BALLET HELP DESK

Full-Time Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 90
Total Reviews: 306

Dance Training Center San Francisco

Full-Time Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

1
2

Program

3

Season Attended

2
1

# Of Levels In School

  • pre-ballet through level 6
  • 6
  • There are 6 levels in the school, that operate in the evening hours. There is an additional Pre-Professional Program that offers classes and coaching in the morning, and is supplemented with Level 6 classes at night.

Dancer Age

2
1

Gender

3

Company Affliated?

3

Was Student Scholarshipped?

1
2

Please Describe Scholarship

1

Curriculum

Days Per Week

3

Classes Per Day

1
2

Weekend Classes?

3

Weekend Schedule

3

Students Per Class

3

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

3

Pointe Classes Per Week

1
2

Live Music in Technique Class?

3

Dedicated Men's Program?

2
1

Boys In Level

1

Separate Technique Class for Boys

1

Techniques Taught

1
3

Technique Teacher Rotation

3

Did School Director Teach?

2
1

Classroom Corrections

3

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
3
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
3
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
3
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • Pre-professional students begin with a morning technique class followed by a rep or variations class (Mon-Fri). When preparing for upcoming shows, private instruction for soloist roles would take place after rep class or lunch break. Pre-pro students would typically stay onsight to rest or do homework in the lounge and then resume training with Level 6 in the evenings (Mon-Fri, 6-8pm) and (Sat 10am-1 or 3pm - depending on rehearsal schedule).
  • technique, contemporary, floor barre, variations, pointe
  • Three times a week, the morning would start with an open class, that would be followed by 1-2 hours of individual coaching. At night, there would be between 2-4 hours of class/reh.

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

3

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

1
1
1
1
1

Other Class Quality

Poor
3
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

3

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

3
1
3
2

Contemporary Quality

Poor
1
2
Excellent

Master Classes?

3

Master Classes Description

  • dancer attended the inaugural year (during COVID) but this is something the director very much wanted to include in the curriculum in the future.

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

3

Physical Training Types

2
2
3
3
1

Physical Training Schedule

1
2

Were Trainers Certified?

3

Physical Training Quality

Poor
3
Excellent

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

2
1

How Parents Notified?

2
1

How Treatment Obtained?

1

PT Available?

3

Was There a Recovery Plan?

2
1

Describe Recovery Plan

  • n/a
  • Artistic Director Julianne Spratlin is a former trainer at Active Care SF (one of the leading physical therapy establishments for dancers/athletes), and often would connect students with physical therapists that she knew and trusted. She also would stay in contact with the physical therapists during the duration of the injury to make sure that the student was complying with boundaries set by the physical therapist about what should and shouldn't be done in class.

Mental Health Therapists Available?

1
2

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

3

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

3

Were Students Weighed?

3

Was "Coded Language" Used?

3

Additional Comments

  • We found the teachers here to be incredibly supportive, proactive about injury prevention, and were always there to support my dancers mental health.
  • The school was a very body positive environment

Performances: Winter Show/ Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities

2
1

School Winter Show?

3

Company or School Show?

3

Cast in Winter Show?

3

How Chosen

3

Winter Show Role

3

Were You Paid?

3

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

1
2

Kind of Part Given?

2

How Chosen

1
1

Was Casting Fair?

2

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

2

Perfomance Opportunities

  • Dancer performed soloist roles in Nutcracker (Sugar Plum, Dewdrop, Snow Queen) and Corps roles (Snow, Flowers); for Spring Showcase, dancer performed soloist roles (Odette, Russian Girl) and Corps roles (Swan Lake, Serenade). Also performed in a student piece for Contemporary Choreography Showcase.
  • All students that commit to rehearsals in all the shows, solo variations given to students chosen by artistic staff.

Were You Paid?

2

Competition

School Does Competitions?

3

Communication

Formal Orientation?

3

Handboook & Paperwork

1
1
1

Quality of Communication?

Poor
2
1
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

3

Exams

Formal Exam?

3

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
3
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
3
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • DTC is a gem of a school and we only wished we looked into it sooner! The director and the teachers only have the student's interest at the top of their priority. Whether they are college-bound or want to pursue a professional career, they are with you every step of the way. High quality teaching not only focused on technique, but delve deep into artistry and developing the whole dancer.
  • Positive, caring, fun, supportive, inspiring
  • Encouraging, open minded, nurturing.

Placement Notification Timing

  • this did not apply to my dancer since she was in her senior year of high school and went on to a post grad program
  • Not applicable, the goal of the program was to get dancer to graduate level program or company
  • Mid spring

Overall School Culture

Lord of the Flies
3
Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Is Student In Upper Levels?

2
1

Highest Levels of School?

1

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?

1

Career Support

1

Describe How School Helped

  • Coaching on video auditions/variations, guidance in making decisions, emotional support.

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

2
1

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
2
1
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
2
1
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
3
Spotless

Housing

Was Housing Provided?

3

Where Did Dancer Live?

3

Academics

How Did Academics Work?

3

Academic Support

3

Did the School Support Academics?

Didn't support
3
Definitely supported

Overall Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction

3

Career Support and Placement

1
2

Emotional Support

3

Housing & Food

3

Performance Opportunities

1
2

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect

  • How individualized it was and tailored to my dancer's goals and needs.
  • Fantastic instruction, positive encouragement, caring mentors
  • The close knit enviornment, paticularly between the teachers and students. I felt unconditionally supported by the faculty, which was so beneficial as I navigated the audition process.

Program's Worst Aspect

  • The program was new and they didn't have boys so there was no partnering. I believe they now have a boys program and hope they develop it so boys get the same opportunities as my dancer did.
  • administrative tasks sometimes fell behind due to lack of office manager

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

1
1

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • The director and teachers are top notch! My daugther came from a 3-letter prestigious program and at DTC she received more 1:1 attention, learned more diverse repetoire and got to actually dance more in the one year she attended. Her skills and confidence grew under the tutelage at DTC and it gave her a solid foundation to advance to a company affilated trainee program out of state. DTC has small class sizes, teachers focus on developing artistry, and also help with refining a dancer's technique.
  • The studio takes all students, no formal audition to attend the school. Placement class determines which level student will be in
  • The faculty is truly so invested in each dancer's individual development and life, inside and outside of the studio.
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