BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 255
Total Reviews: 2234

New Jersey School of Ballet

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

1
1
1
1
1

Gender

5

First time at a summer intensive?

5

Year of SI

1
1
2
1

Weeks available

2
3

Weeks attended

3
2

Reviewer

5

Curriculum

Techniques taught

4
1
1
2
1

Partnering (based on age)

3
2

Dedicated men's program?

1
2
2

# of boys in level

5

Other dance genres

5
1
3
5
1
1

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
2
3
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

1
1
4
1
3

PT offered?

1
2
2

Extra fee for PT?

2
3

Injury rate

1
4

Teaching

Who taught?

1
4

Guest teachers

5

Year-round teachers taught

4
1

Attention from teachers

Very Little
2
1
2
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
3
2
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

5

Studio space

Cramped
1
4
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
2
3
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

1
1
3

Saturday classes

1
4

Saturday class duration

4
1

Leveling

Leveling

4
1

Leveling type

1
2
2

Did students move levels?

2
1
1

Leveling fair?

1
4

Students per class

1
4

Performance

Performance?

1
4

Rehearsals happened

2
2

Casting equitability

Uneven
3
1
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
5
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

1
3
1

# of roommates

3

Bathrooms

3

Coed bathrooms

3

Air conditioning

3

Housing comment

  • "All dancers on one floor"

Where did they stay?

2

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

3

Curfew reasonable?

3

Room check

3

How strict were dorms?

2
1

Infraction handling

3

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

3

Laundry free

3

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
1
1
1
Spotless

Cleaning required

3

Meal Plan

Meal plan

3

Food quality

Gross
1
2
Excellent

Enough food

1
2

Dietary needs?

1
2

Specific needs

  • "Peanut & tree nut allergy"
  • "Peanut allergy"

Dietary options

Limited
2
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

3

Weekend outings

2
3

Attended weekend outings

3

Favorite

  • "Romeo & Juliet at Lincoln Center"
  • "ABT Swan Lake"
  • "ABT at Lincoln Center"

Least favorite

  • "We chose not to register for others, I don’t think they ended up happening."
  • "Ballet at Lincoln Center"

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
1
3
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
1
4
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
4

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
1
4
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
1
4
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • "Maria & her faculty are so wonderful. Guest faculty was a dream. Incredibly nurturing program and getting to learn the Balanchine rep from Maria and her NYCB friends was awesome."
  • "Being able to watch Company dancers and being taught by them. This really helped improve my dancer's experience."
  • "The guest faculty and the well-rounded schedule with no huge breaks between classes; Master classes and q&a sessions"
  • "Small class size and quality teachers"
  • "Faculty, classes, dorms"

Least liked about program

  • "Would have liked some weekend outings, dorm was a little boring on the weekends but hopefully more people learn about the program and board so they can do more! Trips to Lincoln center would have been great - or even to a local mall!"
  • "N/a"
  • "The food was not good. This was second year and it didn’t improve. Lots of instacart and door dash"

Suggested changes to program

  • "Add weekend outings"
  • "N/a"
  • "Different dorm with better food service"
  • "Keep it 5 weeks"

Culture of program

  • "So positive and nurturing! And training was intense, went through a lot of pointe shoes- which was exactly what she wanted!"
  • "Each class had its own personality based on the teacher."
  • "Nurturing, formative, and inspirational"
  • "Positive and warm. Maria and Martin are great."
  • "Supportive yet challenging"

Other comments

  • "Great schedule- all classes are stacked back to back so no long breaks midday."
  • "Wonderful experience in helping dancers make improvements and build confidence."
  • "To clarify answer Re PT it’s not on site of dancer needs they will facilitate transportation. I had two dancers both 2024 and 2025 in program now ages 14 and 17. Both really enjoyed it (came back for second year). It’s listed as New Jersey Ballet School on this page but it’s really so different than what was offered prior to 2023 which o understand was a day program with locals. This is a hidden gem."
Reviews
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Dancer Age
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Age: 13, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2026, Stayed In Housing, Special Diet
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 17, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2025, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 16, Female
Overall Rating

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

Attended 2024
4 out of 5 rating
Age: 12, Female
Overall Rating

Attended 2023
5 out of 5 rating