BALLET HELP DESK

Summer Intensive Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 223
Total Reviews: 1727

School of American Ballet

Summer Intensive Reviews

General

Dancer age

7
8
3
8
3
1

Gender

24
6

First time at a summer intensive?

26
4

Year of SI

1
1
4
12
6
6

Weeks available

30

Weeks attended

30

Reviewer

1
4
24
1

Curriculum

Techniques taught

30

Partnering (based on age)

10
4
3
1
12

Dedicated men's program?

2
28

# of boys in level

16
4
3
3
4

Other dance genres

4
19
1
1
17
1
1
2
1
1
2
1
1

Quality of other classes

Not Helpful
1
12
8
9
Helpful

Injury Prevention

Strength classes?

2
1
1
29
2
1
7
1

PT offered?

2
28

Extra fee for PT?

23
7

Injury rate

5
23
1
1

Teaching

Who taught?

9
21

Guest teachers

1
2
27

Year-round teachers taught

8
1
17
4

Attention from teachers

Very Little
9
10
11
A Lot

Technique improved?

No
1
4
13
12
Yes - Tremendously

Studios

Dance floors

1
29

Studio space

Cramped
2
12
16
Lots of Space

Studio cleanliness

Dirty
11
19
Spotless

Schedule

Classes per day

1
24
5

Saturday classes

1
29

Saturday class duration

1
28
1

Leveling

Leveling

30

Leveling type

14
13
3

Did students move levels?

21
8

Leveling fair?

3
27

Students per class

3
18
9

Performance

Performance?

1
24
5

Rehearsals happened

6

Casting equitability

Uneven
2
1
2
1
Even

Rehearsals detracted from class?

Completely
1
2
27
Not At All

Housing - General

Housing provided

30

# of roommates

3
17
7
1
2

Bathrooms

1
1
28

Coed bathrooms

30

Air conditioning

30

Housing comment

  • It was a covid year so no one had roommates, only suite mates. You're only allowed to leave the dorms for four hours at a time even when you have the whole day off. And, you have to come back and physically check in rather than calling in.
  • Older kids are housed in the Juilliard floors in suites which include up to 4 rooms (2 beds in each room, although some are also set up as singles). There are 2 bathrooms in each suite.
  • Students stay in the same building as the studios. The rooms are a bit cramped with 3 beds. She was in a suite with 9 girls total (3 rooms of 3). There were 2 showers and three toilets/sinks. One small refrigerator. Rooms have AC. Plenty of closet space/dresser space for 5 weeks. Some rooms have great city views (not my daughter’s unfortunately). Beds were comfy.
  • The SAB dorms were at capacity, so they needed to use the Julliard dorms in the same building. I don't think they were as nice as the SAB dorms.
  • Had trouble with AC in room, never seemed to get resolved.
  • You set your own child’s restrictions on leaving the dorms
  • My daughter was on one of the SAB floors (some students are housed in the Julliard dorms). Her room was incredible. Quite large, nicest dorm room I have ever seen. But the Julliard ones are much smaller, I believe.
  • The year my daughter went was after Covid so they only had 2 to a room that year so it felt very spacious. Usually there are 3 to a room within a suite attached to 2-3 other rooms which share 1.5-2 bathrooms. Dorms are in the same high rise building as the studios. The building is in a safe neighborhood of Manhattan on the Upper West Side. Lots of activity and tourists near Lincoln Center.
  • Housing in building with the studios and the cafeteria. Very safe with appropriate boundaries for safety while providing flexibility approved by families
  • Safe building, suites with both single and shared rooms. In same building as studios.
  • Great views and they are nicer than most college dorms. My dancer loved the suites.
  • 10 students per suite
  • Stayed in Julliard dorms. I liked the number of girls per room and the size of the room. Good space for ability to relax and feel comfortable away from home.
  • single room are available
  • The AC did not always work.
  • Rooms have great views! There were 3 bathroom/shower rooms per 5-room suite (7 people total) on my dancer's floor, which was better than we were expecting. Rooms weren't spotless but most everything worked and they all had AC. So convenient to have housing in same building as the studio so they can go to rooms between classes to change.
  • very nice and very convenient
  • Some students are housed on SAB floors and some on Juilliard floors. The rooms on SAB floors are significantly nicer. You pay a laundry fee at registration which is reasonable

Housing - Supervision

Curfew

30

Curfew reasonable?

30

Room check

1
29

How strict were dorms?

15
1
7
7

Infraction handling

22
6
1
1

Housing - Cleanliness

Laundry available

30

Laundry free

11
1
18

Housing cleanliness

Dirty
7
16
7
Spotless

Cleaning required

9
21

Meal Plan

Meal plan

30

Food quality

Gross
8
15
7
Excellent

Enough food

1
29

Dietary needs?

28
2

Specific needs

  • Vegan, but dd did end up eating a few meals that included eggs and dairy since there were some days that the vegan options were either not filling enough or were not varied from day to day.
  • Tree and nut allergy

Dietary options

Limited
1
1
Lots

Activities

Weeknight activities

1
29

Weekend outings

1
29

Attended weekend outings

5
24

Favorite

  • Toss up between going to Saratoga to see NYCB perform and going to see Broadway shows
  • NYCB in Saratoga and the Yankees game
  • They were all great! Here is the list: . There is also a huge list of optional additional cost activities. We opted for most since it was my daughter’s first away SI. Cost was around $750 if you did everything, but that included multiple Broadway shows, ABT Ballet, NYCB Saratoga Springs Ballet (which was unfortunately cancelled due to the heat wave), Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty tour, Central Park Tour, One World Observatory, Circle Line Cruise, NYC Double Decker Bus Tour, Freed of NYC private shoe fitting, and more!
  • Broadway show!
  • NY Yankees game
  • Broadway shows
  • Sarasota
  • Broadway shows & ABT performance
  • Saratoga NYCB
  • Double Decker Bus Tour of NYC
  • The ballet and the night cruise
  • Broadway shows, double decker bus and boat cruise
  • Double decker bus tour, trip to Saratoga Springs to see a NYCB performance
  • Going to Saratoga to watch NYCB, ABT performance on 4th of july, double decker bus, circle line cruise.
  • Baseball game, broadway show, ABT ballet, NYCB ballet, bus tour
  • All of them!
  • Not sure
  • The Despicable Me 4 movie or Yankees game
  • Broadway
  • Yankee game, Broadway shows
  • boat cruise and broadway shows
  • ABT Swan Lake and Winters Tale
  • ABT Swan Lake
  • Empire State Building, ABT Ballets, Bus Tour, Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour
  • ballet performances, broadway and all tours with pretty city views
  • Saratoga (only for kids who are at least 14?
  • Going to the ballet and Yankees game

Least favorite

  • Depends on the dancer. My dd has been to NYC before so didn't care to do the touristy/sightseeing things. Plus, the older kids tend to want to go out on weekends and explore/hang out/go shopping.
  • None
  • None!
  • All of them offered!
  • They were all good, she was tired so maybe some of the walking ones I shouldn't have signed her up for.
  • If you’ve been to the city any of the parks/bridges.
  • None. I think it depends on how often the dancer has been to NYC. For example, my dancer didn't do some of the walking tours because she has been to NYC many times.
  • N/A
  • Walking tours - dancers feet were very tired and sore
  • Not a huge fan of the movie outing.
  • n/a
  • Outdoor outings with lots of walking
  • no
  • N/A
  • NA felt they were all good.

Logistics

Quality of handbook

Spotty
2
28
Comprehensive

Program communication

Limited
6
24
Comprehensive

Transportation

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
10
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
4

Neighborhood safety

Not Safe
1
12
17
Very Safe

General Comments

Overall recommendation

Definitely Not
1
2
5
22
Absolutely

Best aspect

  • Getting to be really immersed in the Balanchine style. Learning Balanchine variations and stylistically, Balanchine choreography
  • As a parent, the communications from SAB are unparalleled, from the moment your child is accepted to pick up day at the end of the course. They think of every detail. From my dd's perspective, she loved being right there at Lincoln Center (inspiring!) and learning the Balanchine technique (not the training style of her home school).
  • Learning the Balanchine style, having all technique classes en pointe (this was level dependent)
  • The teachers & learning Balanchine
  • Very organized, dorms and studios in the same building, meal plan included with great cafeteria, great instruction, serious environment, not one complaint.
  • Location is amazing and ability to watch ABT summer series, go to the Met and experience NYC
  • The teachers are all amazing
  • Attention to detail
  • The balanchine training, the set-up of the dorms, and the communication from the school. SAB's summer is so well-organized and the training is top notch. There are a few guest teachers but most of the faculty are the year-round faculty, many of whom have been there for decades. My daughter was one of the youngest so she did not have partnering or contemporary but she did have character and I still felt even though she was in a lower level that she improved a lot.
  • The range of classes and teachers and the complete immersive-ness of the balanchine technique.
  • The level of detail corrections all the instructors gave the students. Able to observe once a week.
  • Very organized and rigid schedule
  • Very well run and seamless program, great communication and quality of teaching.
  • HIGH quality instruction, intentional attention to each student, excellent coordination and communication, always felt so welcome
  • Prestige of company/ school/ teachers
  • I really enjoyed getting to really learn all about he Balanchine technique. I also really enjoyed the teachers.
  • The teachers my dancer was taught by were phenomenal. There was a lot of class time but not an overwhelming amount. 4.5-5 hours per day with appropriate breaks
  • While SAB is prestigious, it is a surprisingly welcoming and forward-thinking environment, both in and out of the studio. Teachers are exuberant and affable and most know students’ names by week two. My dancer felt she received individualized attention. My dancer was in a larger class but felt that all corrections given to others applied to her as well because the class leveling was more dialed-in than any other SIs she’s attended. My dancer has Pas/Adagio classes at home and at other intensives, but she loved it here the most. More boys, more teachers with experience working with both boy and girls at the same time. There are many opinions on style/technique out there and how you should approach this when it comes to SIs, vs what style you train in year-round. Cecchetti, Vagonova, French, Balanchine, etc. My dancer is Vagonova-trained but improved tremendously in 5 weeks. Not only in Balanchine, but after returning to her home studio, she was stronger. More, effortless turns, even after reverting back into Vagonova at home. There is a focus on health and wellness - including social and emotional needs, as well as nutrition - for both students in-person, and parents via webinars. There is sense this is an institutional priority which we noticed and welcomed. The program is extremely well-run and with a high level of communication from communications staff and administrative residence life staff. SAB is very transparent in communications to parents. SAB also welcomes parents to watch classes every Friday of each of the 5 weeks. The entire last week of the SI, parents are invited to watch every day they wish.
  • Being in NYC with lots of talented dancers
  • The Fun and Training
  • Overall training and opportunity to audition for / attend SAB Winter Term.
  • It's SAB....it's seen as a ballet 'right of passage'. The closest to an NYCB dancer my girl will get so it was more of a bucket list SI. I do think it opened doors on her 'ballet resume' but did not choose it for that reason.
  • Communication, transparency, quality of instruction, facilities, and culture
  • Learning a new style of dance and there teachers were good.
  • The teachers were excellent, as were the facilities (housing, cafe). There were so many activities for the kids and the dancers my dancer encountered were kind and supportive. Definitely hoping to return again!
  • everything, the training is outstanding, culture is competitive but highly supportive, the facilities are amazing, communication is fantastic
  • Studios and dorm are in the same building
  • Top notch training with amazing instructors

Least liked about program

  • The choreography rehearsals cut into dinner and finished right at curfew. So, my dancer often missed meals and was not able to go out to get food.
  • Not much to dislike from a parent POV.
  • Nothing really. The competitiveness for winter term invites was intense but not in a negative way.
  • Sharing a room (used to having her own room)
  • Long wait at check in, but other than that, nothing.
  • DD has decided against Balanchine technique so if you think your dancer isn't in to Balanchine they probably won't enjoy this intensive
  • Not basing leveling fully on ability
  • Many students very anxious about getting invite to year round
  • Move out day was a bit of a pain with limited elevators. But not that much they could do about that except potentially staggering the times as they did with move in.
  • Dining hall hours (even though you are eating, sleeping, living, dancing in the same building) were limited as it pertained to the actual dancing hours.
  • NA
  • Big classes
  • Not that many classes so there was a lot of downtime.
  • Dancer was looking for some additional styles of dance to break up the week from all ballet
  • Amount of daily classes
  • Not a ton of classes and opportunities for lower levels.
  • n/a
  • Noting but Ballet, Pilates and character for lower levels
  • Only 2 classes for 12 yr olds
  • My son didn't like the "lights out" policy.
  • Not intense considering the prestigious name and amazing staff/facilities. A lot of down time.
  • Only level 3 and above have contemporary and partnering
  • Teacher weren’t very detailed in their critics
  • The meal times were a challenge with the schedule. Most days, my dancer didn't start until noon so would have to eat twice before then since the first class didn't end until 2:00, which was too late for lunch. It would have been nice for the younger levels to have some sort of performance or opportunity to learn choreography other than the 1x week variations class. There was no partnering for the younger levels either.
  • Very stressful for those ages 14 and up as it is essentially a 5-week audition for the winter program. Winter invites tend to go to those who fit a certain body type (long legs, high arched feet)
  • The uncertainty of whether a year-round invite would come and how those rolled out.

Suggested changes to program

  • Add a few more classes. Make the day not so spread out where classes were back to back. Rework the policy about students having to physically check in every four hours to the dorms even on days off. Older students should be able to call in.
  • My dd didn't feel the ballroom classes were very remarkable/useful. It would have been nice to have contemporary classes instead. She and her friends mentioned this to Darla Hoover last summer and it may have helped contribute to them now adding contemporary classes to their summer course for 2023!
  • She did wish they had modern during the week and that her level has participated in the performance at the end of the intensive.
  • To received more feedback from teachers about dancer (weaknesses, strengths, etc)
  • There were large gaps between classes, it was a problem for students that were not dorming and an inconvenience for those that did dorm. DD felt once you got warmed up you had a 2 hour break and then were expected back to class.
  • More partnering classes
  • Separate SI experience from year round audition
  • I wish the younger levels also had contemporary but my daughter was fine with not having it.
  • NA
  • More partnering classes
  • More classes
  • Stronger contemporary and addition of jazz and/or ballroom (ballroom was replaced with contemporary), more partnering
  • More daily classes
  • More classes.
  • Maybe some more personal corrections as class size is quite large, but not a deal breaker at all. My student improved tremendously.
  • n/a
  • More variety
  • More classes for 12-year-olds
  • Perhaps a jazz class would be fun and good for cross training.
  • More class time or additional cross training ops.
  • Nothing - it was an excellent experience
  • NA
  • Would prefer 2, 3, and 4 week option, not just 5. And more variations classes and a partnering class for the younger levels.
  • More feedback from teachers.
  • It was an amazing program. Perhaps if the choreography performance was closer to the last day of intensive so we didn’t have to be in NY as long before taking our dancer home.

Culture of program

  • everyone who was there wanted to stay year-round so it got pretty competitive. If you don't want to stay year-round it's pretty low-key.
  • For girls, the studio culture can feel very competitive, like a 5 week long audition. Outside of the studio, so much of the culture depends on how well you get along with your room/suite mates. My dd and her roommates bonded very quickly and they had karaoke/dance parties in their suites practically every night. They were very good about being inclusive of everyone, even when they were rooming with dancers in different levels. In my dd's experience, SAB staff and dorm RA's do a great job creating a culture of belonging and inclusivity among all students.
  • Focused, competitive, challenging
  • Intense, serious, high performing environment, nurturing/kind teachers, great facilities, super organized program manager.
  • It is well structured and supervised, at 15 my DD thought it was a little too supervised (multiple check ins at night, some nights she was asleep before the 11pm check in so friends had to check in for her). School was very communicative and responsive.
  • Enjoyable
  • Good
  • Diverse
  • Competitive
  • Even at the youngest ages, the students were all very focused. At the youngest levels, the students and teachers are all very supportive. I think maybe it is less competitive to get accepted at ages 12-13, and there is camaraderie within this age group since they are not considered for Winter Term. Not sure what it is like in the older levels.
  • Welcoming by staff and fellow students, strong driven students, but not overwhelming with toxic competition
  • Supportive
  • Hard working while also fun.
  • Seemed very friendly and thoughtful about the well being of these dancers
  • Top-notch. Welcoming. Professional. Lives up to the reputation both in the studio, and in residence life
  • Nurturing
  • Serious ballet students who have fun working hard and making friends.
  • Mildly cliqueish? I think there is so much pressure to land in a certain level so you are 'seen' that if you aren't you spend the summer feeling like you are not good enough to be there....feels similar to the attitude in the comp circuit. A few girls were sent home for disobeying curfew/check out rules and another for having a 'burn book' of who should/shouldn't be there. Glad the school handled appropriately.
  • Supportive, challenging, inspiring, competitive
  • Very inclusive
  • inspiring, supportive, fun
  • very competitive and very supportive
  • Students were kind but the environment is stressful
  • Demanding but very kind.

Other comments

  • It's the best place to go if you want to learn Balanchine
  • Encourage students to focus on soaking in the experience rather than worrying about winter term invitations. Also, while SAB claims that they don't care what kind of pointe ("toe") shoes girls wear, some teachers really like to see them in Freeds. And they want them in as narrow of a shoe as possible, so they don't look like they're dancing on "soda cans." If your dancer doesn't normally dance in Freeds, you might consider getting them fitted in one and bringing at least one pair that they feel comfortable in before they arrive so they can try it out the first week of classes (but not for the placement day class if that's not their regular shoe!). The Freed pointe shoe fitting in Long Island City was not until the second week.
  • My daughter said it felt like a 5 week audition which was a little stressful but that's partly why it pushed her harder than anywhere she's gone before. So she didn't consider that a negative. While the dancers were competitive, they were also kind and supportive which was great.
  • My daughter felt it was a good intensive for all invited ages 12-18 years. There were a lot of younger girls in attendance (12-13 years). Did not appear to be many girls in the 17-18 age range. Extraordinary experience to train with teachers who were taught and danced for Mr. George Balanchine (teachers shared lots of training tips and stories from their time with him)
  • Reputation and prestige is accurate, it's a top notch program from top to bottom.
  • Group VI will have classes each week on the following days and times: Monday 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Technique 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Pointe Tuesday 9:30 – 11:30 p.m. Technique 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Technique 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Contemporary Wednesday 9:30 – 11:30 p.m. Technique 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Adagio 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Technique Thursday 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Technique 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Technique 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Variations Friday 10:30 – 11:30 p.m.Pilates 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Technique 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Variations Saturday 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Technique 11:30 – 12:30 p.m.Choreography Composition
  • Loved the communication and efforts to ensure wellness of whole dancer as a student
  • Some of the questions I answered for the program as a whole (i.e. which classes were offered) even though my daughter didn't have them. Also while the younger levels have no performance, there is a choreographic workshop that the oldest students are in. In terms of levels, it seemed to be mostly age-based with some exceptions. I believe one or two students were moved around, but not many. SAB's programs get a lot of flack for not being intensive enough but my daughter was pushed. For example, they may have some days with only 2 classes, technique and pointe, but technique is 2 hours and it is intensive, even for the lowest levels. And yes, the class sizes are 20-24 usually, but my daughter still felt she got a lot of personal attention.
  • SAB framed Covid, of all things, as a DEI initiative -- which is WILD. In the year of our Lord 2023 they tested EVERYONE upon entry and made everyone wear masks on move-in day and then again on Move out day 5 weeks later. I want to emphasize this was NOT a surprise. We had been informed/warned/alerted to all of this. So we went in with our eyes WIDE OPEN. What was so disheartening, is that they would frame Covid as a DEI initiative in the first place but as the 5 weeks went on it became apparent to them (as it was to the rest of the entire world) that this level of Covid hysteria was just not going to work. The shift was so dramatic that there was zero enforcement at move out despite it being in the handbook and them hammering it to us for months ahead of time. Additionally, they ultimately (and I am not complaining) relaxed their Covid protocols, when it came to close contact testing, close contact masking -- but of course no one is remotely thinking of the mental health of the students more than the parents. Ultimately making a big deal of Covid being a DEI issue -- then renegging on those issues really waters down the other important DEI inititaves in my mind.
  • The faculty/teachers are exceptional
  • At the lower levels, classes are focused on the basics, clean technique and introduction to Balanchine technique. Although it was not as "intensive" as some other SI's, it was just perfect for my 12-year-old who was going through massive growth spurts and was worried about getting injured. It was a wonderful happy first SI experience at a very professionally run world class studio in a fun and exciting City. Highly recommend!
  • Nope :)
  • My daughter loved every bit of it and would love to return
  • There are more ballet hours happening at SAB 5 wk SI than what some have stated in ballet forums; they see “3 classes/day” in the literature, and assume that’s less dancing than other SIs. Yet many of my dancer's pointe and technique classes were longer in minutes than at other SIs. Technique classes were all 2 hours, except on Saturday which was 1.5 hours. On Mondays she had two technique classes - one was 2 hours, the second one was 1.5 hrs. Pointe was always 1.5 hours. (And then Variations, Pas, Contemporary, Music, Pilates) And classes are 6 days a week. My dancer felt it was ideal. Also note, at age 15, ALL classes are en pointe. The balance between studio time, excursion time, and time to do your own thing was perfect and one of the things my dancer appreciated the most
  • If you don't like the Balanchine style, this is not a good program for you. If you do like the Balanchine style, or are open to it, it can be a life changing experience.
  • The individual corrections received are somewhat surface level. I told my dancer to ask a teacher she felt comfortable with for some more individual feedback at the end of a class but unfortunately this teacher still gave watered down feedback and was more attentive to the students wanting to take photos. Getting to train with some of these teachers is a once in a life time opportunity for dancers and to get brushed off is a bit sad for a young dancer who doesn't come from a trendy home-studio. Feels political in that sense. The dancers there already know when they meet someone coming from certain year-round programs to SAB that those students will get more attention and feedback.
  • I was really impressed with SAB's commitment to foster not only technique and artistry, but a sense of personal growth in each dancer. They encouraged problem solving and resilience in their students and gave them the perfect amount of freedom according to their age and parental permission.
  • The end of si show was only for adv men and level 7 women
  • It's excellent all the way around, for parents and for dancers.
  • It was a life-changing experience! Would definitely love to attend again.
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