Ballet Chicago

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Parent with dancer input

Program:

Ballet Chicago

Season Attended:

2021-22

# Of Levels In School:

Studio Company is 6-8 (BC itself is pre-5)

Dancer Age:

Company Affliated?

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Yes

Please Describe Scholarship:

75% of tuition, not the norm. Most paid $7-9,000 a year

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Yes

Weekend Schedule:

Half day

Students Per Class:

25-30

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Yes

Pointe Classes Per Week:

Live Music in Technique Class?

Yes

Dedicated Men's Program?

Yes

Boys In Level:

Less than 5

Separate Technique Class for Boys:

Techniques Taught:

Balanchine

Technique Teacher Rotation:

The school rotated teachers on a fixed schedule

Did School Director Teach?

Occasionally

Classroom Corrections:

Dancer specific: detailed but only a few dancers consistently got corrections

Attention From Teachers:


Very Little	A Lot

Quality of Instruction:


Poor	Excellent

Did Technique Improve?


Not at all	Tremendously

Curriculum Comments:

Technique daily, modern once a week, pointe 4 times a week, rep once a week, rehearsals Fridays and Saturdays.

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

No partnering

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

Modern, Horton

Other Class Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

Master Classes?

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Yes

Physical Training Types:

Pilates (mat or reformer), Stretch class

Physical Training Schedule:

Once or twice a week

Were Trainers Certified?

Yes

Physical Training Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

How Parents Notified?

My student did not get injured

PT Available?

Was There a Recovery Plan?

My dancer did not get injured

Mental Health Therapists Available?

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

Were Students Weighed?

Was "Coded Language" Used?

Yes

Performances: Winter Show/ Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities:

2-3

School Winter Show?

Yes

Company or School Show?

School puts on it's own production and students dance all the parts

Cast in Winter Show?

Yes

How Chosen:

Chosen by school director or the company artistic staff

Winter Show Role:

Dancing part

Were You Paid?

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

Yes

Kind of Part Given?

Dancing part

How Chosen:

A few students are chosen by the Artistic Staff

Was Casting Fair?

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

Perfomance Opportunities:

BC has its own company so there are plentiful performance and on-stage opportunities

Were You Paid?

Competition

School Does Competitions?

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Yes

Handboook & Paperwork:

Fairly comprehensive but missing a few pieces

Quality of Communication?


Poor	Excellent

Who Received Communication?

With parents and students

Exams

Formal Exam?

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?


Not	Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?


Not	Completely

Describe School Culture:

Revolves around the clear favorites ($$$ support from parents)

Placement Notification Timing:

end of year report

Overall School Culture:


Lord of the Flies	Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Is Student In Upper Levels?

Yes

Highest Levels of School?

Studio Company

How Many Promoted Internally to Bridge Level:

N/A

How Many Come From Outside to Bridge Level?

N/A

How Many Left and Went to College?

half

Career Support:

Received no help - I was on my own

Describe How School Helped:

School does not help with auditions/placements

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building:

Yes

Safety of Area Around School?


Not Safe	Extremely Safe

Studio Space:


Cramped	Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness:


Dirty	Spotless

Housing

Did Dancer Stay in Provided Housing?

Academics

How Did Academics Work?

Separate e.g. online, independent study, etc.

Academic Support:

There were no formal study requirements. Students were on their own

Did the School Support Academics?


Didn't support	Definitely supported

Overall Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction:

B+

Career Support and Placement:

Emotional Support:

Housing & Food:

N/A

Performance Opportunities:

B+

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

Performance opportunities, older dancers (college aged dancers and college graduates)

Program's Worst Aspect:

Favoritism-especially by associate artistic director, pre-casting

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

associate artistic director set a culture and tone that was not supportive or inclusive

Anything Else We Should Know?

$$ talks here, but instruction is top notch. If you are one of the lucky two-three that are a favorite, you will have a ton of performance opportunities and support. If not, the instruction is great and you will improve, just not as much as if you were getting seen and taught

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