and every day there was a dedicated stretching class for 45 mins-1 hr.
Body Conditioning
Pilates Mat
Planks were taught extensively by one particular instructor
Stretch Class
PT offered?
No
Not sure
Extra fee for PT?
We didn't use PT
Injury rate
I wasn't aware of injuries
Teaching
Who taught?
Different depending on week
The same every day
Guest teachers
Unsure
Yes
Year-round teachers taught
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 secure marley
Studio space
Cramped
1
2
3
4
5
Lots of Space
Studio cleanliness
Dirty
1
2
3
4
5
Spotless
Schedule
Classes per day
4
More than 5
Saturday classes
No
Saturday class duration
N/A
Leveling
Leveling
Assigned when accepted
Leveling type
Ability
Unsure
Did students move levels?
No
Yes
Leveling fair?
Yes
Students per class
10-15
Performance
Performance?
Nothing
Parents observe a class
Rehearsals detracted from class?
Completely
1
2
3
4
5
Not At All
Housing - General
Housing provided
No
Where did they stay?
Host family
Rented an apartment or house
We rented a San Jose apartment as a family through Airbnb
Activities
Weekend outings
No
Logistics
Quality of handbook
Spotty
1
2
3
4
5
Comprehensive
Program communication
Limited
1
2
3
4
5
Comprehensive
Transportation
Host family drove
We drove her to the Mountain View studios and back each day
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
Improved tremendously over the four weeks
Solid instruction by well-trained, dedicated teachers that produced great results in five weeks. Particularly liked the smaller class sizes, as they allowed more personal corrections. Administration took parents’ concerns seriously, and was quick to rectify any issues that arose — for instance, when parents complained that one teacher’s harsh/belittling style of instruction was negatively affecting their dancers, the administration immediately reconfigured that week’s schedule with different instructors. Administration also took placement concerns into consideration, and leveled appropriately after first-week assessments. My dancer felt challenged in a good way, and made great progress.
Least liked about program
Loved everything!
The distance (with traffic) from affordable accommodations!
Suggested changes to program
Boarding closer to the studios
A few outings for the non-local dancers to get to know other dancers. Reevaluate and retrain more senior “old-school Russian” teachers in more appropriate/less harsh instructional styles when relating to young dancers. I will say all instructors were excellent, and besides the issues with one particular severe teacher, all other instructors were encouraging and kind, and helped the dancers achieve great progress.
Culture of program
You could not ask for better teachers and the students were very friendly and welcoming
Encouraging, high expectations for dancers’ progress, challenging, dedicated, and caring.
Other comments
My daughter was a new dancer when she returned from 4 weeks training and loved every minute of her day. She wished she could have stayed longer.
This program helped my dancer improve tremendously. The smaller classes — combined with dedicated, experienced instructors who had high expectations — challenged my daughter in a good way.
Because she is on the younger side (13) and the drive from Mountain View could be long going and coming back to the more affordable San Jose area, she was pretty exhausted — mentally and physically — by the end of the five weeks. She told me the main reason it was more challenging than her full-time local program was because of the length (six classes per day, over 30 hours per week, five weeks in total).
However, I do think that in five weeks, she made more improvements in specific areas (precision, arm placement, pointe, pirouettes, timing, strength, stamina, form, and confidence) than in a year at her current ballet school. That speaks to the dedication, consistency, and expectations of the talented instructors at Osipova.
It is currently only a week since we arrived back from the intensive, and my daughter is continuing the strength training — on her own — that she learned at Osipova from one particular instructor. She is also showing off her sharper pirouettes and other ballet moves, and says her confidence in her ballet technique has improved. I can clearly see that it has, and as that was one of my main reasons for enrolling her in the program, I am thankful.
