BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 223
Total Reviews: 1727

Point Park Conservatory of Dance

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

3
1
1

First time at a summer intensive?

3
2

Year of SI

3
1
1

Weeks available

5

Weeks attended

2
2
1

Reviewer

2
3

Curriculum

Techniques taught

1
5
1

Partnering (based on age)

1
1
3

Dedicated men's program?

2
3

# of boys in level

1
4

Other dance genres

1
4
1
1
1
2
5
5
1
3
1

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
1
4
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

4
1
5

PT offered?

1
4

Extra fee for PT?

3
2

Injury rate

2
2
1

Teaching

Who taught?

4
1

Guest teachers

1
3
1

Year-round teachers taught

3
1
1

Attention from teachers

Very Little
1
4
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
1
2
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

5

Saturday classes

5

Saturday class duration

5

Leveling

Leveling

5

Leveling type

5

Did students move levels?

4

Leveling fair?

2
3

Students per class

2
3

Performance

Performance?

3
2

Rehearsals happened

1
2

Casting equitability

Uneven
1
2
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
1
2
2
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

5

# of roommates

4
1

Bathrooms

3
1
1

Coed bathrooms

4
1

Air conditioning

5

Housing comment

  • In an area of town that was very dangerous with homelessness and drug addicts everywhere
  • Housing is different based on which dorm building you’re staying in, Thayer hall is a basic dorm with a communal bathroom while boulevard apartments and conestoga are apartments with two bathrooms per apartment
  • If you got the apartment styles dorms it was really nice, one roommate and two suite mates the other dorms weren’t as nice but since I didn’t live in them i’m not sure the full experience

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

5

Curfew reasonable?

5

Room check

5

How strict were dorms?

1
2
2

Infraction handling

2
3

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

5

Laundry free

5

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
2
3
Spotless

Cleaning required

3
2

Meal Plan

Meal plan

5

Food quality

Gross
1
1
2
1
Excellent

Enough food

5

Dietary needs?

4
1

Specific needs

1

Dietary options

Limited
1
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

5

Weekend outings

5

Attended weekend outings

2
3

Favorite

  • Theme park
  • Amusment park
  • Kennywood amusement park
  • Kennywood amusement park
  • There was only one scheduled one by the program and it was to Kennywood Park. It was amazing and I would recommend

Least favorite

  • none

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
1
2
2
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
1
1
2
1
Comprehensive

Transportation

5

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
1
1
2
1
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
1
1
3
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • Facilities
  • i lkied how it showed how the classes during the year would funtion
  • How excited and happy my dancer was to be with others as serious as her and how challenged she was in each technique which helped her to improve.
  • Getting to have many classes per day and getting to have different teachers
  • The classes were amazing! All of the teachers had so much to share and you could tell that they loved their job which made going to class that much easier. It was also really nice that you could audition for the college if you are a HS junior or senior, and if you don’t get the results you want you are eligible to audition in the fall or the next year.

Least liked about program

  • Placement classes felt rushed and the area of Pittsburgh just isn't safe anymore and we live in NYC. So we get city living but this was another level.
  • needed 3 or more people to walk around the campus
  • The director of the summer program was new this year (not the dance part but the overall program) and he was very unorganized, and too laid back compared to 2022 summer program. At move in it was very unorganized and no one explained anything or helped. They just gave a room key and said see ya. He didn’t post pics during the SI, activity schedules didn’t come out until after itstarted and there were less after dance activities. 2022 was amazing with the old director.
  • I really enjoyed everything about it, I’m not sure if I can think of a bad point at the moment. The staff was very helpful if you needed to move classes or needed help with your schedule.

Suggested changes to program

  • That they used their audition videos for class placement
  • maybe have 4 classes a day insted of 5
  • Improve the food to what ot was in 2022 and be more organized with the plans set before the program begins.
  • Having better and healthier food options
  • The dinner hours. We ate dinner from 5:20-6:30 which ended up leaving me hungry around 9/10pm. I think it would’ve worked better to have a little bit of a break after the 4th class of the day for a snack and then made dinner later. Also if you are in red or blue ballet but in a lower level for modern/jazz/tap/yoga/pilates you will not be able to do the special focus ballet class without missing modern or jazz so you have to make the decision on that. The special focus class is M/W/F so on the other days you would be able to go to the other class.

Culture of program

  • VERY ballet heavy and geared for the 3 and 6 week students. The 2 week students got sloppy seconds on everything.
  • very fun and not copetitive, but intence
  • It is amazing. They give the girls so many lessons in health and injury prevention and during classes give them so much great advice about a dance profession in addition to the amazing technique classes.
  • Everyone there was very friendly and kind, the teachers were incredibly helpful
  • Very positive! Everybody was super nice and supportive of everyone and it was a really encouraging environment.

Other comments

  • The communication this year was not great. They had a new program director who was still figuring things out. The food was horrible and kids often ordered out. Everything felt rushed for the 2 week students and more geared to the 3 and 6 week students. It's quality training and fine if a dancer is ONLY looking for that. My dancer didn't feel safe or taken care of.
  • Highly recommend it. My daughter had fun and that is probably the most important thing!
  • I went into it with mildly high expectations but was blown away with how good of an intensive it was. I feel like I learned so much and grew so much as a dance in all styles. I liked that you had different levels for each class so that your classes would best fit your needs for growing as a dancer. Just a note that you will only do partnering if you are in the two highest pointe levels and that your pointe level can be different than your ballet level. Also if you are a part of the three week program there will not be an opportunity for parents to see a performance of watch class.
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