BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 255
Total Reviews: 2236

Royal Winnipeg Ballet School

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

1
3
4
4
1
1

First time at a summer intensive?

10
4

Year of SI

2
7
2
1
2

Weeks available

12
2

Weeks attended

12
2

Reviewer

1
13

Curriculum

Techniques taught

3
2
3
10

Partnering (based on age)

2
1
11

Dedicated men's program?

3
4
7

# of boys in level

2
12

Other dance genres

13
5
1
1
2
7
9
1

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
2
12
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

8
3
9
1
9
3

PT offered?

14

Extra fee for PT?

3
11

Injury rate

7
6
1

Teaching

Who taught?

2
12

Guest teachers

4
4
6

Year-round teachers taught

1
12
1

Attention from teachers

Very Little
1
2
4
7
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
2
6
6
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

1
1
12
1

Studio space

Cramped
5
9
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
2
12
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

11
3

Saturday classes

14

Saturday class duration

6
8

Leveling

Leveling

12
2

Leveling type

4
10

Did students move levels?

10
4

Leveling fair?

14

Students per class

3
10
1

Performance

Performance?

6
8

Rehearsals happened

1
7

Casting equitability

Uneven
1
3
4
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
1
13
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

11
3

# of roommates

9
1
1

Bathrooms

1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1

Coed bathrooms

11

Air conditioning

11

Housing comment

  • "The boarding facilities were well managed, and the boarding staff were all kind and supportive. My dancer always felt well cared for and received all the support she needed. As there were more than twice the usual number of students attending the Summer Session, there were occasionally some wait times for the shower rooms and washing machines. However, this was completely understandable given the unusually high number of students."
  • "The living centre is brand new (was built during COVID) and in very nice shape. There are common areas and small kitchens on each floor, as well as a bigger common room complete with games etc on the registration floor. There is a studio/gym in the living centre as well as a small outdoor courtyard. The living centre is connected to the studios."
  • "Safe and secure, small space"
  • "Their new building is directly attached to the studio building, very nice!"
  • "Very secured!"
  • "Attached to studio building through the basement"
  • "Most rooms only had 2 dancers."
  • "Rules and curfews vary by age. Dorm is connected to studios which is very safe and convenient. All residence employees were very kind and helpful but no nonsense - they are all real adults who work in student boarding year round."

Where did they stay?

1
1
1

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

11

Curfew reasonable?

11

Room check

11

How strict were dorms?

7
4

Infraction handling

2
8
1

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

11

Laundry free

10
1

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
4
7
Spotless

Cleaning required

5
6

Meal Plan

Meal plan

11

Food quality

Gross
2
5
4
Excellent

Enough food

11

Dietary needs?

10
1

Specific needs

  • "No dairy"

Dietary options

Limited
1
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

11

Weekend outings

14

Attended weekend outings

1
3
10

Favorite

  • "The Forks, Musical at Rainbow stage"
  • "Bird’s Hill Park"
  • "Shopping, The Forks"
  • "Thunder Rapids"
  • "Go Carts at Thunder Rapids"
  • "Bowling, laser tag, mall"
  • "Grand Rapids"
  • "Theatre"
  • "Attending a musical"
  • "The Forks, Polo Park Mall"
  • "Polo Park and the Forks"
  • "Goat Yoga"
  • "Laser tag, zoo"

Least favorite

  • "N/A"
  • "None, they all seemed great!"
  • "The beach was on a cool day. Wish it could have been rescheduled with the weather forecast."
  • "Beach outing on a cold day."
  • "None"
  • "The Zoo"
  • "Thunder rapids wasn’t as fun as expected but she loved the go carts"
  • "They were all amazing. Varied options to choose."

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
1
4
9
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
2
1
1
3
7
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
2
2
5
3
2
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
1
3
10
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • "Overall, the program had a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. It was particularly impressive to see how everyone—from the Artistic Director of the Company and the school’s leadership team to each teacher and member of the staff—was genuinely engaged in supporting the program and its students. According to my dancer, the instructions during classes were both thoughtful and highly professional. The students were also focused, respectful, and eager to learn, creating a positive environment where my dancer was inspired and encouraged to improve. One aspect that especially stood out was the individual parent meeting with each student’s ballet teacher at the end of the program. Receiving personalized feedback about each dancer is something we have not experienced at other summer intensives. It reflects the school’s genuine commitment to each student and family, and we greatly appreciated the care and attention that went into making the experience so meaningful."
  • "Progression over the 4 weeks was impressive and the social setting was very lovely, welcoming, and healthy. The set up of the living centre allows for students to mix with others of all genders and ages so they have a lot of opportunity to find friends that they ‘click’ with. It was a really good balance of structure and flexibility for our dancer. We also appreciate that the program is holistic and takes care of all needs."
  • "Living space and studio in same building"
  • "Boarding / social scene"
  • "Great Staff and Facilities"
  • "Very personalized corrections."
  • "How attentive and inviting the entire teaching staff was towards every student. Their admin staff were always available to answer questions."
  • "Amazing facilities with great communication"
  • "Boarding attached to studios, positive learning environment"
  • "There are too many things to list. The teachers and ballet."
  • "Plenty of quality classes combined with enjoyable activities on weekends"
  • "Excellent clean technical training in a safe and supportive environment. Even though many kids are auditioning during summer for a place in the year round program, the "vibes" were very friendly and encouraging, much more so than some three letter programs dancer has attended. Plus, lots of focused attention from the teachers and time to work closely and consistently with them."
  • "Getting to meet other students from around the world"

Least liked about program

  • "The school is located in downtown Winnipeg, where there is a visible homeless population, so it is advisable to be aware of your surroundings when going out. We did not feel that they posed any threat to pedestrians, however, families and students who are not accustomed to this kind of urban environment may find it a little surprising at first."
  • "Very few boys in the lower levels (3 across all 3 levels). Some were levelled down to group boys and, with only 3, there were no dedicated boys classes at the lower level. That said, there was significant mentorship amongst boys in the living centre that was very valuable."
  • "Favourites obvious"
  • "Just 3 weeks this year instead of 4. Kiddo liked 4 better."
  • "The immediate surrounding area not great"
  • "The cost of the year long program makes it difficult to continue with the program."
  • "No pointe class for those at level 1 who are already doing pointe class."
  • "Not many corrections"
  • "Lack of communication. Year round students were unwelcoming."
  • "Students are grouped solely by grade in academic school. By late high school this is pretty ok, but in the middle school years, each level had a wide range of abilities and previous experience. Of course this is because the summer session is stage two of the year round program audition, and the year round program has academics linked to ballet level."
  • "The construction and scaffolding (provided limited space to hang out and get to know each other). The air ventilation and studio temperature are not consistent with some studios too hot and some too cold."

Suggested changes to program

  • "As students progress into the higher levels, classes such as body conditioning are no longer included in the schedule. I believe it would be beneficial to continue offering conditioning classes at least a few times a week for students in Levels 4 and 5, as they are still developing the strength, stability, and body awareness that support healthy technical progress and help prevent injuries."
  • "More boys in the lower level (which I’m sure varies from year to year)"
  • "Offer observation classes by zoom"
  • "My dancer loved all 3 weeks"
  • "More opportunity to see the older classes perform for the younger students. Mentorship."
  • "Add pointe class for those who are already training on pointe."
  • "More attention to improving technique"
  • "A less competitive feeling among year round and summer students. Less favouritism."
  • "More pointe classes in the middle school levels."
  • "That the teachers teaching Level 1 classes are more qualified (i.e. Emily Bergen who has no teacher training certification and Katrin Benedictson who has never been mentored to teach in the professional division.) and that the program focuses on a main syllabus - some teachers are Vagonava and some are not."

Culture of program

  • "The overall culture was friendly, welcoming, and well-balanced."
  • "Dance hard. Play hard."
  • "Very open and inviting."
  • "Welcoming"
  • "Friendly even throughout multiple age groups, my dancer felt welcome and really enjoyed all of the staff too."
  • "Friendly."
  • "Joyful!"
  • "Welcoming and fun"
  • "Very welcoming and inclusive"
  • "Positive"
  • "Good, my dancer made a lot of friends. She didn’t find it overly competitive and thinks it was because they were grouped by age."
  • "Competitive but high quality training."
  • "Focused but friendly and fun."
  • "Welcoming but too short - not sure why it’s only 3 weeks long"

Other comments

  • "I recommend it without hesitation. It was an excellent experience all around."
  • "There were class observations and a short performance of various levels at the end of the intensive. This was very enlightening."
  • "Great experience and kiddo learned lots"
  • "My kid was offered a full time spot. They gave us a lot of information and she had such a great time that she seriously considered accepting and moving away from home."
  • "The Mac and cheese and cookies were good. She loved the frozen mangoes. You need to bring snacks and some instant meals for days when you don’t like what is on the menu."
  • "The intensive serves as an audition for year round training. The focus is on recruiting students more than improving technique."
  • "Every child is evaluated for year round placement, regardless of whether dancer/family have indicated a special interest in attending. So really think about whether your dancer would attend year round if offered a spot. Send in the financial aid application before summer starts. Be aware that if your dancer does not live in student boarding for summer, they will not be offered boarding for the school year. But, still a very solid and productive program even if your dancer does not plan to stay for the year."
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Age: 13
Overall Rating

Attended 2026, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 11
Overall Rating

Attended 2026
3 out of 5 rating
Age: 12
Overall Rating

Attended 2025, Stayed In Housing, Special Diet
4 out of 5 rating
Age: 14
Overall Rating

Attended 2024, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 12
Overall Rating

Attended 2024, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 13
Overall Rating

Attended 2023, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 12
Overall Rating

Attended 2023, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 11
Overall Rating

Attended 2023, Stayed In Housing
5 out of 5 rating
Age: 12
Overall Rating

Attended 2023, Stayed In Housing
4 out of 5 rating
Age: 10
Overall Rating

Attended 2023
5 out of 5 rating