there was weight training for men. there was also gyro tonics
Weight Training
Yoga
PT offered?
No
Not sure
Yes
Extra fee for PT?
We didn't use PT
Injury rate
I wasn't aware of injuries
Seemed average
Seemed like a lot of injuries
Teaching
Who taught?
Different depending on week
Different each day
The same every day
Guest teachers
No
Yes
Year-round teachers taught
Alongside guest faculty
Throughout the program
Throughout the program, Alongside guest faculty
Attention from teachers
Very Little
1
2
3
4
5
A Lot
Technique improved?
No
1
2
3
4
5
Yes - Tremendously
Studios
Dance floors
Sprung floors with marley but extremely sticky
Sprung floors with secure marley
the was nice marley floors that were sprung but hurt my feet very badly
Studio space
Cramped
1
2
3
4
5
Lots of Space
Studio cleanliness
Dirty
1
2
3
4
5
Spotless
Schedule
Classes per day
3
4
5
Saturday classes
No
Yes
Saturday class duration
Half day or less
N/A
Leveling
Leveling
Assigned after placement class
Assigned when accepted
Leveling type
Ability
Did students move levels?
No
Yes
Leveling fair?
Yes
Students per class
16-24
25-30
Performance
Performance?
Nothing
Parents observe a class
Small demonstration
Rehearsals happened
During daily class
Casting equitability
Uneven
1
2
3
4
5
Even
Rehearsals detracted from class?
Completely
1
2
3
4
5
Not At All
Housing - General
Housing provided
No
Yes and my dancer lived there
Yes but my dancer did not live there
# of roommates
1
Bathrooms
Private in room
Coed bathrooms
No
Air conditioning
No
Yes
Housing comment
Lots of walking and public transportation
Located Downtown Portland - Great Central Location - Lots of Opportunities for Exploring the City in the Evenings (both supervised and non-supervised depending on age) - Rooms Could Get Quite Hot - I'd Recommend Bringing a Fan and Extra Cleaning Supplies.
only the halls had AC but the rooms came with a fan.
They provided them an AC unit when it got hot, but my daughter said it wasn't too bad yet. The dorms are VERY nice- big and spacious and even have a small kitchenette in the room. My daughter had a corner room with two large windows.
The RA's were wonderful, and the environment was supper supportive.
RAs are dancers themselves and are very supportive
Where did they stay?
Rented an apartment or house
Stayed with local family or friends
Student lived at home
Housing - Supervision
Curfew
Yes
Curfew reasonable?
Yes
Room check
No
Yes
How strict were dorms?
Just about right
Somewhat lax
Very lax
Infraction handling
A little harsh
Fair
N/A
Housing - Cleanliness
Laundry available
Yes
Laundry free
No
Unsure
Yes
Housing cleanliness
Dirty
1
2
3
4
5
Spotless
Cleaning required
Yes
Meal Plan
Meal plan
Yes
Food quality
Gross
1
2
3
4
5
Excellent
Enough food
Yes
Dietary needs?
No
Yes
Specific needs
dairy
peanut allergy
Dietary options
Limited
1
2
3
4
5
Lots
Activities
Weeknight activities
No
Yes
Weekend outings
No
Yes
Attended weekend outings
I didn't attend any of them
Yes, all of them
Yes, some of them
Favorite
Rose gardens
Zoo
Rose Garden, Movie Nights, 4th of July Fireworks
the old spaghetti factory
Pool time, Chinese garden
Japanese Rose Garden, Tour of submarine
The Japanese Gardens
Japanese garden and Oregon zoo
Least favorite
Na
Portland Zoo...
all outings were payed for with tuition so go to them all
None
Liked them all. And best is they were all included, no additional fees.
The Portland art museum
All outings are good and appropriate
Logistics
Quality of handbook
Spotty
1
2
3
4
5
Comprehensive
Program communication
Limited
1
2
3
4
5
Comprehensive
Transportation
Drove student from home to studio
Drove with family since not boarding
Parent drove
Public transportation with chaperone
Public transportation without chaperone
Neighborhood safety
Not Safe
1
2
3
4
5
Very Safe
General Comments
Overall recommendation
Definitely Not
1
2
3
4
5
Absolutely
Best aspect
location, nice variety of dance classes
2 hours of pointe a day. Variety of classes. Fun atmosphere
This particular week of jr intensive was focused on beginning and pre pointe skills. Every day had technique class, conditioning/stretching/strengthening, and pre-pointe/pointe or variations. So basically an entirely classical focus, which my dancer enjoyed this time.
Caring teachers
Teachers were all very positive, approachable and encouraging.
lots of variety and great people
Having a good balance of lots of time during the day for dance classes and social time with new friends
To me this was the best value. The cost per week was the most affordable and the training was exceptional. My daughter really enjoyed it and felt she learned a lot. Portland is a great city in the summer, cooler than most parts of the US. My daughter had a public transportation card (provided) and they could go wherever they wanted in small groups. She explored the city on her Saturday afternoons off and had a great time. The dorms are really convenient and nice.
How amazing everyone was to each other. The community was just so nice and welcoming.
My son learned variations and repetory that he had not learned before, and even though there were only 3 boys in Level 2, they did differeniate between girls' and boys' technique for the variations and rep taught. He also loved learning the pantomime.
We learned full Moyna and Zulma variations along side their duets. The location was very nice - with a view of the Willamette River. I loved working with Dani Rowe.
The best aspects of the program was the individual attention that the teachers gave. Teachers were very understanding about injuries. Also, if you wanted to take a men’s class or change your class to accommodate your injury. They were very understanding and allowed that.
The high-quality training. My daughter’s technique improved dramatically in just four weeks.
Least liked about program
there were only a few boys and they got a lot of attention. The main instructor seemed to not like my daughter (I heard this from others, not my daughter)
Daughter's level had too many students (27 students). Other levels had smaller sizes.
Communication from the program was really slow and unhelpful - just getting registered was a do. Also, the program was set up to cater to year round students, and although there were many kids from other schools, there wasn't an orientation or any introduction type activities.
A lot of freedom for young kids
Very disappointed and surprised that level 5 was not offered any pas-de-deux. However, both level 4 and 6 had partnering a few times per week.
it was very large/ lots of year round kids
Liked everything
Nothing
That the trainee auditions were so stressful. The director made auditioning and level placement very stressful. People were getting moved around all the time, and nobody felt like they could relax. They also made it seem like there were several spots open for a trainee position, when really there maybe were 2.
I think that the Level 2 program was very good. He came back excited every day and his skill improved a lot. I do wish there were more boys, but he did meet new boys and they had a male teacher come to help with the male technique.
No partnering despite being told at audition there would be partnering offered. Sometimes throughout the intensive it felt disorganized. One of the teachers could be kinder and more instructive vs. punitive. Also, please add a warm up class BEFORE technique on pointe (first thing in the morning) because it led to some people having to sit out.
Classes can move very slow, and it’s possible to have the same teacher, the majority of the technique classes with the exception of having a guest technique teacher about twice a week. They were very big on dress code and dress coded people about very small things and didn’t update the dress code until the very last minute.
It would have been nice to see some photos or videos posted!
Suggested changes to program
Have a performance at the end. There was a zoom opportunity to observe the last class, which was something but it was hard to see everyone.
Limit the class sizes more at the lower level.
Make it two weeks of the late summer programming! The early summer option was longer, but August session was just one week. My child would have liked time to learn another variation and more chances to get to know the rotating faculty members.
Nothing
Pas-de-Deux for all senior levels (even if it's only once or twice a week). Also there was some complaints about back to back conditioning classes like 2 hours of Yoga followed by 1 hour of Pilates... the classes were great, but too much for 1 day.
Checkout time after the last classes instead of before
Maybe have a performance for the 4 week students as well. Although I think my daughter will want to attend six weeks next summer.
That the director Katerina didn't make her decisions on placement based on seeing people for 2 mins during the middle of technique class. Maybe a few more guest teachers.
Specific boys' classes for each level. According to my son, there was an instructor who was part of the company and, although she was a wonderful dancer, she was not a great teacher.
Add partnering. Switch up the classes more - it felt routine and I was only there two weeks! More time with Dani Rowe would be awesome. Offer solos/variations/duets to other dancers, not just Level 6 in the end showcase at BodyVox theater.
Wish there were more partnering classes and pointe classes
I would have loved to observe a technique class on the final day in addition to the variations/rep we got to watch.
Culture of program
fun, lots of freedom
The program offers a strong ballet focus with a good mix of other dance types. The atmosphere is very supportive and fun. My dancer did not want it to end.
Calm, focused, not cozy but pleasant
Work hard and be supported to be better.
Inclusive - Positive - Professional
very positive
Fun and hardworking
Very encouraging, warm, yet dedicated students that pushed themselves.
Very nice and supportive!
The culture of the intensive was positive overall.
Non-competitive - the dancers were kind and encouraging. Some of the teachers could be kinder and more encouraging/instructive.
All the dancers were very nice and very supportive. Giving teachers feedback and asking questions was encouraged. If there were any dancers who were not being kind, teachers would do something about it only if they were notified by other dancers.
Positive, friendly, challenging
Other comments
There were some issues with the top level students who were auditioning for OB2. Some bullying behavior and eating issues but they were addressed by the program and mostly straightened out. My daughter chose not to return this year because of the favoritism toward year round students.
This review is for some of the jr. intensive programming. There were multiple weeks- some at the start of summer, and then a one week session in August with a pointework/pre-pointe focus. I understand the main SI does have housing and full day schedules including other dance forms, but this jr one does not, so my review is about that particular experience. Also since this was a pointe focus, there were no boys enrolled this week.
Teachers were very kind and supportive. They did tend to favor full year and potential OBT2 students. Also some drama with full time students bullying and intimidating - mostly the 15 to 17 age range - However, the quality of the training was excellent and overall the dancers attending were all hardworking and supportive of each other.
great people and a great dorm environment
Wonderful and plan to audition again next year
I was very impressed with the communication, value, and overall professionalism of OBT and this SI.
The director Katerina is the only issue with the intensive. Everything else is great. She is so fake, and makes everyone very stressed. She is a good teacher, but not a good director. Also the teachers can be very hard sometimes, but for the most part they were great!
OBT school is our home studio. This year, compared to the Level 1 from last year, seemed a lot more organized. There was a cohesive schedule, and they did not try to squeeze in too many different styles of dance. Last year in Level 1, I do not remember my son learning any stage acting or pantomime, and the schedule was different each day. This year, there was rep every day, ballet every day, variations 4 out of the 5 days, pirouette class 3x/week, and character and contemporary 2x/week. My son's technique improved in these 5 days alone, and he wil be taking OBT's Level 2 intensive for a second week. Even though there were only 3 boys in his level, the focus on male-identifying technique made a huge difference for him.
Overall Portland was great, the location is really nice and safe. OBT is a great school and I learned a lot and had fun.
The breaks during the day were minimal. They made really good use of the students’ time!
