Carolina Ballet

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Dancer

Program:

Carolina Ballet

Season Attended:

2023-24

# Of Levels In School:

Beginning 1 (usually 6-7), beginning 2 (7-9), intermediate 1 (9-11), intermediate 2 (11-13), Advanced 1 (13-15), advanced 2 (15-18), prepro (invite only and get to perform with the company, anywhere from 16-20)

Dancer Age:

Company Affliated?

Yes

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Years At School:

7 or more years

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Yes

Weekend Schedule:

Half day

Students Per Class:

Less than 10

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Yes

Pointe Classes Per Week:

Live Music in Technique Class?

Yes

Dedicated Men's Program?

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?

Often

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:

Once you get to advanced 1, you have the option to add morning classes. I was the only one that did. If you do, you are combined with the prepros which i think really improved my technique. As it is a very new school, and i am in the smallest level, we only had 8 people in our class and so we all get lots of attention and personal corrections. Advanced 2 and prepro are combined for every class as those are quite small levels too. I usually have Morning class, then afternoon tech, then pointe, then either pas, variations, or conditioning or a different style of some sort. On saturday we just have one technique class with our supper hard, supper awesome teacher, Shomaree!! The teachers are the sweetest people you have ever met and i get to learn so much from them. The majority of them are also principals with the company. You grow very close relationships to all of your teachers. If anyone from SCB reads it they will probably know who it is because i am like CB's biggest fan! I will say, once you get older, especially when older girls come from other states and schools (usually NYC!) they get pretty mean. Which you will encounter literally at every ballet school in the world. But I just ignore them for the most part. I can not convey to someone quite how amazing our teachers are! Also the fact that we get to learn from Debra Austin of NYCB!!!!!!! This is like a lot on info but our other main teachers are Marin Boieru, Jan burkhard (chairman of faculty, the most amazing person ever!,) Margaret Severin Hansen or peggy as everyone calls her (also an amzing person and dancer!), and Shomaree Potter who doubles as the costume director for Carolina Ballet!

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

1x per week

Partner Ratio:

A few girls had to share but most had their own partner.

Who Taught?

Male and female teacher together

How Much Partnering Improved:


No	Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching:


Poor	Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

Females were the main focus

Description of Partnering Class:

This was my first year of partnering. Taught by Marin Boieru. Nothing too crazy. Just the right amount of difficulty. Since i am supper short, i had to go with the one boy in my level but i almost always also got to go with a company guy!

Additional Comments:

Everyone is partnered by a professional in the corps de ballet of carolina ballet!

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

Modern, Jazz, Hip-Hop

Other Class Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

Yes

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught:

Technique

Contemporary Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Master Classes?

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Yes

Physical Training Types:

Body conditioning

Physical Training Schedule:

Once or twice a week

Were Trainers Certified?

Yes

Physical Training Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments:

They have changed it this year ('24-'25) so that Adv1 and adv 2 and prepro are not all combined for one big class. Now we are separated and get to take conditioning in the PT room of carolina ballet! We only have it once a week which i wish we had more but our teacher is pretty intense and i always get really sore after all of the classes! So it is definitely doing something!!

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

How Parents Notified?

My student did not get injured

How Treatment Obtained?

You can email our chairman of faculty Jan Burkhard and she will always give you amazing recommendations!

PT Available?

Was There a Recovery Plan?

Describe Recovery Plan:

Im not sure how to explain this. I was kind of injured but also kind of not. I have Os-good schlatter's disease which is basically like my knees hurt because i am growing and it was only like pretty bad for about a week or so. After that i starting going to PT and was told not to jump for a little while. Now i have it under control but every once in a while it will flare up and i will have to sit out for like one day max. Teachers are very good about handling injuries. They just allow you to figure out whats best for you and what is best for your injury.

Mental Health Therapists Available?

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

Were Students Weighed?

Was "Coded Language" Used?

Maybe

Performances: Winter Show/ Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities:

4-5

School Winter Show?

Yes

Company or School Show?

Company affiliated production and the students perform certain parts

Cast in Winter Show?

Yes

How Chosen:

Audition

Winter Show Role:

Dancing part

Were You Paid?

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

Yes

Kind of Part Given?

"Standing around part" e.g. party attendant, royal guard, etc.

How Chosen:

A few students are chosen by the Artistic Staff

Was Casting Fair?

Yes

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

Perfomance Opportunities:

I was a tea kid in Nutcracker, a "mer creature child" or what i like to call "a little-er mermaid" in the Little Mermaid, and a clock child in cinderella. In addition we do an end of year showcase which is supper fun. You dont have to do it but usually the whole level does it and there is no audition. Usually your main techer choreogrqraphs something. Last year, mine was choreographed by Margaret Severin Hansen (SI director)!

Were You Paid?

Competition

School Does Competitions?

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Yes

Handboook & Paperwork:

Comprehensive and complete. I knew what to expect for the year

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:

Good when you are little. Gets a little intense sometimes once you are older.

Placement Notification Timing:

Around March or so

Overall School Culture:


Lord of the Flies	Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Is Student In Upper Levels?

Yes

Highest Levels of School?

There are no bridge levels

How Many Promoted Internally to Bridge Level:

We dont exactly have a bridge level. We have prepros. That is an invite only level. We have apprentices but that is considered part of the company

How Many Come From Outside to Bridge Level?

We get a lot of people from summer. Last year it was 6

Where Graduates Who Do Not Get Bridge Level Go:

All find bridge level positions at other ballet schools

How Many Left and Went to College?

Career Support:

I was not looking for new placement; was staying in program

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

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

Overall Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction:

A+

Career Support and Placement:

B+

Emotional Support:

Housing & Food:

N/A

Performance Opportunities:

A-

Overall Comments

Program's Worst Aspect:

Some of the older girls can be mean but also that was kind of expected. I am the youngest one in morning class plus we are combined with ADV 2 and prepro for our afternoon technique classes usually about twice or 3 times a week

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

More conditioning classes!

Anything Else We Should Know?

There is no boarding. That can be hard for some people. But a lot of prepros get an apartment at this really nice apartment complex that a couple of the company dancers live at too! It is also a very new school so the admin are still working out some kinks but i think its really cool to be there during the early years of the school!

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