United Ballet Theatre & Academy

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General

Who is Reviewing?

Dancer

Program:

United Ballet Theatre & Academy

Season Attended:

2025-26

# Of Levels In School:

There is under 12 then over 12. I was originally accepted as a “trainee” to get there and see there was no trainee program anymore and I was taking classes with children.

Level Dancer Was In:

“Trainee”

Dancer Age:

Hours of Dance Each Week:

6-10 hours

Company Affliated?

Was Student Scholarshipped?

Years At School:

1 year

Full time or after school?

Full-Time

Date Submitted:

08/01/2026,

Curriculum

Days Per Week:

Classes Per Day:

Weekend Classes?

Weekend Schedule:

I did not have weekend class

Students Per Class:

Less than 10

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

Pointe Classes Per Week:

N/A

Live Music in Technique Class?

Dedicated Men's Program?

Techniques Taught:

General Classical

Technique Teacher Rotation:

Usually the same every day

Did School Director Teach?

Always

Classroom Corrections:

Dancer specific: detailed but only a few dancers consistently got corrections

Attention From Teachers:


Very Little	A Lot

Quality of Instruction:


Poor	Excellent

Did Technique Improve?


Not at all	Tremendously

Curriculum Comments:

It was kinda a Cuban style mashed with random other techniques. It was very unorganized with the technique. There was no pointe classes, each class came with a different excuse to why we couldn’t do pointe.

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class:

No partnering

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles:

None of the above

Other Class Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

Master Classes?

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

Yes

Physical Training Types:

Weight training, Progressing Ballet Technique

Physical Training Schedule:

Daily

Physical Training Quality:


Poor	Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments:

The director has his vertimax machine that he based the whole program around. Those resistance classes took place every day.

Injuries / Health / Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

How Parents Notified?

Student told parent. School not involved

How Treatment Obtained?

You are fully on your own and have to set up your own appointments outside of the studio.

PT Available?

Was There a Recovery Plan?

Describe Recovery Plan:

The Vertimax classes can be used to strength train the injury.

Mental Health Therapists Available?

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

Were Students Weighed?

Was "Coded Language" Used?

Performances: Winter Show / Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities:

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:

Audition

Winter Show Role:

Dancing part

Were You Paid?

Rehearsal Impact on Classes:


Disruptions	No Impact

Rehearsal Hours:

3-5

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

Competition

School Does Competitions?

Communication

Formal Orientation?

Handboook & Paperwork:

No handbook provided

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:

Lacking

Placement Notification Timing:

There are only 2 levels and it is aged based so levels are already known.

How Dancer Was Notified:

Written communication via email or regular mail

Dancer Had Mentor?

Overall School Culture:


Cold & Exclusive	Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Career Support:

Received no help - I was on my own

Describe How School Helped:

Communication with the director was pretty difficult. I tried reaching out for help and advice and was given nothing.

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?

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:

Housing & Food:

N/A

Performance Opportunities:

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect:

The people.

Program's Worst Aspect:

The director was never less than 45 minutes late to class including days where class was canceled after the start time and we all drove there. It got to a point where he was hours late. Ending the season the program got cut in hours then cut again then bumped to 3 days. Tuition did not change to reflect the missing hours of training. Classes were 25 minutes long with a 55 minute technique class but because of how late he always was classes were often skipped or missed due to timing.

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

I’d like it if there was someone to keep the director in check and showing up for his students.

Anything Else We Should Know?

I moved across the country for this program and was nothing but disappointed in new ways every day. It was a complete let down.