Sacramento Ballet

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Dancer

Program:

Sacramento Ballet

Season Attended:

2023-24

# Of Levels In School:

Second company is an umbrella for SB2 & trainee

Dancer Age:

Company Affliated?

Yes

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Yes

Please Describe Scholarship:

Tuition

Years At School:

1 year

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Yes

Weekend Schedule:

Half day

Students Per Class:

25-30

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Pointe Classes Per Week:

Live Music in Technique Class?

Dedicated Men's Program?

Unsure

Boys In Level:

Less than 5

Separate Technique Class for Boys:

Yes

Techniques Taught:

General Classical

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:

We would have technique & pointe then the rest of day was dedicated to rehearsals

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

1x per week

Partner Ratio:

Everyone had to share a partner.

Who Taught?

Male teacher

How Much Partnering Improved:


No	Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching:


Poor	Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

Attention and corrections were evenly distributed between the males and females

Description of Partnering Class:

Partnering was very occasionally of the rehearsal schedule permitted. We would do typical combinations & learn rep.

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

Modern

Other Class Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

Master Classes?

Yes

Master Classes Description:

A contemporary master class

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Yes

Physical Training Types:

Yoga, Pilates (mat or reformer), Body conditioning

Physical Training Schedule:

Occasionally

Were Trainers Certified?

Yes

Physical Training Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

Yes

How Parents Notified?

My student did not get injured

How Treatment Obtained?

N/A

PT Available?

Yes, for extra fee

Was There a Recovery Plan?

My dancer did not get injured

Describe Recovery Plan:

N/A

Mental Health Therapists Available?

Unsure

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

Were Students Weighed?

Was "Coded Language" Used?

Additional Comments:

Sac ballet does a good job looking out for their dancer’s mental and physical well being

Performances: Winter Show/ Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities:

2-3

School Winter Show?

Yes

Company or School Show?

Company affiliated production and the students perform certain 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?

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

Yes

Kind of Part Given?

I had both types of parts

How Chosen:

Students are chosen to audition by Artistic Staff

Was Casting Fair?

For some but not all

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

Perfomance Opportunities:

Beer & ballet (mixed rep), nutcracker, nutcracker tea (2nd co-school fundraiser), Cinderella, 2nd co showcase

Were You Paid?

Competition

School Does Competitions?

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Yes

Handboook & Paperwork:

Fairly comprehensive but missing a few pieces

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:

Supportive, what you make of it

Placement Notification Timing:

We all had evaluation meeting to discuss plans for the next season

Overall School Culture:


Lord of the Flies	Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Is Student In Upper Levels?

Yes

Highest Levels of School?

Trainee, Second Company, Studio Company

How Many Promoted Internally to Bridge Level:

I was in the second company, but what I can see…no one from the school of Sacramento ballet has been invited to the 2nd company. It’s all outside talent

How Many Come From Outside to Bridge Level?

Almost all

Where Graduates Who Do Not Get Bridge Level Go:

A few find positions elsewhere but most leave ballet

How Many Left and Went to College?

Again, I was in the 2nd so I can speak for the school. Many 2nd company dancer found other positions or college programs.

Career Support:

Received some help

Describe How School Helped:

Recommendation letters & overall insight

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?

Rented an apartment alone or with other dancers

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:

Career Support and Placement:

Emotional Support:

A-

Housing & Food:

N/A

Performance Opportunities:

A-

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

The opportunity to dance with the main company & transition me from student to pro

Program's Worst Aspect:

Many rehearsals (with the main company) were unnecessary & we just sat around

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

Budget rehearsal time better & have more exact hours of when we were needed with the main company . Also have more separate rep for SB2 & trainees.

Anything Else We Should Know?

The dancers in SB2 get considerable preference in casting compared to the trainees

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