Bayer Ballet Academy

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Dancer

Program:

Bayer Ballet Academy

Season Attended:

2023-24

# Of Levels In School:

Day Program was separate from the rest of the levels. Students were either in the lower level of Day Program, equivalent to Apprentice Level or higher level of Day Program, equivalent to Pre-Pro Level

Dancer Age:

Hours of Dance Each Week:

More than 26 hours

Company Affliated?

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Years At School:

3 years

Full time or after school?

Full-Time

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Yes

Weekend Schedule:

Full day

Students Per Class:

Less than 10

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Pointe Classes Per Week:

N/A

Live Music in Technique Class?

Dedicated Men's Program?

Boys In Level:

There were no boys in my level

Techniques Taught:

Vaganova

Technique Teacher Rotation:

Usually the same every day

Did School Director Teach?

Always

Classroom Corrections:

Dancer specific: almost every dancer got specific corrections each day

Attention From Teachers:


Very Little	A Lot

Quality of Instruction:


Poor	Excellent

Did Technique Improve?


Not at all	Tremendously

Curriculum Comments:

The Day Program classes were scheduled from 10-2. It was supposed to be class, then pointe or repertoire or variations or partnering. It was just ballet class though and we usually didn't even get through a whole class in 4 hours. On weekends Day Program students joined the pre-pro level class.

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

No partnering

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

None

Contemporary Offered?

Master Classes?

Yes

Master Classes Description:

YAGP judges visited and gave master classes. The director's favorite students got to take private lessons with them. The students were then advised as to which YAGP locations they should compete and how they should change their variations to get the best chances of winning.

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

How Parents Notified?

School called parent

How Treatment Obtained?

One of the students has a dad who is an acupuncturist and students were usually sent to him or to one of the director's Russian doctor friends.

PT Available?

Was There a Recovery Plan?

Mental Health Therapists Available?

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

Yes

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

Yes

Were Students Weighed?

Was "Coded Language" Used?

Yes

Additional Comments:

Injuries were very common because of the insistence on forced turnout for all students, plus the crazy number of hours we spent in the studio. Rehearsals sometimes lasted all day, so we would be in the studio for over 12 hours. The director was insanely cruel and students were regularly screamed at. She would threaten to take students out of parts all the time, but she only followed through if they weren't her favorites. It's a very unhealthy place to be.

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?

Rehearsal Impact on Classes:

Rehearsal Hours:

More than 10

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

Competition

School Does Competitions?

Yes

Competitions Required?

% of Students Who Performed:

100%

How Chosen?

none

Competitions Cost Extra?

Yes. Daily coaching at $130 per hour plus $30 studio rental fee, cost of costumes from director's selected providers, pay for director's travel and meals.

Separate Competition Rehearsals?

Yes

Competition Interfered With Training?

Some of both. It was pretty much the entire focus of training for most of the year but there were so many rehearsals you couldn't help but improve. But all those hours in the studio with Inna screaming were really hard to take.

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Handboook & Paperwork:

No handbook provided

Quality of Communication?


Poor	Excellent

Who Received Communication?

With parents and students

Exams

Formal Exam?

Yes

Written Feedback?

Exam Adjudicator:

Internal

Exam Rubrics Clear?

Strongly disagree

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

Well Prepared For Exam?


Not at all	Completely

How Heavily Did Exams Weigh in Promotions:


Not at all	Heavily

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?


Not	Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?


Not	Completely

Describe School Culture:

Traumatizing, harmful, abusive, unsafe, destructive

Placement Notification Timing:

Did not return

How Dancer Was Notified:

Written communication via email or regular mail

Dancer Had Mentor?

Mentoring Details:

none

Overall School Culture:


Lord of the Flies	Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Highest Levels of School?

There are no bridge levels (If you chose this answer, please skip next question)

Where Graduates Who Do Not Get Bridge Level Go:

A few find positions elsewhere but most leave ballet

How Many Left and Went to College?

None

Career Support:

Received no help - I was on my own

Describe How School Helped:

Mostly told I shouldn't accept other offers. This involved meetings with student and parents with Inna insisting only she could provide the right training and students who leave her always fail.

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building:

Safety of Area Around School?


Not Safe	Extremely Safe

Studio Space:


Cramped	Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness:


Dirty	Spotless

Housing

Was Housing Provided?

Where Did Dancer Live?

Lived at home

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