BALLET HELP DESK

Full-Time Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 87
Total Reviews: 296

Next Generation/Patel Conservatory

Full-Time Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

1
3

Program

4

Season Attended

3
1

# Of Levels In School

  • Trainee A1-2, Trainee B1-2, Apprentice
  • lower level Trainee A1 and 2, higher level Trainee B1 and B2, highest level: Apprentice and New Artist
  • Trainee levels are: A1, A2, B1, B2, Apprentice, New Artist (New Artist being the highest)
  • 4 levels of Trainee (A1-B2, with B2 highest level)

Dancer Age

3
1

Gender

4

Company Affliated?

4

Was Student Scholarshipped?

1
2

Please Describe Scholarship

  • 75% tuition scholarship. This is not the norm. At that time, Apprentice level usually got 75% and New Artist are tuition free. New Artist I believe also receive a very small stipend. Housing is not included. She was offered this at the SI and renewed her scholarship the next year too.
  • Began year with 75%, Promoted to full scholarship after Nutcracker performances. Not normal for program to be fully scholarshiped as a female Trainee.

Years At School

1

Curriculum

Days Per Week

4

Classes Per Day

3
1

Weekend Classes?

4

Weekend Schedule

4

Students Per Class

3
1

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

4

Pointe Classes Per Week

2
2

Live Music in Technique Class?

4

Dedicated Men's Program?

4

Boys In Level

3
1

Separate Technique Class for Boys

4

Techniques Taught

2
3
1

Technique Teacher Rotation

4

Did School Director Teach?

4

Classroom Corrections

3
1

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
1
1
2
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
2
2
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
2
2
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • Several teachers each with their own style including Balanchine, Vaganova, and Cuban
  • Teachers have a mix of dance styles and teach their own styles. Can be inconsistent, but is also good variety of experience for dancers. It is not a full-time program like others since there are really only usually 2 classes a day (technique plus that day’s class which can be pointe, contemporary, variations, or PBT—sadly there was no partnering class this particular school year). After classes there is usually rehearsal time for the next production for an average of 4 hours a day dancing. 15-30 minutes a week for competition coaching is given at an extra fee.
  • Technique daily, PBT one per week, Point/Variations once weekly, Partnering on the schedule once weekly, but rarely happened once rehearsals began. Contemporary once weekly. There were some optional extra classes you could take, some were free and some cost more. Ballet classes were very good, and often had different teachers throughout the week.
  • Each teacher has their specific style so that it is a variety that is taught on a weekly basis.

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

2
2

Partner Ratio

1
1

Who Taught?

2

How Much Partnering Improved

No
1
1
Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching

Poor
1
1
Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

2

Description of Partnering Class

  • Partnering was on the schedule initially for once weekly, but sadly that rarely happened. Towards the start of the school year, there was partnering, but once rehearsals began and coaching for various competitions, it was never on the schedule. The exception is if you were cast in a role with partnering (such as Snow Queen) you had partnerning specific for your role. I wish there had been more partnering opportunities. I will answer the questions based on the minimal partnering experience I had.
  • Worked on short combinations and lifts

Additional Comments

  • No
  • Mr. Montano is excellent.

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

1
3
1

Other Class Quality

Poor
3
1
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

4

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

1
2
4
1

Contemporary Quality

Poor
2
2
Excellent

Master Classes?

4

Master Classes Description

  • Visiting performance groups such as Alvin Ailey taught classes, along with an invited director from another pre-pro program
  • 2-3 times in the year a visiting director or dance company taught a class. For example, the Alvin Ailey Dance group came to perform at the Straz and offered a Masterclass for NGB students while in town.
  • There were a few. One from current AD of Nashville Ballet (he was in charge of NB2 at the time), one from Complexions, and another I can't recall specifics.
  • If a company was visiting to perform at the Straz, they often gave a master class to Trainees.

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

4

Physical Training Types

4

Physical Training Schedule

4

Were Trainers Certified?

1
3

Physical Training Quality

Poor
1
3
Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments

  • Not progressively challenging so dancer did not build strength over the year.

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

3
1

How Parents Notified?

2
2

How Treatment Obtained?

1
1

PT Available?

4

Was There a Recovery Plan?

1
3

Mental Health Therapists Available?

3
1

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

4

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

1
1
2

Were Students Weighed?

4

Was "Coded Language" Used?

2
2

Additional Comments

  • Physical therapist comes in once a week, appointments are for an extra fee and she is there during class time so an appointment means missing class. Director is frankly obsessed with long, lean bodies so a dancer outside of this form has to work twice as hard and be twice as confident to succeed in his eyes. Possible, but harder than those with the preferred form even if they are not as talented. Injuries that occur early on in the rehearsals process, cause roles to be reassigned even if the dancer has ample time to heal before performance dates.
  • No support from staff…teachers generally ignore warning signs. It would not be a great place to send a student to study away from home.
  • I'm unsure about the coded language talk. I don't believe it happened. The teachers at NGB are wonderful and very caring.
  • Injuries can mean you are removed from a role, even far in advance so this may cause a student to keep an injury to themselves, for better or worse.

Performances: Winter Show/ Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities

4

School Winter Show?

4

Company or School Show?

4

Cast in Winter Show?

4

How Chosen

4

Winter Show Role

4

Were You Paid?

3

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

4

Kind of Part Given?

4

How Chosen

1
2
1

Was Casting Fair?

4

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

1
2
1

Perfomance Opportunities

  • This is NGB’s strong suit…the students are basically a small company and perform all of the roles in two professionally produced classical ballets a year in Tampa’s main downtown performing arts center. (Tampa’s pro company performs in a suburban theater far outside the city) In 22-23, Students were assigned the principal and corp roles by the director and head teacher, and this was where the bulk of their variations, repertoire, and partnering experience came in, not from classes.
  • Trainees perform in principal roles for both Nutcracker and the spring ballet production. For example I danced the Bridesmaid Variation in the spring Don Quixote production.
  • Nutcracker - Principal role, soloist role, and corps roles; Sleeping Beauty (Spring) - Principal Role, and corps roles; Don Quixote (Spring) - Soloist roles, and corps roles; One The Edge Contemporary show each spring - dance per class level. All of the shows were wonderful! NGB brings in principal dancers from NY City Ballet or ABT each year to guest and perform the roles of Sugarplum & Cavalier.
  • Next Gen is basically the performing company for the large and popular Straz theater in downtown Tampa, and the performance opportunities are excellent. Trainees put on the Nutcracker, filling all roles except for the male and female principle. Also, there is a spring performance, usually a storybook ballet, and the Trainees fill all roles, including principals. There is also one jazz/contemporary performance per year put on at the Straz and open to the public.

Were You Paid?

3

Competition

School Does Competitions?

4

Competitions Required?

4

How Many Compete?

  • Maybe 15?
  • Most Trainees are given the opportunity
  • I think all Trainees, but I'm not sure. They're not required, but at my level I felt like at least one was encouraged.
  • 10-15

% of Students Who Performed

  • 80%
  • 85%
  • Most of the class
  • 100% of Trainee Bs are able, but not forced, to participate. About 80% of Trainee As.

How Chosen?

  • Director choice
  • Director chosen
  • They send you a Competition Invitation email stating which competitions you are approved to participate in and the costs. They also recommend what sort of dances you should do. For instance: 2 classical solos and 1 contemporary solo, or 1 classical and 1 contemporary, or something else. The AD and staff select each dancers solos. Contemporary solos were choreographed by Marie Konrad.
  • Director choice

Competitions Cost Extra?

  • Yes
  • Yes. I had to pay about $3,000 for two competitions (YAGP and ADC) and I danced 2 classical variations and 1 contemporary and 1 ensemble
  • Yes, Not including any finals they give you a cost per competition. For instance, there was a specific cost for YAGP, UBC, and ADC/IBC. You could then decide which one, two, or three to compete in. NGB took care of everything, so the cost included registration fees, coaching, costumes, music selection, and being there at the comps. Most dancers got their own contemporary costumes.
  • Yes, registration fees and a set rehearsal fee that includes all variation rehearsal for the year.

Separate Competition Rehearsals?

4

Competition Interfered With Training?

  • Sometimes coaching (which averaged only 20 minutes a week) was scheduled at the same time as classes so it interfered at times with training.
  • Often competition coaching is scheduled during class time or Nutcracker rehearsal time, meaning the dancer has to leave their curriculum class to attend the extra fee coaching. Made no sense. Also, the coaching schedule was very random and did not feel fair to all dancers who paid the same (for example, I got less coaching time because I was told that my variations were already clean, so although I paid the same fee, I got less coaching time because I was a faster learner/stronger dancer).
  • I think it added if you were participating because there was more coaching, both in small groups and one on one. However, when a competition was coming up that you weren't in, you had ore down time.
  • Definitely adds value in training, but occasionally interferes with classes or show rehearsals.

Communication

Formal Orientation?

1
3

Handboook & Paperwork

1
3

Quality of Communication?

Poor
1
2
1
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

4

Exams

Formal Exam?

4

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
1
2
1
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
1
1
2
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • Happy, friendly, and optimistic
  • Happy, friendly dancers with a few exceptions
  • Nurturing teachers
  • Friendly competition and loving support

Placement Notification Timing

  • Mid-May
  • End of year evaluation
  • Official evaluation came via email end of May, but we asked prior to joining and was told they don't have to audition each year. A student would only not be invited back if something happened, and they would be aware.
  • End of year eval

Overall School Culture

Lord of the Flies
4
Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Is Student In Upper Levels?

4

Highest Levels of School?

4

How Many Promoted Internally to Bridge Level

  • No bridge level
  • N/a
  • They have the Patel school and then the NGB trainee Program with the levels I provided earlier. I know some of the level A1 dancers were previously in the Patel Conservatory, but I don't know how many.
  • No bridge level

How Many Come From Outside to Bridge Level?

  • No bridge levels, but many new trainee level students are recruited each year and placed in the principal roles. Shiny, new dancers are often preferred by Director.
  • New Artists and Apprentice levels are often brought in from outside the Trainee program.
  • I would guess at least half or more of the trainees (especially levels B and up) are from other schools, cities and states. Many are offered Trainee spots at the SI, as they hold two auditions during the 5 weeks.
  • Always a few new Trainee Bs brought in from summer intensive, competition offers.

Where Graduates Who Do Not Get Bridge Level Go

2
1

How Many Left and Went to College?

1
1
1
1

Career Support

1
1
2

Describe How School Helped

  • For graduating seniors, the Director will use his contacts to get you auditions, send recommendation letters, and bring in directors from company affiliated schools to teach classes and observe.
  • N/a
  • I met with AD and brought a list of companies I was interested in. He starred the top 5 he thought I'd be a good fit for, circled another 10 possibilities, deleted some that he didn't think were a good fit for various reasons (height, style, etc...) and suggested a few others. I received some offers, and was able to secure my next spot on my own by sending videos and attending auditions. The AD did offer to send my video and reach out to a few companies if I needed, but I ended up not needing help. The school did not help with videos for auditions. They did give me a few class shots I could use for extra photos, but I had some others taken I like more.
  • Offered advice WHEN ASKED.

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

4

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
4
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
4
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
4
Spotless

Housing

Was Housing Provided?

2

Did Dancer Stay in Provided Housing?

2

Where Did Dancer Live?

1
1

Academics

How Did Academics Work?

4

Academic Support

4

Did the School Support Academics?

Didn't support
2
1
1
Definitely supported

Overall Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction

3
1

Career Support and Placement

1
2
1

Emotional Support

2
2

Housing & Food

4

Performance Opportunities

1
3

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect

  • Performance opportunities
  • Performance opportunities/principal roles and pas de Deux roles
  • The training provided at NGB is top notch. The performance opportunities and the stages they get to perform on are wonderful!! The teachers are caring and wonderful!!
  • Performance opportunities

Program's Worst Aspect

  • Body preference, subjective news of Director, and promotions that were secretive
  • Not enough class time and unfair coaching scheduling
  • Having to figure out housing from out of state. Tampa is an expensive area to live in.
  • Not enough support at the end for graduates. Advice offered early in the process of auditioning, but no follow through for program choices which can get stressful in April/May.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

  • Open promotion process
  • Add more classes such as partnering and more repertoire classes
  • I think you'd get more dancers if you had a housing option. More partnering would have been nice, but I know it's difficult when a year is short on men.
  • Do not have competition rehearsals interfere with classes or show rehearsals, especially when you are paying extra for them. Also, competition rehearsals are scheduled very randomly and can give the impression of unfairness since all students pay the same fee.

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • Director is Balanchine and has this preference along with a strong preference for tall, lean dancers. He promotes for this quality over skill at times. Also, the absolute best teacher at NGB is Julio Montano who only teaches the Trainee B levels (including the Apprentices and New Artists). This is where you will improve the most, and time in Trainee A level is not as beneficial.
  • When looking at the schedule, sometimes it might seem light on classes, but the class time is well used and the teachers are great! There was very little wasted time.
  • Make sure the teachers can fully see that you like class and appreciate their advice…they are very sensitive to that and get a bad impression of a student who is not outwardly expressive in class and see it as a lack of care for ballet training. Also, you will not get training in your specific weak areas…this needs to be practiced on your own time.
Loading…