BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 218
Total Reviews: 1560

Joffrey Ballet School San Francisco

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

3
1
1

First time at a summer intensive?

1
4

Year of SI

2
2
1

Weeks available

5

Weeks attended

1
4

Reviewer

3
2

Curriculum

Techniques taught

1
1
1
1
4
1

Partnering (based on age)

1
4

Dedicated men's program?

4
1

# of boys in level

5

Other dance genres

5
1
3
1

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
2
1
2
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

1
3
1

PT offered?

4
1

Extra fee for PT?

1
4

Injury rate

1
3
1

Teaching

Who taught?

5

Guest teachers

2
1
2

Year-round teachers taught

1
4

Attention from teachers

Very Little
1
2
1
1
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
2
3
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

1
1
3
1
1
1

Studio space

Cramped
4
1
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
2
1
2
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

3
1
1

Saturday classes

5

Saturday class duration

5

Leveling

Leveling

1
4

Leveling type

3
2

Did students move levels?

3
2

Leveling fair?

5

Students per class

4
1

Performance

Performance?

4
1

Rehearsals happened

5

Casting equitability

Uneven
2
1
1
1
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
2
2
1
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

3
2

# of roommates

2
1

Bathrooms

3

Coed bathrooms

3

Air conditioning

2
1

Housing comment

  • Our microwave, oven, ac, heater, and windows didn’t work. Our keys regularly got locked in the door where even the RAs had issues getting the lock

Where did they stay?

2

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

3

Curfew reasonable?

1
2

Room check

2
1

How strict were dorms?

1
1
1

Infraction handling

1
2

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

3

Laundry free

2
1

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
2
1
Spotless

Cleaning required

1
2

Meal Plan

Meal plan

3

Food quality

Gross
3
Excellent

Enough food

3

Dietary needs?

3

Specific needs

1
1
1

Dietary options

Limited
2
1
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

3

Weekend outings

5

Attended weekend outings

2
1
2

Favorite

  • Sausalito
  • Amy Seiwert’s Imagery dance production
  • Watching a contemporary performance

Least favorite

  • N/a
  • All outings seemed enjoyable
  • The all day stuff where you have to wake up early and not get any downtime

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
1
2
1
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
2
3
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
3
1

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
2
3
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
1
1
2
1
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • I thought that all of the RAs were extremely supportive and considerate.
  • Good organization
  • Walking distance from mall

Least liked about program

  • There was quite a bit of favoritism in many of my classes. There were 2-4 students who seemed to get much more attention from instructors than most. They also had much larger parts in the performance. They were amazing dancers, but they often got a larger instructor response than I did at times, and that can be discouraging.
  • Classes that were advertised were not offered- Modern, Partnering; Paying for Josephine Lee’s pointe fitting that only lasted 5 minutes to sell shoes she was trying to offload
  • The favoritism
  • Only a few students were showcased. There were favorites.

Suggested changes to program

  • I would like dance instructors to check their biases more. Often, instructors focused mainly on the best students getting even better, and should instead focus on each individual getting better. I would also ask that there be a placement class the first day of the intensive, because dancers can change in skill level a lot from the audition to the intensive. For me, the intensive was 6 months after I auditioned, so I felt, although I may have been in the correct level, that my skill level wasn’t correctly evaluated.
  • Provide what is advertised; provide new choreography for each location’s showcase so dancer’s new to the choreographer Alan have more opportunities; higher behavior expectations
  • The structure and favoritism

Culture of program

  • Great visiting instructors such as Era Jouravlev. Otherwise, the culture was all around not for the serious dancer.
  • Gossipy

Other comments

  • Unfortunately the AD’s daughter attended and played mean spirited pranks (i.e. banging on doors long after curfew) on various dancers. After several incidents, the RA finally disciplined her. Most dancers were not serious about their progress and just wanted a getaway.
  • Nobody wanted to work, some people never got any attention, we were overworked and everyone had injuries
  • VERY contemporary. Not as much ballet.
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