnering was offered for all ages 14 and up but only the two highest level groups had the class."
  • "The classes were easy and not very helpful."
  • "The classes, rehearsals, and ABSOLUTELY the performance track."
  • "The leveling was scary. One week there would be amazing people. The next, some of them could barely dance."
  • "It seems the lower classes were taught offsite the entire time, so we never really were at the Joffrey Studio. Teachers leave right at the end of class, doesn’t really interact with parents. For parents that aren’t dancers, it is hard to know if child is progressing. No real feedback or report back to parents."
  • "The fact we had so many residual classes that overshadowed ballet"
  • "Classes seemed geared to the 9-11 year old range-older children were bored during many classes. Very few photos were taken. It seemed that this program didn’t want to do anything “extra.” You do not find out location/dorms until one week before the intensive starts, which gives very little time to plan/book a hotel."
  • "For this age group, classes weren’t serious. I asked child to show a variation and it was questionable. Not too strict and everyone gets in."
  • "Did not feel like a joyful community - professional but a bit cold"

Suggested changes to program

  • "Better/more food options in the meal plan."
  • "More variety of classes. More partnering, not just for the best level."
  • "The food"
  • "More supervision and more consistency with teachers."
  • "The location of the main studio. They do have other locations in NY, but my daughter was assigned to the main studio."
  • "The leveling could be more fair. My level was way too easy."
  • "Would drop out of the performance track and do the regular track. Also would not pay for the dorm meal plan and just the lunch plan. `"
  • "Not have optional weeks but set weeks to ensure the same people can grow over multiple weeks instead of one or stick with the same people."
  • "Better interaction with parents on student progress."
  • "The lack of ballet"
  • "8-13 is too large of an age/maturity range to be in classes together-regardless of skill."
  • "It needs to be harder to get in and less about making money"
  • "Offer a developmentally-appropriate junior program for the youngest/inexperienced dancers"

Culture of program

  • "Positive, excitement to be there."
  • "Friendly and nice students, very nice artistic director, some inspiring teachers."
  • "nurturing, challenging, rewarding, positive"
  • "Very good. Kids from all over the world attended."
  • "Not very well structured."
  • "Very friendly and supportive teachers."
  • "It is a lot of people who are average. Not as much talent but it is a good intensive for people who want to explore the city and potentially get invited year round."
  • "Great; everyone seemed friendly."
  • "It was nice, the energy made it feel like you didn't have to overdo yourself and work crazy hard but that you could relax."
  • "Focused on students."
  • "Confusing and boring"
  • "Just ok."
  • "Just okay"
  • "Professional but cold"

Other comments

  • "You can pick any amount of week you want to attend. However, you have to attend at least 3 weeks at end of the intensive to be in the final summer show."
  • "TLDR: don't do the performance track unless 14 and under if expecting to perform classical repertoire. Also problems don't get handled that well in the dorms. The RA's don't handle problems that well. There was one creepy roommate (pervert), roommates tried to move out to another dorm, did not get resolved. Also DO NOT DO THE PERFORMANCE TRACK. This cannot be stressed enough. Unless your dancer is under the age of 14.5 when attending the intensive do attend the performance track. I did the "ballet" intensive performance and we didn't perform any ballet only jazz and contemporary "ballet". Only the younger kids were able to perform classical ballet ie. Swan Lake, Les Sylphide, etc. There was supposed to be a ballet and contemporary or jazz performance but the "ballet" in reality was just contemporary ballet, choreographed by a guest choreographer. Additionally everyone I've talked to says they regret the performance track for dancers aged 14.5 and above."
  • "There was an extreme lack of boys and partnering class in the summer intensive with kids aged 13 and under."
  • "Good food options even for allergies"
  • "I do not recommend it as a first ballet intensive - even though the age limit is 8 and up"
Reviews
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Age: 15, Female
Overall Rating

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

Attended 2026
4 out of 5 rating
Age: 13, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2026
2 out of 5 rating
Age: 10, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2026
2 out of 5 rating
Age: 10, Female
Overall Rating

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

Attended 2025, Stayed In Housing
3 out of 5 rating
Age: 13, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2025
3 out of 5 rating
Age: 9, Female
Overall Rating

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

Attended 2025
1 out of 5 rating
Age: 16, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2024, Stayed In Housing, Special Diet
3 out of 5 rating