BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 231
Total Reviews: 1850

John Cranko - Connecticut

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

2
2
5
13
5
1

Gender

26
2

First time at a summer intensive?

18
10

Year of SI

12
16

Weeks available

21
7

Weeks attended

24
4

Reviewer

6
20
1
1

Curriculum

Techniques taught

2
1
3
24

Partnering (based on age)

2
1
1
2
22

Dedicated men's program?

5
4
19

# of boys in level

14
14

Other dance genres

7
1
28
1
1
2
20
1

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
2
3
6
17
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

1
8
1
2
3
3
2
22
1
1
8

PT offered?

3
2
23

Extra fee for PT?

20
7
1

Injury rate

8
16
4

Teaching

Who taught?

2
1
25

Guest teachers

18
5
5

Year-round teachers taught

3
25

Attention from teachers

Very Little
2
8
3
15
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
2
4
11
11
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
19
1
2

Studio space

Cramped
1
1
4
9
13
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
1
1
9
17
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

3
2
9
14

Saturday classes

18
10

Saturday class duration

3
6
19

Leveling

Leveling

22
6

Leveling type

15
8
5

Did students move levels?

28

Leveling fair?

6
22

Students per class

1
4
17
5
1

Performance

Performance?

21
2
5

Rehearsals happened

9
14
3

Casting equitability

Uneven
1
4
1
7
13
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
2
3
5
2
16
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

23
5

# of roommates

5
17
1

Bathrooms

1
20
1
1

Coed bathrooms

23

Air conditioning

3
20

Housing comment

  • Beautiful dorms on the Loomis Chaffee campus
  • Students in each class dorm together and eat together and aren't allowed to eat with students at a different class. Students were not allowed to go into other dorm houses but could hangout in other dorms within the house.
  • Some single rooms and some double. Some dorm buildings were more updated than others. Air conditioning poor in some rooms. Rooms were gloomy.
  • Please note that dancers must bring all their own bedding, pillow, towels, toiletries.
  • No
  • Bathrooms not great/laundry facilities didn’t work well—clothes always damp.
  • Rooms varied in size; some doubles were much larger than others. Single rooms were extremely small and difficult to keep tidy.
  • It's on a beautiful Connecticut campus, my daughter lucked with her dorm, some dorms might be older. It was weird at first that there were so many singles for 13-14 yr, her floor had about 5 singles, a few doubles, and triples. She ended up loving the privacy and was too tired at the end of the day anyway, plus they all socialize.
  • Housing was at a boarding school on wonderful grounds. Single and double rooms were available. If a problem with roommate, switching was entirely possible and handled very well. Short walk on beautiful campus to classes. They had PAs that were young students and a live in “dorm mother”. There as no fridge in the rooms but one was available on the common area. Laundry machines were located in the building and they were given schedule to do their laundry.
  • live bats in one dorm, bed bug nymphs spotted crawling into mattress, musty smelling dormitories, mold in multiple laundry washers, roommates who requested roommates not always granted and got singles despite wanting a roommate, rooms were dirty filled with candy, nail clippings, rubber bands from braces, etc. NOT ideal or worth the price!
  • Common room was great.
  • The campus of Loomis Chafee is beautiful but buildings are aged. While the dorms are clean, my dancers door became stuck during a hot/humid spell. The JCS program also shares the campus with other sports camps.
  • Some people complained about the housing (saying that there were ticks outside, etc..) The dorms were lovely, safe, on a beautiful site in an enchanting town. I have no idea what people's expectations are if this housing didn't meet their standard for a child to stay in for a few weeks during the summer.
  • On Loomis Chaffee campus. The class level lived together (except for the males). Could be in other dancers rooms to hang out if they lived in that dorm. Strict lights out enforced.
  • Where is the water dispenser?
  • Beautiful grounds and dorms were well appointed.
  • When dancers get moved to a different level in the first couple of days, roommates are separated and that is not just unfortunate, it's a definite mark against the boarding program. My daughter was not given a new roommate. She was alone for three weeks and the program coordinator said it didn't really matter because the kids don't spend that much time in their room. That's not only inaccurate, it shows very little regard for the boarding students' wellbeing. Roommates share a lot, and my daughter was lonely as a result.
  • The specific dorm room that my dancer moved into had not been cleaned thoroughly upon move in. Lots of sticky spots & spills on desk and inside & outside of closet. The floors had not been cleaned either. However, overall, the Loomis Chaffee School campus is beautifully maintained, the grounds and facilities were well kept and the classrooms, dining hall and buildings were all clean and well maintained. My dancer loved the venue & location.

Where did they stay?

4
1

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

23

Curfew reasonable?

2
21

Room check

1
22

How strict were dorms?

9
9
5

Infraction handling

1
15
6
2
1
1

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

23

Laundry free

2
1
20

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
1
4
8
10
Spotless

Cleaning required

17
6

Meal Plan

Meal plan

23

Food quality

Gross
1
1
4
8
9
Excellent

Enough food

23

Dietary needs?

19
4

Specific needs

1
1
2

Dietary options

Limited
1
1
2
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

1
22

Weekend outings

28

Attended weekend outings

3
24
1

Favorite

  • Amusement Park
  • The amusement park
  • Only one outing to amusement park
  • Lake Compounce Amusement Park
  • Lake Compound
  • Lake compounce (the only off site trip)
  • Amusement park
  • Amusement park,
  • The amusement park
  • Lake Compounce (the only outing)
  • The first weekend they danced, the second they went to an amusement park, super fun, the thrid they were all home.
  • None
  • She enjoyed the mall trip, movie, and 2 trips to a local amusement park. It was small but fun. There were two trips because the program was split into a 2 week contemporary intensive and 3 week ballet intensive. Not all dancers attended both.
  • None- multiple trips to the amusement park which was dirty and not a pleasant crowd for children
  • Lake Compounce
  • The mall
  • The mall?
  • Enjoyed the mall the best. The other trip was to an amusement park
  • The mall!
  • Mall trip
  • The theme park
  • Go to the amusement park with classmates
  • Amusement Park
  • Not sure
  • There were two, a trip to a local amusement park and a trip to a local mall. My dancer enjoyed both.

Least favorite

  • None
  • Amusement Park was the only one.
  • None
  • She didn't like swimmng, they would only have 45 minutes on swim nights and once a week they had outdoor games evenings, by the last week, they were all too tired! It was all super fun for my dancer!
  • Amusement park
  • N/A
  • Lake Compounce
  • Mall - if you don't bring money or don't want to buy things, there's not really a point in going and it was mandatory.
  • Lake Compunce
  • None, she enjoyed them all.
  • N/A
  • NIL
  • NA
  • They are both very different so there's something for everyone.

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
1
3
3
21
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
1
3
4
20
Comprehensive

Transportation

5
1
1
18
2
1

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
1
2
25
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
3
1
1
2
21
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • This was an incredible opportunity to learn from the John Cranko teachers. The program was rigorous and the days were full. My dancer loved every aspect of the program.
  • The quality of the classes were amazing!!! You also got to learn John Cranko repertoire which you can't do anywhere else besides the school!
  • Very safe, strict and coordinated. Good for a first intensive away from home.
  • My teacher paid attention to small details.
  • Exposure to Cranko teachers
  • Great teachers; great dorm experience, nice facilities / campus
  • Teachers were excellent. Contemp class was really fun. Technique was driven home. High caliber instruction. Came back a better dancer for sure.
  • Studying with the teachers of JCS. They are extremely thorough, detailed, and expect excellence from the students. My dancer thrived.
  • Very structured and organized; full days of classes.
  • It was intense, lots of hours! Which my dancer loved. JC teachers were her teachers. It was a very full program. No time for homesickneess or bad behavior really, I didn't hear of much, espectially in her level, some messing around in the younger levels. She felt very seen. She had some feet issues and the nurse and parent RA's were so awesome. Super organized and well run. I think my kid has made life long friends from around the world, "global bridges" is the name of the program.
  • The technique
  • The communication was absolutely phenomenal. A zoom orientation for both the ICM and JSSI intensive were presented prior to the start of the program. During the program procedures were clearly communicated. Any injury or sickness was communicated vivía a phone call from director or nurse. Leveling was by age and ability. Some dancers moved up or down and it was communicated to dancer and parent. The move was done very quickly within the first two days of the program and was very fair. This was an intense and rigorous program with little down time. Dancer showed significant improvement. Dancer was also able to go to the nurse for any problems and to PT when needed, who really helped. All the staff was wonderful and any problems were dealt with swiftly and fairly.
  • From my dancer - “I really loved all of the instructors, everyone was very kind and supportive, and I feel like my technique really improved.”
  • Nice facility but I would expect ballet class not to be in a gym.
  • nothing- a complete waste of money & time
  • Contemporary class and also the off time after classes were done - time in the dorm common room.
  • A true, intense “intensive”. The students danced over 8 hours a day and worked with the faculty of the JCS in Stuttgart. The program operates with a similar leveling system as the German school; primarily by age but some exceptions were made. The program helps students progress in what is appropriate for their current skill level-that may be “lower” than a dancer feels. The teachers work on clean, correct technique and aren’t concerned with tricks. (How many turns, how high the leg is, etc.) There is a system and it works.
  • The location was lovely although my child had been to NYC in previous years so did miss being able to explore a city. At first she was upset to learn that no food deliveries are allowed at the program- however once she saw the town she realized she wasn't missing anything staying on campus. The classes and teachers were very focused. The show at the end was professionally filmed and amazingly well done. The communication from the SI is very thorough.
  • Getting to meet new friends from around the world who were hardworking and passionate.
  • My daughter’s technique improved remarkably. This is a rigorous program with high standards, and if your dancer is an active participant, they will have considerable growth. She really loved her technique teacher, Ms. Lanzetti. The final showcase was so impressive, esp when you consider the fact that they had two weeks to learn and one week to rehearse. My wife and I were in absolute awe of what this school helped these students do.
  • The rapid improvement
  • The quality instruction and corrections
  • A summer camp that can truly improve your abilities
  • International faculty and students - excellent training and supports from program assistants to teachers and athletic trainers.
  • Very good classes and camaraderie.
  • Strong technique, rigorous & challenging program, daily pointe class, 5+ classes a day. Kind community of dancers & teachers. 1 hour performance at end of program that showcased all of the dancers and gave all dancers significant time on stage performing various dance combinations and styles.

Least liked about program

  • The leveling was unusual. Dancers were assigned a level based on their audition and then levels were adjusted based on two days of placement classes. It is difficult to start off an intensive by “moving down.” It was handled well and my dancer was very happy and challenged in her classes and I have no doubt that her final placement was correct. However, I am not sure why they would do an initial placement at all. Why not just have two days of leveling and then assigned group. Overall was a lot of movement of dancers.
  • They handled certain infractions a little stricter than was necessary. Also they made us be in the dorms by 9:30 (lights out at 10) and if you were seen out of your room, even in the bathroom, you would get in trouble.
  • Leveling was terrible. Not just for my dancer but across the board. Leveling was done primarily by age/size. This led to many dancers not being challenged enough or being in levels that they were not skilled enough for.
  • Placements were based on age and height rather than ability, resulting in classes with a wide range of skill levels, particularly for younger students. At that age, students are still growing or may have recently experienced a growth spurt, making this type of placement impractical. Additionally, placements were determined by the program organizers instead of the teachers, which raises concerns about the accuracy of these decisions.
  • Not much free time
  • Nothing
  • Lack of WiFi, surrendering of phones at 945pm.
  • Leveling mainly done by age, and ability varied widely within classes.
  • I loved it all!
  • The busy schedule that restricted time to oneself.
  • There was little to not like. The WiFi and cellular reception was poor so communication with my dancer was hard. This was probably also a good thing so she could focus and rest from the long days. Phones were taken at bedtime but dancer actually didn’t mind this at all. She was able to be fully rested for the day ahead.
  • From my dancer - “I wish the musical theatre class was more focused on learning pieces from musical theatre shows. We just played a lot of games, not really learning musical theatre.”
  • Constantly feeling like it was an audition every day even after placement testing. No partnering.
  • placement was done by ASE staff with NO ballet background/experience; very toxic in terms of how staff is managed and expected to facilitate program responsibilities/duties
  • Being confined to the same boys the whole time.
  • The food, turning in phones at 930
  • My daughter loves dance but this program is PACKED. I think she needed more downtime in the evenings and burnt out a bit as a result. The resident assistants seemed to notice this and stopped requiring that they attend all the evening activities at the same rate, so that helped. The size of my daughter's class was too big- it was overwhelming to see them all on stage for the performance so I can only imagine what the studio felt like. Finally- while this did not happen to my daughter, it did happen to other children- a few days into the session dancers were moved up and down levels (which is great). The problem, however, is that the SI also made them change rooms as a result- so students who were moved down had to then pack up their rooms by themselves and move to another building. I would have been upset if that had happened to my child- seems excessive that they can't be in dorm with a different level when they've already made friends, etc...
  • My daughter would say not having her phone at night, but as a parent, I did not mind.
  • The food
  • Not enough boys at her level/age
  • Yoga Class
  • NA
  • The fact that my daughter ended up without a roommate because when placement is modified in the first couple of days, room assignments are changed, which is not smart.
  • The musical theater classes could be improved.

Suggested changes to program

  • Assign groups after official placement days, not at check-in. Also, more fresh fruits in the cafeteria. My dancer was underwhelmed with the food.
  • The curfew of the dorms was too strict, considering most people start to get ready for bed around 9:30. I know at the older intensive in NYC, you have a lot of independence in a very busy city. It would be nice if the older dancers in CT had a little more freedom as a transition.
  • How placement is determined
  • Nothing, I was very happy.
  • Placements on age and height
  • A little more free time, maybe less Russian classes, not limit levels based on age
  • Some more rotation of instruction.
  • Leveling was done by program staff and non-cranko teachers; would have liked for the Cranko teachers to determine the leveling. Also, it extended very late into the summer and while it was nice that it didn't conflict with many other programs, it did not leave much time for recovery before the beginning of school and home studio classes.
  • I think it could be a week longer ! Other than that, I don't think I would change anything, it is a very proffesionsally run program, the switch to JC seemed pretty seamless.
  • I would change the schedule.
  • Dancer would probably love to stay longer. There isn’t much to change. ASE runs a strong and excellent program. It would be nice to receive a background on the instructors. We did get one for the PAs, who were impressive and lovely.
  • From my dancer - “Musical theater class would be less games and more focused on musical theatre.”
  • Highly advise not focusing so much on a show at the end and focus more on partnering and enhancing technique with more individualized attention.
  • to remove ASE Global Bridges as the ones overseeing and managing this summer intensive
  • The Monday class load was a little much. Maybe one less class on that day to make it even with the other days.
  • A week longer and maybe Monday not being almost 12 hours long
  • The size of the classes- some were VERY large. Moving of dorm rooms with placement changes. The rules seems quite strict but were fine for my daughter- she was so tired at night she didn't really care about not being able to access her phone.
  • Adding a PBT class a few times a week would really set this program apart
  • I would offer pas de deux
  • More partnering
  • Hope there will be Pilates classes
  • NA
  • For boarding students, once pairs have been assigned, please don't change them and don't leave students without a roommate for three weeks, that is not what they sign up for.
  • I would have it be located in NYC so the dancers could attend professional ballet performances on the weekends.

Culture of program

  • Supportive, immersive, multicultural, rigorous.
  • The culture of the program was extremely supportive! The teachers were very kind and gave great corrections!
  • Strict
  • Everyone was complimentary and got along well.
  • Nurturing, friendly
  • Great. Students were sent home for bullying or pulled from parts of the showcase. Cultural acceptance is a big part of the program.
  • Intense yet positive. The dancers were exhausted but most enjoyed the experience. My dancer made a lot of friends and found most to be supportive of one another.
  • Happy and productive; my dancer had a wonderful time and wished that it were longer.
  • It is not for the kids who want to socialize alot, but for the ones who want to dance. My kid was able to be intense herself with peers like her! I think it was intense, kind, and structured
  • Open
  • They are very welcoming and inclusive. My dancer loved meeting other dancers from all over the world and having instructors from outside the US. The program didn’t except meanness and welcomed the diversity.
  • From my dancer - “it was a great experience. Everyone was very supportive.”
  • Mediocre
  • Very toxic and not beneficial towards young dancers pursuing high quality training and lifelong relationships with peers.
  • The teachers were definitely supportive as was the general dancer population. Overall, positive.
  • Positive, organized
  • Serious, focused, but not competitive.
  • Good. Very structured with serious students. It was a good first intensive away from home.
  • Very inclusive. My daughter made a lot of friends, despite being the second youngest in the program.
  • Very supportive while still holding students to a high standard
  • Healthy. Tough. Encouraging.
  • Friendly environment for improving students and teachers
  • Welcoming
  • Reaches a good balance, really intensive and having three weeks leads to real progress. It's a quality program.
  • Healthy, supportive & welcoming culture. Safe environment. Kind parent volunteers, dancers and teachers. My dancer didn't know anyone attending and she made friends easily, loved her assigned roommate and group mates, met dancers from all over the US & International and improved in all areas of her dancing.

Other comments

  • The kids are scheduled from 9-9. There is no downtime. We appreciated the structure and supervision. Phones were taken at night. Overall, this was an excellent program.
  • The PA's will take your phones from 9:45-10:00, but you can bring an iPad or something to use after. I 10/10 recommend this program!! I felt like I really improved and loved the Vaganova training! During the last week, in my specific group, we used pointe class as a time to rehearse for the ending show, but I loved getting to practice on the stage and I don’t think it took anything away from my overall improvement!
  • Students did not have any downtime and were strictly scheduled until 8:30/9:00 pm every day. Food was mediocre. Teachers and PAs were nice but overall communication was not great. Clunky processes for check in and check out. Poor placement across the board and was evident in final show.
  • The Russian language and culture class was an absolute favorite! My Russian improved tremendously and learning about the culture was fun! Also, while there was no partnering class, there was an opportunity to do some partnering for the final showcase.
  • Quite different from the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive, which Cranko replaced. I appreciated that they included contemporary dance in the program this time. While Russian character dance was not included, they did offer Russian language classes again.
  • First overnight SI and loved it overall!
  • Very intense. 8 hours of class per day. Highly technical instruction. First year that Cranko has come to the states, but based on the caliber of the workshop (the highest level looked like professionals), I would say it must have been a competitive/highly selective intensive. Injury awareness is very important to the staff. Teachers are European, so they are very hands-on literally. Took a bit of adjustment on my dd’s behalf, but nothing that made her feel uncomfortable. If your goal is improvement—highly recommend this intensive. If your goal is to just have your dancer with like-minded people and to have fun, then this is not for you.
  • One of the best programs out there.
  • A very positive and structured environment; ideal for a first intensive or the younger dancer. Dancers seemed to be more advanced for their age at the more junior levels. The top level had excellent dancers but the middle age levels seemed to be less selective.
  • She wants to return, would only do programs that measure up to this one in terms of hours dancing, about 6 plus hours a day. The amazing end of program performance was a mix of classwork and pieces. Each level had a ton of dancing, felt like our year end exam classes across the floor plus group work in both John Cranko rep and contemporary (which was sooo cool, European contemporary!) I would highly recommend this program!
  • I don't recommend.
  • My dancer loved this program and would like to go back next year. She feels she improved a lot. She really like the instructors and just about every aspect of the program. Although it was somewhat strict, she enjoyed the structure. She really like the contemporary program (ICM) as she learned styles she had not done before. She really like the private that was costly but one of her favorite parts of the program. The welcoming on day one was incredibly friendly and fun. She loved learning Cranko Rep. There was also a demonstration for parents at the end of the 2 week contemporary program and a full show that was live streamed at the end of the ballet intensive. There is a 2 guest limit. Both were extremely well done. This program is a gem!
  • Really read through reviews prior to signing up for a program. A placement class should be a placement class. After a placement class, levels should remain and not critique dancers daily with notebooks and all to potentially change levels if he/she makes one mistake. It puts undue pressure on a dancer. Proper warm up is key which was seriously lacking which prevents injuries.
  • Parents are promised a lot of things via email and prior to the start of the program however, rules are constantly changing and there is no consistency.
  • It would be really nice for the meal seating to not be strictly assigned by level so that the dancers could sit with other peers and friends in different levels. Also, the boys had separate outside recreation time as the girls, so they weren't able to interact with them casually.
  • This is a wonderful program for a serious dancer looking to truly improve their technique. My dancer hopes to return for a 3rd year even though she will be eligible for the NY program by age because she loves working with Natalia Gasmaeva.
  • My daughter enjoyed it and felt that she improved overall.
  • Excellent teachers. My daughter grew tremendously in her technique.
  • If your child gets in, find a way to go because the experience they gain here is worth everything.
  • I have wonderful memories at ICM & JCSSI, making this summer the most unforgettable one for me. I met many new friends and learned a lot from the teachers. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to pursue my dream❤️.I will continue to work hard💪🏻
  • There is a great culture at the program. It is intense, the days are full, but the dancers all seemed to learn both personally and with their dance technique.
  • Teachers are highly liked. My daughter participated in 2024 as a non-boarding student, and the same teachers were there, which provides consistency and strengthens bonds.
  • My dancer returned with more confidence, a deepened passion for ballet & all dance forms, and more independence. Highly recommend this program.
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