Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 223
Total Reviews: 1727

School of Alberta Ballet

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

1
1
3
1
2

First time at a summer intensive?

3
5

Year of SI

1
4
2
1

Weeks available

8

Weeks attended

1
7

Reviewer

8

Curriculum

Techniques taught

7
1
1
1
2

Partnering (based on age)

8

Dedicated men's program?

6
2

# of boys in level

8

Other dance genres

9
7
6
2

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
5
3
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

5
1
1
1
2
5

PT offered?

2
6

Extra fee for PT?

3
5

Injury rate

5
3

Teaching

Who taught?

6
1
1

Guest teachers

2
6

Year-round teachers taught

2
6

Attention from teachers

Very Little
2
3
3
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
4
4
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

1
1
1
1
6
1

Studio space

Cramped
3
5
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
2
6
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

4
4

Saturday classes

1
7

Saturday class duration

7
1

Leveling

Leveling

3
5

Leveling type

7
1

Did students move levels?

1
7

Leveling fair?

2
6

Students per class

2
4
2

Performance

Performance?

7
1

Rehearsals happened

1

Casting equitability

Uneven
1
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
8
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

7
1

# of roommates

7

Bathrooms

1
1
1
4

Coed bathrooms

7

Air conditioning

7

Housing comment

  • Bathrooms are old, tubs don’t drain, Adult dancers live on the same floor, so do male dancers, campus is far from anything, too much free time, no caffeine allowed
  • Required a shuttle to the dance studios.
  • No
  • No
  • Housing at college campus, 15 min. drive; each unit has a common area with kitchen (permission req'd to use stove/oven) and seating with tv shared by 8 dancers; bathtubs slow to drain; filthy mattress; humid-one small fan per shared room; tennis courts and volleyball nets; walking distance to Dollarama and Starbucks
  • Students share a dresser (two drawers) and desk in the university dorms. Rooms are small and two to a room. There were no evening activities (only a few crafty things teenagers weren't into) and only one off campus weekend activity. Students had too much time on their hands evenings and weekends and this led to multiple social problems. Eight students are divided into units, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms per unit. No real mingling ouside of unit so students don't get to know other kids in residence. Laundry facility is in a different university dorm building and payment is required. Not a great situation for younger students. Staff were good and quick to deal with issues they knew about.
  • Created a homey atmosphere that made it quite comfortable and inviting

Where did they stay?

1

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

7

Curfew reasonable?

7

Room check

7

How strict were dorms?

7

Infraction handling

2
4
1

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

7

Laundry free

6
1

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
2
4
1
Spotless

Cleaning required

7

Meal Plan

Meal plan

7

Food quality

Gross
1
1
3
2
Excellent

Enough food

1
6

Dietary needs?

5
2

Specific needs

1
1

Dietary options

Limited
1
1
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

1
6

Weekend outings

2
6

Attended weekend outings

1
5

Favorite

  • All activities were mandatory
  • Heritage Park
  • Swimmingna
  • Swimming
  • Outings: bbq/picnic on site, swimming at campus pool, Heritage Park in Calgary (fave); Evening activities: great, but few attended; Rock-climbing wall on campus (pre-arranged by parent)

Least favorite

  • See above
  • None, she enjoyed them all
  • Na
  • Na

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
3
5
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
1
1
2
4
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
7

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
4
4
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
1
7
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • The studios, teachers, very small class
  • Great first intensive away from home, safe and secure from parent perspective, and fun from dancer’s perspective.
  • Confidence building
  • Improvement in my dancer
  • excellent instruction; enjoyable experience
  • The ballet training is excellent.
  • High level of ballet training, kind & positive instructors, hidden gem ballet school
  • It was a great, balanced intensive. The quality of instruction was great. The class culture was kind (no drama).

Least liked about program

  • Only 1 Saturday class (not even a full day), food, dorms
  • The shuttle to the studios made mornings very early in terms of the schedule.
  • Placement from audition, 9 months prior
  • Placement
  • additional $200 fee to attend a lunch-time audition class with others who also paid the fee to be considered for their full-year program
  • Housing
  • No windows or natural light in the studios
  • The building is under going renovations but hopefully it will be done by next summer!

Suggested changes to program

  • The housing. Not much to do and too much free time.
  • Would have been better if residence was closer to the studios, and my dancer who is a picky eater didn’t like the food much.
  • Placement
  • Na
  • smaller classes, more individualized attention, classes both Saturdays, housing, meal plan
  • Housing
  • Residence closer to school
  • N/a

Culture of program

  • Supportive
  • It was friendly and fun, while still good training and providing challenge.
  • Na
  • Helpful and inviting
  • positive
  • Positive
  • Very positive, challenging, and fun.
  • Really good. Good kids.

Other comments

  • Na
  • Na
  • The dance portion was excellent but over-shadowed by a negative housing experience.
  • Some company members would train with the intensive students. This was a nice added element for the students. Overall, highly recommend this program. There are two intensives in summer. One is for more serious dancers including some of the year round dancers. This is the intensive dancer attended and recommended.
  • N/a
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