floors were not sprung. Marley over unknown surface possibly cement
I would need to ask my daughter’s
Not sure
Sprung floors with marley but with wrinkles and missing tape
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
5
More than 5
Saturday classes
Yes
Saturday class duration
Half day or less
Leveling
Leveling
Assigned after placement class
Assigned when accepted
Leveling type
Ability
Age
Unsure
Did students move levels?
No
Yes
Leveling fair?
No
Yes
Students per class
10-15
16-24
25-30
Performance
Performance?
Full show
Rehearsals happened
Both in and out of class
During daily class
Outside of 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
Yes and my dancer lived there
Yes but my dancer did not live there
# of roommates
0
1
2
3
Bathrooms
Private in room
Private in suite
Coed bathrooms
No
Air conditioning
No
Yes
Housing comment
They were nice. Four students shared a suite, and each student had a single room within the suite. Only negative was the rooms came completely bare. No shower curtain, no lamps (there was no overhead light so you had to have a lamp or you were in darkness), no toilet paper, no bath mat. Nothing. So be prepared to bring a lot of dorm room necessities. This was communicated to the students prior to arrival.
Housing facilities were beautiful. Food options for packed lunches were minimal. Students could not visit friends on other floors of the dorm, which was unnecessarily restrictive. One weekly Target outing was offered. Other than that, students were unable to do anything else on weeknights.
You can control the air. Had one roommate and 2 other suit mates.
The dorm was amazing: new, artsy, lots of areas to hang out in. Suites had a small kitchen with a full fridge and microwave. Toilet paper was provided.
Great housing at Ringling College
It was at the Hyatt Regency, a hotel about 15 minutes away from the studios. It was mostly clean, but some people had bug problems and had to switch rooms. The hotel was just a bit old, for example, the elevators would sometimes get stuck and take a minute to start moving.
Housing was at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota
This year was a hotel rather than dorm. Hotel was very nice and they were given some access to the pool areas. SI was not given a specific floor so students were mixed in with regular guests. There were no issues but made me a bit nervous. Lunches were pre-made to take to studio and my dancer had to grocery shop due to every option being “dressed” with mayo/mustard already. At 16, my dancer could leave and walk within 20 min radius in groups of 3 or more and that was great because there were no sponsored trips to grocery/target.
Housing was in hotel - access to the pool and other amenities was nice, but the food wasn't that good and the hotel was kinda gross. There wasn't a lot of storage in the rooms and the mini fridge was tiny. Laundry was $3 to wash your clothes and $3 to dry your clothes, and we had to share the facilities with the other guests. The residential staff were all amazing! They really cared about each and every student and planned a lot of activities for us to participate in during the week.
In 2024, we stayed in a Hyatt Regency hotel, and had access to the pool for certain hours and dancers above 16 could rent paddle boards and kayaks for free. The food was great in general, but the lunches were not. I ended up packing an extra plate of dinner every night to take to the studio the next day.
Meals did not meet nutritional expectations for dancers that are athletes. There was only one option at most meals with no alternatives. Some students ended up DoorDash-ing frequently or buying snack foods at the 24 hour market. Dorm room itself was very nice and new.
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
Yes
How strict were dorms?
Just about right
Somewhat strict
Very strict
Infraction handling
Fair
N/A
Skewed depending on student
Skewed depending on the RA
Housing - Cleanliness
Laundry available
Yes
Laundry free
No
Unsure
Yes
Housing cleanliness
Dirty
1
2
3
4
5
Spotless
Cleaning required
No
Yes
Meal Plan
Meal plan
Yes
Food quality
Gross
1
2
3
4
5
Excellent
Enough food
No
Yes
Dietary needs?
No
Yes
Specific needs
Gluten and Dairy Free
gluten free, dairy free, nut and sesame free, oat free
None
tree nut allergy
vegetarian
Dietary options
Limited
1
2
3
4
5
Lots
Activities
Weeknight activities
No
Yes
Weekend outings
Yes
Attended weekend outings
I didn't attend any of them
Yes, all of them
Yes, some of them
Favorite
Sarasota organized several field trips for the students. During my DDs 3 weeks, the following activities were offered: Disney World, Sunset Boat Cruise, Siesta Key Beach Day, Movie Viewing- Royal Ballet presents Swan Lake at the Sarasota Opera House. Disney was her favorite
Na
the cruise and beach outings
Disney & Beach
The beach/ Disney hollywood studios
Disney world
Beach
Disney - Hollywood
Disney
Disney World
Siesta Beach Day
disney
Disney!!
Disney and shopping mall
Disney, Lido Beach
the beach
Disney World trip
Disney World
Universal Island of Adventures & Studios
Least favorite
None
Na
none
N/A
Disney if you don’t want to be there for very long (we were there from opening to closing)
Selby gardens
They were all great
n/a
none
The cruise. I would say it was a little boring, and we were told we would see dolphins and manatees. But they weren’t really any manatees, and not many dolphins either.
n/a
they all seemed fun
I loved all of the ones that I attended and didn't hear anything negative about the ones I didn't!
n/a
Logistics
Quality of handbook
Spotty
1
2
3
4
5
Comprehensive
Program communication
Limited
1
2
3
4
5
Comprehensive
Transportation
Private bus
Sarasota ballet vans
Sarasota Ballet vans
Walked with chaperone
Walked 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
DD liked the opportunity to practice and perform in the end of SI showcase. This is the first time she had a performance during an SI and it was a great experience.
Teachers and directors were great. My daughter was mildly injured and pt was fantastic.
Fantastic program, great attention to each dancer.
Teacher were very informative
Location, safety, ballet focus training with some extra classes, atmosphere
amazing teachers and welcoming environment
Racial diversity of students; Cuban and Argentinians gave the best classes
The training from year round teachers and learning new choreography.
The teachers
Exposure to the Company faculty
My daughter had a positive experience with teachers and classes. She felt challenged and loved the excursions.
It was amazing I loved it everyone was friendly and I improved a lot! I even got a year round offer and will be starting, I am so great full to Sarasota ballet and could not have had a better summer!😁
Teachers
the teachers
Positive learning environment with a lot of growth!
The teachers
show
The best aspect of the program for me was the teachers and the friends I made. I really enjoyed the tight knit community, and I felt comfortable there. The teachers were all very nice and helpful, and I really liked being taught by them. They helped me work on specific things and I was able to improve things I didn’t even know about before.
Access to the pool and freedom to leave the hotel (park and small beach across the street) was great for fun downtime. Beach trips and Disney trip on the weekend. Company members taught some levels and my dancer really appreciated the insight from working dancers. The theatre for the end of SI performance is gorgeous.
The amazing staff. They were all so positive and cared about each and every student. They encouraged students to try something new and gave amazing corrections every class.
small class sizes
I loved every single one of the teachers and felt that I got a wide variety of training and corrections, but I still felt like I had room to grow and explore my own artistry.
One of the best aspects of the program was the friendliness of other dancers from all over the country. I felt that I improved or some basic ballet technique like, port de bras or simple pointe steps.
Least liked about program
DD was disappointed to miss out on partnering yet again. Partnering was dependent on the age/experience of the male students in attendance. The top Level 4B had a weekly pas classes and their Showcase piece involved lots of partnering (there were 8 men in this group). Also, Level 2A & Level 3A had a “pas skills” class, and a few students got to partner in the Showcase piece (there were 6 boys total in this group). So even though my DD was in the second highest level, her group didn’t get partnering opportunities.
My daughter was only there the first three weeks and they added rehearsals during instruction time. I don’t think as much of the time should have been taken up for rehearsal for end of si performance.
The studio the put my dancer in dod not have mirrors. It was that way for 3 weeks. We wish they had rotated the dancers.
only certain dancers were given attention
The first week classes were very slow and my DD was so frustrated, the second and third weeks much better rhythm in classes, the last two weeks they basically focus in the performance. The extra classes didn’t really seem like they did a lot, and the other styles (contemporary, modern, musical theater) are not included in the performance, my daughter loved yoga but she just had it once and musical theatre two times.
not having much freedom to go anywhere
Organization and communication were terrible. The last week was a complete wash, as only one class a day was given, and the rest was rehearsal. Some students did not get to eat lunch during the final days as the transportation and rehearsal schedules were poorly timed.
The organization of transportation and the lack of classes during the three weeks in favor of rehearsals
disorganized
Strict dorming policies for even those older dancers
I was confused that her class never did Pilates or Yoga - She wanted to and neither cycled to her level (although I don’t know if there was a reason some levels got those classes and not others)
Nothing
Favoritism very evident
the floor was not well-sprung; my daughter's class was held in one of the college conference rooms, so they brought in a temporary sprung floor, but it wasn't as good as a permanent studio floor would have been.
n/a
No partnering for my age level, not enough conditioning offered
placment resulted in very unchallenging classes, in three weeks i had 1 stretch class and 1 PBT
The thing I liked least about this program was the studios. Most of them were very small and had bad lighting. Also, most of them didn’t have natural light or windows, so they felt very dingy. I was also disappointed that my level never had partnering. All the boys were placed in the highest levels, 4A and 4B, so they were the only ones that got partnering.
Not enough variety of instructors. Little to no individual attention. Few corrections.
Leveling was pretty heavy on age- if you were a certain age there was no chance you’d be in a higher level, regardless of ability. Only 5 boys total, so only the top level (99.9% year round trainees) had any partnering. My dancer was there the full five weekend and had 2 technique classes a day the first 2, she would have preferred more contemporary/rep/jazz/pointe options. And the last 3 weeks were very rehearsal centric- she lost a full class every day.
No live music,
Most of the studios at the Talahast location (the location for dancers 17 and younger) were pretty small and the one big one didn't have a mirror, but I actually liked having class without it.
I did not like the favoritism given to some students, and the unreasonable judgment or criticism given by some teachers. The favoritism was shown by multiple teachers to students from the Sarasota Ballet School Academy. One teacher in particular was harsh, unkind, and clearly not accepting of all body types.
Suggested changes to program
Partnering on more levels. I guess it depends on how many boy the program can attract though.
There would need to be a pool and more things for the students who dorm. My daughter did not dorm and I am so glad she didn’t because there was nothing for the students who stayed in the dorms to do after 4:30 daily. There should definitely be a pool for the students to relax and stretch in after a long day of dancing.
That my dancer would get a chance to be in a studio with mirrors at least some of the time.
better leveling
They sent a list with items to bring and dancers never used them (character skirt and shoes, white leotard and wrap skirts, Pilates equipment - bands, ball, Pilates ring). So it was frustrating added up money in things dancers didn’t use plus the room in the luggage for nothing. They didn’t have character at all and she was hoping for PBT and Pilates as SB promoted but she just had one of each in 5 weeks
I would not recommend the last two weeks of the program unless your dancer is looking for performance opportunities or stay year round
giving dancers more freedom to leave
Leveling was completely unfair. Students were prisoners of the dorm after class time and were not "supposed" to visit with friends on other floors or other dorm rooms. Classes were not challenging, with very few exceptions. The handbook was very misleading. Information changed significantly from the time it was released to the time or orientation. Students were asked to bring items they never used, and were aksed last minute to provide items that were not listed in the handbook.
Having more vans/ different transportation to get students to the dorms more easily, and having all studios in one location.
The studios were not very nice and they weren’t very big, some with no mirrors
A little more flexibility with dorm rules for older dancers
Pilates and yoga for all.
Nothing
Give more midweek excursions
My daughter would have liked more conditioning
I can’t think of anything based on our positive experience!
partnering for all age levels, daily conditioning offered.
smaller placment classes, 37 in a class is too many to be able to be placed fairly. bumping into people affects your technique. if arriving in week 3 they are unlikely to adjust level, since choreography starts immediately.
I would change the studios and have partnering for more than just the top levels.
Placement classes should be offered to all new incoming students, not just those starting at Week 1 and Week 3.
Evaluate all dancers at entry points of the program, leveling was good the first two weeks but could have been better weeks 3-5 lots of new students, all should be releveled
I very strongly disliked the lunches. It was some sort of sandwich or wrap - that had sat in a cooler all day and very often had an insane amount of mayonnaise on it - every day and there were no options except for those with dietary restrictions. This may have just been a personal thing since I know some people who liked some of the lunches, but I started bringing dinner from the night before because I couldn't stand to eat them.
I would change how placements are made to make it more clear that it is by age, ability, or skill. I would make sure that there were re-evaluations happening to match dancers to their appropriate level.
Culture of program
Sarasota had some great year round faculty plus accomplished guest faculty which made for a memorable summer. The “In Motion” performance was well attended by community members and parents and made for a great performance opportunity.
The intensive was fantastic. My daughter learned so much, the instructors and staff were so helpful and gave feedback. We love Sarasota Ballet, that is one of the reasons we keep coming back.
Fantastic! Very warm and friendly.
stressful, however good training
Nurturing, inclusive, fun, not challenging classes very little personal attention
had a very good growth mindset and sense of community
The community of students was friendly. Kids who attend the school are more "privileged" than outsiders.
Very positive and encouraging!
Caring and inclusive
Excellent! Positive, nurturing, supportive
Positive
Amazing!
Typical
encouraging, serious and intense training
Excellent! Sarasota is worth exploring, especially if you’re looking for a good selection of total weeks, as they include 2, 3 and 5 week options. My daughter still comments how much she learned in 3 weeks, especially when technical things she was taught ‘click’ during classes back at her home studio. The closing show was wonderful!
It was welcoming And a friendly environment
friendly
The culture was very friendly and inviting. I felt welcome. By the end of the intensive, I really felt like I was a part of the family.
good
Faculty was nice and good teachers, very encouraging of everyone. She made a lot of friends in her level.
Very positive and encouraging
welcoming
It was a very welcoming environment from both the dancers and the RAs. I made lots of friends, many of whom I am still in touch with.
I would say that the culture of the intensive was very harsh and unhealthy from many faculty but I often felt welcomed by the students. I would describe it as hostile when it comes to trying to communicate with teachers about issues within the studio, especially when placements are being poorly done and not being re-evaluated for better leveling. I tried to communicate with an adult and I was shut down and never reconsidered.
Other comments
The intensive is age appropriate for all dancers en pointe ages 12+. DD felt like there was considerable talent in the upper two levels where many students were applying for trainee and studio company positions. DD was surprised to learn there were quite a few dancers 19-22 years of age in attendance.
Lauren and Christopher and other staff and instructors, thank you for all you do!!!
Fantastic program, highly recommend!
the teachers force turnout, sometimes not adequate breaks are given
The program in general is great, beautiful area and very well organized. My daughter enjoyed her time there, made a lot of friends and liked most of the classes even though she won’t be back as far as she was looking for more challenging ballet classes and she feels she didn’t improve anything in 5 weeks
Run. Do not waste your time or money here. If your student is not properly placed, the risk of loss of strength and stamina is not worth it. There are much better options out there that ensure students make significant gains.
The program is very strong, but I think having older ra’s would be more comforting and more helpful
None
My dancer (17 yo) attends a pre-pro residential program year round so is very responsible and comfortable being on her own, as are we. She attended the 3 week program for exposure to the Company faculty and program. Fortunately, she was placed in the highest level (4B) so received partnering and appropriate skill level pieces for the final showing. There was quite a bit of rehearsing (understandably) but I feel that did compromise any other style teachings. She basically had morning tech & pointe class then all afternoon rehearsals, which for her -- worked out fine for the 3 weeks and I imagine it would have been different if she had been there for the full 5. The program met her summer goals but I'm not sure it would for others.
I was impressed by the level of care taken with the students’ safety and the quality of the housing and excursions. While my daughter has no food allergies, the cafeteria did offer a variety of alternatives for people who do.
Would highly recommend!💗💗💗
Highly recommend!
most teachers were good, but one talked down to me and said that i was not a hard worker.
if you’re not performing, week 5 many classes are replaced by rehearsals, not all dancers are cast for every show so you could conclude the program a day or two early and only watch others
The levels were 1, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, and 4b. The numbers correspond to an age group, and within the age group, whether you are in a or b depends on your ability. There were only about 4 or 5 boys in the whole program, and they were all placed in level 4b, regardless of age or ability (only level 4 got partnering classes). I was placed in 3a originally, but this level was too low for me so they ended up moving me and another dancer to 3b after the first two weeks which was a much better fit. They were also excellent with injuries. I had to go to urgent care for an infected blister and had to stay off pointe for about a week and the RAs were great at communicating with my parents and the teachers to ensure that I got the right medications and that I could just observe classes for a couple of days. We all got to take class with some of the principal dancers and two of them even choreographed and rehearsed my level's end of year dance. We got to watch excerpts from their recent performances at the Royal Opera House with the Royal Ballet and it was so inspiring to then get to take classes with them. I loved this intensive so so much and I would strongly recommend anyone to go because it was truly a wonderful experience.
The placement within the program was a mess. Many people I talked to throughout the intensive told me that they felt out of place in their levels or other people in their group were out of place. In other words the placements were almost random and not by skill, age, or ability. I was not challenged within my level and did not grow in my training or learn anything new. No re-evaluations happened, at all. I was placed poorly and below my ability.
The dining hall was disappointing. Many nights I was hungry or I was disgusted by the food that was served. There were times when we were served leftovers form lunches or dinners many nights in a row. Most meals were not nutritional/healthy for active dancers.
