Royal Ballet School of Antwerp

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Parent

Program:

Royal Ballet School of Antwerp

Season Attended:

2024-25

# Of Levels In School:

Levels are by age. You start at 12 and graduate at 18.

Dancer Age:

Hours of Dance Each Week:

21-25 hours

Company Affliated?

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Please Describe Scholarship:

No scholarships - paid by government

Years At School:

2 years

Full time or after school?

Full-Time

Date Submitted:

10/24/2025

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Weekend Schedule:

I did not have weekend class

Students Per Class:

10-15

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Yes

Pointe Classes Per Week:

Live Music in Technique Class?

Yes

Dedicated Men's Program?

Yes

Men Taught by Male Teacher?

Yes

Men Taught Batterie?

Yes

Boys In Level:

Less than 5

Separate Technique Class for Boys:

Yes

Techniques Taught:

Vaganova

Technique Teacher Rotation:

Usually the same every day

Did School Director Teach?

Never (school admin was NOT designated as an upper level teacher)

Classroom Corrections:

Occasionally dancer specific: mostly general corrections were given

Attention From Teachers:


Very Little	A Lot

Quality of Instruction:


Poor	Excellent

Did Technique Improve?


Not at all	Tremendously

Curriculum Comments:

21 hours in total - also Spanish class and modern/contemporary

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

No partnering

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

Character, Modern

Other Class Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

Yes

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught:

Technique

Contemporary Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Master Classes?

Yes

Master Classes Description:

Sometimes guest teachers would come to class. 2 times per year approximately.

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

How Parents Notified?

Student told parent. School not involved

How Treatment Obtained?

You go for medical treatment on your own.

PT Available?

Yes, it is part of fees

Was There a Recovery Plan?

Describe Recovery Plan:

Not the best PT. It was always best to look outside of school.

Mental Health Therapists Available?

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

Yes

Were Students Weighed?

Was "Coded Language" Used?

Yes

Additional Comments:

Some comments that were made: "I can see your breakfast". The school has a large amount of children with eating disorders. This has been adressed by several parents, but the school refuses to do anything about it. On the contrary, the children with the eating disorders are the ones that get chosen to do competitions.

Performances: Winter Show/ Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities:

4-5

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?

If Paid, Please Describe:

Everyone who is not injured, participates. No payment.

Rehearsal Impact on Classes:

Rehearsal Hours:

6-10

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

Yes

Kind of Part Given?

Dancing part

How Chosen:

All students allowed to AUDITION

Was Casting Fair?

For some but not all

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

Rehearsal Hours:

6-10

Perfomance Opportunities:

Everyone participated in the performance opportunities.

Were You Paid?

Competition

School Does Competitions?

Yes

Competitions Required?

% of Students Who Performed:

10%

How Chosen?

chosen by the artistic director

Competitions Cost Extra?

Separate Competition Rehearsals?

Yes

Competition Interfered With Training?

Sometimes rehearsals were done during regular classes. This means that the students not chosen were losing class time.

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?

Yes

Exam Adjudicator:

Internal

Exam Rubrics Clear?

Disagree

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

Yes and parents were included. The meeting was with my teachers.

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:

Some classes have a very toxic atmosphere.

Placement Notification Timing:

Last day of the school year you know if you passed or not. If not, you need to leave the school. Unless it is by injury. Then you can retake the year.

How Dancer Was Notified:

Written communication via email or regular mail

Dancer Had Mentor?

Mentoring Details:

There is no mentoring at all. Nothing formal or informal.

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)

How Many Promoted Internally to Bridge Level:

Unsure

Where Graduates Who Do Not Get Bridge Level Go:

Some find positions elsewhere and about half leave ballet

How Many Left and Went to College?

10%

Career Support:

Received no help - I was on my own

Describe How School Helped:

School does not help graduates find a position.

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?

Yes

Did Dancer Stay in Provided Housing?

Yes

Type of Housing Provided::

Dorms

Housing Minimum Age:

# of Roommates::

Adequate # of RA's?


Not at all	Absolutely

Type of Bathrooms::

One big bathroom on the floor

Curfew?

Yes

Curfew Reasonable?

Yes

Nightly Room Check?

Dorm Strictness:


Extremely Lax	Extremely Strict

How Infractions Handled?

Fair

How Roommate Issues Handled?

Talked about.

Housing Cleanliness:


Dirty	Spotless

Students Required to Clean Room?

Laundry Available?

Laundry Free?

N/A

Evening Activities?

Yes

A/C In Room?

Weekend Outings?

Transportation Between Housing and Studios?

Public transportation without chaperone

Safety Around Housing:


Not Safe	Very Safe

Overall Rating of Housing:


Poor	Excellent

Additional Comments:

Housing really reasonably priced

Meal Plan

Meal Plan?

Yes

Food Quality:


Gross	Excellent

Enough Food?

Yes

Late Meals Available?

Sometimes

Dancer w/ Dietary Needs?

Academics

How Did Academics Work?

Integrated

Academic Support:

Students attended in person classes provided by school

Did the School Support Academics?


Didn't support	Definitely supported

Overall Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction:

B-

Career Support and Placement:

C-

Emotional Support:

Housing & Food:

A-

Performance Opportunities:

A-

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

The performances were fun.

Program's Worst Aspect:

Toxic atmosphere, a lot of people with eating disorders.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

Atmosphere and mental health

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