BALLET HELP DESK

Full-Time Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 87
Total Reviews: 296

School of Philadelphia Ballet

Full-Time Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

3
2

Program

5

Season Attended

3
2

# Of Levels In School

  • During 22-23, there were 9 levels. 8 was the day program, and the ninth level was trainee.
  • 8 is highest before trainee
  • The school has a variety of creative movement classes for very little ones, then levels 1-8, followed by trainee.
  • 9
  • There are levels for littles, then levels 1-8, then trainee

Dancer Age

1
1
2
1

Gender

5

Company Affliated?

5

Was Student Scholarshipped?

2
2

Please Describe Scholarship

  • 25% tuition scholarship for August - June
  • We received a partial tuition merit scholarship. We found out in June '23. I'm not sure how many students receive merit scholarships.

Years At School

1
2

Curriculum

Days Per Week

5

Classes Per Day

5

Weekend Classes?

5

Weekend Schedule

5

Students Per Class

3
2

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

5

Pointe Classes Per Week

5

Live Music in Technique Class?

5

Dedicated Men's Program?

1
4

Boys In Level

5

Separate Technique Class for Boys

3
2

Techniques Taught

3
1
2

Technique Teacher Rotation

1
4

Did School Director Teach?

3
2

Classroom Corrections

1
3
1

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
1
2
2
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
1
2
2
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
1
1
3
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • Technique, variations, rep, contemporary, flamenco, partnering
  • The day starts with technique class, sometimes combined with second company technique class. Following, there is pointe class and boys have men's class. On different days students have variation, repertoire, modern, contemporary, and stretch and strengthening which can be anything from Pilates to cardio. Throughout the week there are additional rehearsals for various company and school performances.
  • Days begin with technique, then pointe class for ladies. Afternoons are a mix of other types of dance (flamenco, modern, character, etc), variations, rep, and rehearsals.

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

4
1

Partner Ratio

4
1

Who Taught?

1
4

How Much Partnering Improved

No
1
1
1
2
Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching

Poor
1
2
2
Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

2
1
2

Description of Partnering Class

  • n/a
  • There were very few men, so there was a lot of sharing and downtime while waiting your turn.
  • One hour of partnering class weekly given by the school director. Male dancers get three partnering classes weekly, and girls get one.
  • very few boys
  • Partnering class was once weekly for an hour. The school director usually taught the class.

Additional Comments

  • n/a
  • no
  • It would be helpful to have more male dancers in the program.
  • no
  • N/A

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

2
2
1
2
5
1

Other Class Quality

Poor
1
3
1
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

1
4

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

1
1
2

Contemporary Quality

Poor
2
2
Excellent

Master Classes?

2
3

Master Classes Description

  • Two master classes were offered - one with a soloist of the company, and one with the AD of the company. Both were open to the public, and they charged a fee for each. My dancer only attended the class with the AD because they were explicitly asked to go, since they could not fill the class otherwise
  • Occasionally there is a master class taught by either the company's artistic director or other company dancers.
  • Occasionally there are master classes taught by principals from the company or the company's artistic director.

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

1
4

Physical Training Types

4
1
3
2

Physical Training Schedule

2
2

Were Trainers Certified?

4

Physical Training Quality

Poor
1
2
1
Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments

  • n/a
  • The classes varied a lot based on the instructor.
  • N/A

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

5

How Parents Notified?

4
1

How Treatment Obtained?

1
1
1
1

PT Available?

5

Was There a Recovery Plan?

3
2

Describe Recovery Plan

  • n/a
  • It was up to us to get a recommendation from the doctor.
  • I think recovery plans are put together by outside physical therapists and communicated to the school.
  • n/a

Mental Health Therapists Available?

5

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

5

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

3
2

Were Students Weighed?

5

Was "Coded Language" Used?

2
3

Additional Comments

  • The school provided a link with resources on the intranet for mental concerns
  • There were a lot of injuries amongst students during the year
  • The school provides a list of mental health resources. Physical therapy is available on site for students when they are dancing in company roles.
  • During productions students who have corps roles have access to physical therapy.

Performances: Winter Show/ Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities

1
2
2

School Winter Show?

5

Company or School Show?

5

Cast in Winter Show?

1
4

How Chosen

2
3

Winter Show Role

1
2
2

Were You Paid?

4

If Paid, Please Describe

1
1

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

2
3

Kind of Part Given?

1
2

How Chosen

3

Was Casting Fair?

1
2

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

1
1
1

Perfomance Opportunities

  • My dancer was selected for one standing role during a company performance. There was a showing for elementary school kids where she was performing, and she was cast in the Spring performance, which is the only school performance of the year..
  • Trainees can be cast in both walk-on and corps roles in company shows. We were cast in some second company shows as well. We are regularly understudies for both company and second company roles. The school also does smaller performances in local public schools and we put on performances for open houses.
  • I performed in the Nutcracker and Giselle in corps roles, and was able to perform in smaller 2nd company performances, as well as open houses, an end of the year school performance, and a fundraising gala at the end of the year.

Were You Paid?

2

If Paid, Please Describe

1

Competition

School Does Competitions?

5

Competitions Required?

5

How Many Compete?

1
1
1
1
1

% of Students Who Performed

1
1
1
1
1

How Chosen?

  • Audition class
  • audition
  • Students were selected for Prix de Lausanne. Students have to audition to be selected for YAGP.
  • audition
  • You have to audition to be selected to compete.

Competitions Cost Extra?

  • Yes
  • not sure - dancer wasn't selected
  • Yes, there are extra fees for coaching, for choreography, and for costume rental.
  • yes
  • Yes - you pay for coaching, choreography for contemporary pieces, and for costume rental.

Separate Competition Rehearsals?

5

Competition Interfered With Training?

  • It adds value to those who are selected, I should think
  • n/a
  • It added value. You gain one-on-one instruction and coaching time, you have the opportunity to learn a variation thoroughly, and you get to work with a choreographer on a new contemporary piece.
  • added for those selected; widened the gap for those not selected
  • It adds value. You get to master a variation and you get weekly one-on-one coaching time.

Communication

Formal Orientation?

1
4

Handboook & Paperwork

1
4

Quality of Communication?

Poor
1
1
1
2
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

5

Exams

Formal Exam?

1
4

Written Feedback?

4

Exam Adjudicator

4

Exam Rubrics Clear?

2
1
1

Who Attends Exam Meeting?

3
1

Well Prepared For Exam?

Not at all
2
2
Completely

How Heavily Did Exams Weigh in Promotions

Not at all
1
3
Heavily

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
1
2
1
1
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
1
1
3
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • Toxic, favoritism and nepotism
  • favoritism, nepotism, not student-centered
  • Pre-professional, strict, personal, challenging
  • toxic, unkind, exclusionary
  • small, supportive, strict

Placement Notification Timing

1
1
1
1
1

Overall School Culture

Lord of the Flies
2
1
2
Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Is Student In Upper Levels?

1
4

Highest Levels of School?

  • Trainee, Second Company
  • Trainee, Second Company
  • Trainee, Post- Graduate/Graduate, Second Company, Junior Company, Apprentice (only if it is not part of the company)
  • Trainee, Second Company

How Many Promoted Internally to Bridge Level

  • 1
  • Half of the company apprentices came from the second company, and 40% of the second company came from the school.
  • 1-2
  • Three trainees were promoted to 2nd company, two second company dancers were promoted to apprentice.

How Many Come From Outside to Bridge Level?

  • almost all come from outside
  • Half of the company apprentices came from outside, and 60% of the second company came from outside the school.
  • most are brought from outside
  • Two outside dancers were hired to the second company. I don't know about the apprentice level.

Where Graduates Who Do Not Get Bridge Level Go

1
3

How Many Left and Went to College?

1
1
1
1

Career Support

2
2

Describe How School Helped

  • They were not interested in that aspect.
  • Students can schedule meetings with the director or principal, they can get studio time to make audition tapes, they can get letters of recommendation.
  • I scheduled a meeting with the school principal for advice.

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

5

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
3
2
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
1
1
3
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
1
3
1
Spotless

Housing

Was Housing Provided?

4

Did Dancer Stay in Provided Housing?

5

Where Did Dancer Live?

4

Academics

How Did Academics Work?

5

Academic Support

1
4

Did the School Support Academics?

Didn't support
1
1
3
Definitely supported

Overall Program Grades

Overall Dance Instruction

2
1
1
1

Career Support and Placement

2
1
1
1

Emotional Support

1
1
3

Housing & Food

1
4

Performance Opportunities

2
1
2

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect

1
1
1
1
1

Program's Worst Aspect

  • The school director. He took the school to a whole new level of favoritism and uncaring.
  • Culture, lack of communication
  • The turnover in directors and principals.
  • The negative culture, no investment in the majority of the students, extreme favoritism
  • Sometimes what the company would say was different from the school.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

  • I would not allow that faculty teach their own kids and blatantly prioritize their training over everyone else's. Each student should get a mentor, who watches and makes sure that they are not being left behind.
  • It felt like the school was more concerned about image than the actual dancers' well-being
  • It would be nice if there were more male dancers in the program and on-site PT for the day students.
  • The leadership, from top down; the atmosphere and toxic culture
  • Not sure!

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • The training is good, but you really need a thick skin, if you do not want to feel completely discouraged and defeated by the end of the year, unless you are a favorite.
  • It's a rigorous program but if you put in the work you'll become a better dancer.
  • buyer beware. This is a tough place.
  • It's great to be able to work with a professional company. That made all the difference.
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