BALLET HELP DESK

Full-Time Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 99
Total Reviews: 371

Royal Ballet School

Full-Time Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

3

Program

3

Season Attended

1
1
1

# Of Levels In School

  • "n/a"
  • "Final year of the full 5 years at White Lodge"
  • "Upper school has 3 years"

Dancer Age

1
1
1

Gender

1
2

Company Affliated?

3

Was Student Scholarshipped?

2
1

Please Describe Scholarship

  • "tuition"

Curriculum

Days Per Week

3

Classes Per Day

2
1

Weekend Classes?

3

Weekend Schedule

3

Students Per Class

2
1

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

3

Pointe Classes Per Week

1
2

Live Music in Technique Class?

3

Dedicated Men's Program?

3

Boys In Level

3

Separate Technique Class for Boys

3

Techniques Taught

3

Technique Teacher Rotation

1
2

Did School Director Teach?

1
2

Classroom Corrections

1
2

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
1
1
1
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
1
1
1
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • "gray"
  • "Students studies The Royal technique as well as repertoire, character and contemporary. Students also did academic studies until lunch break, with training in the afternoons/evenings."
  • "Academics for about 2 hours each morning, lunch break, classes & rehearsals until around 5:00"

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

1
1
1

Partner Ratio

3

Who Taught?

1
2

How Much Partnering Improved

No
1
1
1
Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

2
1

Description of Partnering Class

  • "standard"
  • "Partnering was only done occasionally and and at a basic level - lifts were not permitted."
  • "Worked on various techniques"

Additional Comments

  • "n/a"
  • "Only certain students received constructive training and help."
  • "No"

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

2
1
1
1

Other Class Quality

Poor
1
2
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

3

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

3
1
2

Contemporary Quality

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

Master Classes?

2
1

Master Classes Description

  • "Typically well known teacher or dancer"

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

3

Physical Training Types

3
2
2
3
1

Physical Training Schedule

3

Were Trainers Certified?

3

Physical Training Quality

Poor
1
2
Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments

  • "There was poor instruction for weights and several dancers ended up with back injuries."

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

3

How Parents Notified?

1
2

How Treatment Obtained?

  • "yes"
  • "The school organised all medical visits and treatments. The student would then let us know."
  • "Asked and they provided it"

PT Available?

3

Was There a Recovery Plan?

1
2

Describe Recovery Plan

  • "We were unaware of any recovery plan. The student would attend rehab and physio until their injury recovered. Sometimes the students would just gradually return to training and the injury would be forgotten - so they just carried on with full training."
  • "It was extensive & involved the MD as well as the PT’s-lasted several months"

Mental Health Therapists Available?

3

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

3

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

1
1
1

Were Students Weighed?

3

Was "Coded Language" Used?

1
2

Additional Comments

  • "This school does not care at all about mental health, though it pretends that it does. They are specifically abusive to students who show any mental health concerns."
  • "Mental health services were very poor. One counsellor was available and students were just told help was there if they wanted to reach out - even students who were self harming and suicidal."
  • "School has extensive support for injuries, injury prevention, & mental health"

Performances: Winter Show/ Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities

1
1
1

School Winter Show?

2
1

Company or School Show?

1

Cast in Winter Show?

1

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

2
1

Kind of Part Given?

1

How Chosen

1

Was Casting Fair?

1

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

Disruptions
1
No Impact

Perfomance Opportunities

  • "school"

Were You Paid?

1

Competition

School Does Competitions?

3

Communication

Formal Orientation?

1
2

Handboook & Paperwork

1
1
1

Quality of Communication?

Poor
2
1
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

1
1
1

Exams

Formal Exam?

1
2

Written Feedback?

2

Exam Adjudicator

2

Exam Rubrics Clear?

1
1

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

1
1

Well Prepared For Exam?

Not at all
1
1
Completely

How Heavily Did Exams Weigh in Promotions

Not at all
2
Heavily

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
2
1
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
1
1
1
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • "Students care deeply for each other (trauma bonding?), but staff terrorize students"
  • "Evasive, corrosive, toxic, bullying, sad."
  • "Collegial but competitive"

Placement Notification Timing

  • "student no longer there (thankfully!)"
  • "February."
  • "Easter break"

Overall School Culture

Lord of the Flies
2
1
Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Is Student In Upper Levels?

1
2

Highest Levels of School?

1
1

How Many Promoted Internally to Bridge Level

1
1

How Many Come From Outside to Bridge Level?

1
1

Where Graduates Who Do Not Get Bridge Level Go

2

How Many Left and Went to College?

1
1

Career Support

1
1

Describe How School Helped

  • "they do not"
  • "NA-was not auditioning this year"

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

1
2

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
1
1
1
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
1
2
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
1
1
1
Spotless

Housing

Was Housing Provided?

2

Did Dancer Stay in Provided Housing?

3

Type of Housing Provided:

1
2

Housing Minimum Age

  • "15"
  • "11"
  • "16"

# of Roommates:

1
2

Adequate # of RA's?

Not at all
1
2
Absolutely

Type of Bathrooms:

1
1
1

Curfew?

3

Curfew Reasonable?

3

Nightly Room Check?

3

Dorm Strictness

Extremely Lax
2
1
Extremely Strict

How Infractions Handled?

1
2

How Roommate Issues Handled?

  • "n/a"
  • "The students handled them themselves."
  • "NA"

Housing Cleanliness

Dirty
1
1
1
Spotless

Students Required to Clean Room?

1
2

Laundry Available?

3

Laundry Free?

1
2

Evening Activities?

3

A/C In Room?

3

Weekend Outings?

1
2

Transportation Between Housing and Studios?

1
2

Safety Around Housing

Not Safe
1
2
Very Safe

Overall Rating of Housing

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

Additional Comments

  • "some staff are abusive to some students"
  • "Dorm accommodation was very poor, dated and falling apart. Storage was broken, rooms were cramped - some with bunk beds."

Meal Plan

Meal Plan?

3

Food Quality

Gross
1
2
Excellent

Enough Food?

1
2

Late Meals Available?

2
1

Dancer w/ Dietary Needs?

2
1

What Were Needs?

  • "veg"

Dietary Needs Met?

Limited Options
1
Many Options

Academics

How Did Academics Work?

3

Academic Support

3

Did the School Support Academics?

Didn't support
1
1
1
Definitely supported

Overall Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction

1
1
1

Career Support and Placement

2
1

Emotional Support

1
2

Housing & Food

1
1
1

Performance Opportunities

1
1
1

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect

  • "PTs"
  • "My child spent 5 years at the school and I struggle to find any spect which was good."
  • "Holistic with well integrated support services"

Program's Worst Aspect

  • "Teachers and school leadership (some of the newer teachers were fine, but older ones perpetuate a system of abuse on students who do not come from their lower school or are not their favorites)"
  • "My child was bullied throughout and although the school knew about it and who it was, they did nothing."
  • "Communication was average at best-not great for Upper School parents especially if transferring programs"

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

  • "leadership needs to go, older teachers wield too much power and are abusive"
  • "The quality of training was incredibly poor and student relied on private outside training."
  • "Better communication"

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • "Only go if you are 100% sure that you will be one of their favorites or if you have an easy out into a professional company. If you have those things it will be great."
  • "There school prides itself on training its student to be injury resilient by training them slowly and accurately. But out of 16 girls, only 6 remained in year 11, and only one non UK student went through to the upper school. For anyone wishing to attend RBS Upper School, train privately instead of White Lodge and you will have greater chance of success."
  • "Superb training with excellent support"
Reviews
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Dancer Age
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Age: 16, FemaleInstruction D
Placement D
Performance D
Attended 2022-23, Stayed In Housing
Age: 15, MaleInstruction B
Placement B
Performance B
Attended 2021-22, Stayed In Housing, Special Diet
Age: 17, MaleInstruction A+
Placement B
Performance A
Attended 2018-19, Stayed In Housing