BALLET HELP DESK

Full-Time Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 99
Total Reviews: 392

School of Alberta Ballet

Full-Time Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

1
3

Program

4

Season Attended

1
1
1
1

# Of Levels In School

  • "They go to Year 12 and then offer 1 or 2 years post graduate training"
  • "Junior levels, Senior levels X's 3"
  • "Outreach, after school, professional division (grades 7-12), postgraduate (2 year 18+), trainee (1-2 years)"
  • "8"

Level Dancer Was In

  • "High school grade 11"
  • "Senior Level 2"
  • "Senior level grades 10-12"
  • "First year"

Dancer Age

1
1
2

Hours of Dance Each Week

3

Gender

3
1

Company Affliated?

4

Was Student Scholarshipped?

2
2

Please Describe Scholarship

  • "Scholarship/financial aid based on merit and financial need. Not sure on how common scholarships are, but definitely knew of others with scholarships."
  • "It was a tuition scholarship that covered 25% of tuition costs"

Years At School

2
1

Full time or after school?

3

Curriculum

Days Per Week

4

Classes Per Day

1
2
1

Weekend Classes?

4

Weekend Schedule

1
3

Students Per Class

1
2
1

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

4

Pointe Classes Per Week

2
2

Live Music in Technique Class?

4

Dedicated Men's Program?

1
2
1

Men Taught by Male Teacher?

1
2

Men Taught Batterie?

1
2

Boys In Level

1
3

Separate Technique Class for Boys

3
1

Techniques Taught

1
4
2

Technique Teacher Rotation

1
3

Did School Director Teach?

2
1
1

Classroom Corrections

3
1

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
1
1
2
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
1
3
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
1
1
2
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • "Academic education from 8am - 12noon. From 12.30pm until 5pm (one day finish is 5.30pm) they do a variety of classes; ballet, pointe, contemporary, variation, movement, stretch"
  • "Each day there would be a technique class that lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes. On Mondays we would do the cechetti method to prepare for exams and the rest of the week consisted of vaganova or general classical technique. In each level we have 1 core teacher for every class with the exception of cechetti and pointe work if the core class tutor was male. 4/5 days a week after technique we would have pointe class or men’s class and on that other 5th day we would have pas de deux, character or jazz depending on which level you were placed in jazz being the lowest, character in the middle and pas de deux as the highest. 3/5 days after pointe/mens/etc we would have variations class where we each focused on one variation for the year which is in a set repertoire based on level, this also included contemporary or contemporary ballet solos depending on what artistic faculty selected. 2/5 days there would also be contemporary/modern."
  • "A mix cecchetti vaganova rad"

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

2
1
1

Partner Ratio

1
2

Who Taught?

1
1
1

How Much Partnering Improved

No
1
2
Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

3

Description of Partnering Class

  • "Safe practice, focus on not just technique but also the artistic qualities of partnering"
  • "Rotated partner, good partnering instruction"
  • "It was a progressive class through the year but mainly focused on combinations of adagio jumps and pirouettes"

Additional Comments

  • "If the boy number were higher it would have been amazing"

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

4
1
2
2
1

Other Class Quality

Poor
1
3
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

4

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

3
4
3
4

Contemporary Quality

Poor
1
3
Excellent

Master Classes?

2
2

Master Classes Description

  • "Short programs attended by people not currently students"
  • "The director of the Alberta Ballet Company would frequently teach master classes. Due to the nature of Covid in my year of attendance we had very few masterclasses otherwise"

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

4

Physical Training Types

4
3
2

Physical Training Schedule

4

Were Trainers Certified?

1
3

Physical Training Quality

Poor
1
3
Excellent

Injuries / Health / Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

1
1
2

How Parents Notified?

3
1

How Treatment Obtained?

  • "School arranged appointments"
  • "There was a physiotherapist on site for immediate assistance and it was at the discretion of the parent to decide to pursue further treatment with the on site team or at other facilities"

PT Available?

4

Was There a Recovery Plan?

2
2

Describe Recovery Plan

  • "The director meets with the family and receives medical notes. This is reviewed on a regular schedule"
  • "Yes but It was at the decision of the healthcare provider either directly with the teachers or through written instruction from an alternative provider. Each was treated with individual instruction"

Mental Health Therapists Available?

1
2
1

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

4

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

3
1

Were Students Weighed?

4

Was "Coded Language" Used?

3
1

Additional Comments

  • "They managed this better than others, although room for improvement. Regarding injuries they were excellent and never “write off” a child if they demonstrated commitment to recovery"

Performances: Winter Show / Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities

2
1
1

School Winter Show?

4

Company or School Show?

2
2

Cast in Winter Show?

1
3

How Chosen

3

Winter Show Role

1
2

Were You Paid?

3

Rehearsal Impact on Classes

Disruptions
2
No Impact

Rehearsal Hours

1
1

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

1
3

Kind of Part Given?

1
2

How Chosen

2
1

Was Casting Fair?

3

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

Disruptions
2
1
No Impact

Rehearsal Hours

1
1

Perfomance Opportunities

  • "Winter showcase, contemporary showcase, ajudication performance, end of year performance, 2 x opportunity to dance with company"
  • "School opportunities were as follows: year end culmination, winter showcase, solo adjudication showcase, contemporary showcase. Company opportunities: child parts in the nutcracker and full length ballets, corps de ballet for post graduate and trainee division"
  • "Winter showcase nutcracker winter gala and year end"

Were You Paid?

3

Competition

School Does Competitions?

4

Communication

Formal Orientation?

4

Handboook & Paperwork

3
1

Quality of Communication?

Poor
1
1
2
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

4

Exams

Formal Exam?

4

Written Feedback?

4

Exam Adjudicator

4

Exam Rubrics Clear?

1
2
1

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

2
1
1

Well Prepared For Exam?

Not at all
1
3
Completely

How Heavily Did Exams Weigh in Promotions

Not at all
1
2
1
Heavily

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
1
3
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
1
3
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • "Supportive staff"
  • "Very positive, supportive and hardworking"
  • "Community, collaborative, balanced"
  • "Friendly and supportive small"

Placement Notification Timing

  • "March (year starts in September)"
  • "At the start of the next year"
  • "In the middle of second semester"
  • "Not yet placement is at the start of the year"

How Dancer Was Notified

2
1

Dancer Had Mentor?

3

Mentoring Details

  • "No specific mentoring program, but very valuable feedback from teachers/school on progress & technique to work on."
  • "The number of staff compared to students was vastly different but each tutor was always available to talk and help out whenever they could"
  • "Informally in the residence"

Overall School Culture

Cold & Exclusive
2
2
Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Is Student In Upper Levels?

1

Highest Levels of School?

1
3

How Many Promoted Internally to Bridge Level

1
1
1
1

How Many Come From Outside to Bridge Level?

1

Where Graduates Who Do Not Get Bridge Level Go

1
3

How Many Left and Went to College?

1
1
1
1

How Many Grads Went Directly to Company Job?

2
1
1

Career Support

1
1
2

Describe How School Helped

  • "Meetings to discuss and provide guidance with the director. Filming and photos arranged by school."
  • "Guided through selecting programs, helped with audition video"

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

1
3

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
1
3
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
2
2
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
1
3
Spotless

Housing

Was Housing Provided?

4

Did Dancer Stay in Provided Housing?

4

Type of Housing Provided:

4

Housing Minimum Age

Repeated Responses:
  • "12" (4 responses)

# of Roommates:

4

Adequate # of RA's?

Not at all
1
3
Absolutely

Type of Bathrooms:

1
3

Curfew?

4

Curfew Reasonable?

4

Nightly Room Check?

4

Dorm Strictness

Extremely Lax
3
1
Extremely Strict

How Infractions Handled?

2
1
1
1

How Roommate Issues Handled?

  • "Really well"
  • "Assisted with resolving conflicts, open to roommate changes"
  • "Communication was heavily encouraged, mediation with RA’s were offered."
  • "Na"

Housing Cleanliness

Dirty
1
3
Spotless

Students Required to Clean Room?

4

Laundry Available?

4

Laundry Free?

3
1

Evening Activities?

1
3

A/C In Room?

3
1

Weekend Outings?

2
2

Transportation Between Housing and Studios?

4

Safety Around Housing

Not Safe
1
1
2
Very Safe

Overall Rating of Housing

Poor
2
2
Excellent

Additional Comments

  • "Every Christmas they rotate room mates if needed"
  • "It’s a part of a dorm at university"

Meal Plan

Meal Plan?

4

Food Quality

Gross
2
2
Excellent

Enough Food?

4

Late Meals Available?

4

Dancer w/ Dietary Needs?

3
1

What Were Needs?

  • "Allergies"

Dietary Needs Met?

Limited Options
1
Many Options

Academics

How Did Academics Work?

4

Academic Support

4

Did the School Support Academics?

Didn't support
4
Definitely supported

Overall Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction

1
3

Career Support and Placement

2
1
1

Emotional Support

2
2

Housing & Food

3
1

Performance Opportunities

1
3

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect

  • "This program has the balance of quality training with high academic education"
  • "Excellent instruction in a nurturing open environment"
  • "The integration of academics and artistic offerings"
  • "The community and the academics"

Program's Worst Aspect

  • "NA"
  • "20 minute bus ride from housing to school"
  • "How hard it was to be considered to move classes"
  • "The food, the residence"

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

  • "NA"
  • "More male dancers"
  • "Better integration of levels"
  • "Space in the residence for quiet study/homework and practice"

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • "They focus on embracing the dancer, so demonstrate commitment. They are less interested in the dancers that only come for one year or are not participating in the “full” program offering (eg doing their own academics)"
  • "Very plugged into the overall ballet industry, attracting many international dancers, overall extremely positive experience"
  • "This was during Covid so many procedures are probably different now"
Reviews
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Dancer Age
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Age: 12, FemaleInstruction A+
Placement A
Performance A
Attended 2025-26, Stayed In Housing
Age: 16, FemaleInstruction A
Placement A
Performance A
Attended 2024-25, Stayed In Housing, Special Diet
Age: 16, FemaleInstruction A
Placement B+
Performance A
Attended 2022-23, Stayed In Housing
Age: 15, Non-BinaryInstruction A
Placement B
Performance A+
Attended 2020-21, Stayed In Housing