BALLET HELP DESK

Full-Time Training Reviews

Programs Reviewed: 98
Total Reviews: 352

Alabama Ballet

Full-Time Reviews

General

Who is Reviewing?

2
1

Program

3

Season Attended

3

# Of Levels In School

  • "There was only 1 level during this season."
  • "The Day Program is the highest level of the school for 15 year olds and up."
  • "One Level (2025-2026)"

Dancer Age

1
1
1

Hours of Dance Each Week

2
1

Gender

3

Company Affliated?

3

Was Student Scholarshipped?

3

Please Describe Scholarship

  • "N/A"

Years At School

2
1

Full time or after school?

3

Curriculum

Days Per Week

3

Classes Per Day

3

Weekend Classes?

3

Weekend Schedule

3

Students Per Class

1
2

Weekly Repertoire or Variations?

1
2

Pointe Classes Per Week

1
1
1

Live Music in Technique Class?

3

Dedicated Men's Program?

3

Boys In Level

3

Techniques Taught

2
3
2

Technique Teacher Rotation

1
2

Did School Director Teach?

1
2

Classroom Corrections

2
1

Attention From Teachers

Very Little
1
2
A Lot

Quality of Instruction

Poor
1
2
Excellent

Did Technique Improve?

Not at all
1
2
Tremendously

Curriculum Comments

  • "There was no set curriculum. We were told it was based on English National Ballet, but there was no set curriculum or a way to track/see progress throughout the season."
  • "We are trained in many different styles. We are given technique classes, pointe classes, 4pointe, pirouette technique, adagio technique, allegro technique, contemporary, conditioning, and occasional variation classes. Each day is different but the schedule is generally the same week to week."
  • "Alabama Ballet's Day Program takes place Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Each day includes four class blocks and a 30 minute lunch break. Offered classes include ballet technique, pointe technique, variations, and contemporary. Additionally, my favorite class offered is called "4pointe." This class focuses on targeted strength building exercises for dancers en pointe and significantly improved my strength and confidence on pointe in a short amount of time."

Partnering

Frequency of Partnering Class

2
1

Partner Ratio

1
1

Who Taught?

2

How Much Partnering Improved

No
1
1
Tremendously

Quality of Pas Teaching

Poor
1
1
Excellent

How Were Corrections Given?

1
1

Description of Partnering Class

  • "We always started out with pretty basic combinations but they got progressivly more challenging. We learned one full pas de deux."
  • "Alabama Ballet offers a one hour partnering class each week. The class is taught professionally by a former male company member, who provides tips and corrections to each pair of partners after almost every movement sequence. My favorite part of the class is learning specific pieces of repertoire, as it gives us the opportunity to experience to apply our learned technique to professional choreography."

Other Classes

Other Dance Styles

3

Other Class Quality

Poor
1
Excellent

Contemporary Offered?

1
2

Types of Contemporary Classes Taught

1
2
2
1

Contemporary Quality

Poor
1
1
Excellent

Master Classes?

3

Strength & Conditioning

Physical Training Offered?

3

Physical Training Types

2
1
1

Physical Training Schedule

3

Were Trainers Certified?

2
1

Physical Training Quality

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

Strength & Conditioning Comments

  • "It was only offered consistently for a few weeks or whenever a particular teacher was available."

Injuries/Health/ Mental Health

Are Doctors Available?

3

How Parents Notified?

1
1
1

How Treatment Obtained?

  • "Outside PT. The PT provided was usually off site or took the main company as priority. She was only available once per week."
  • "There are physical therapists who visited the studio weekly to provide all kinds of treatment. We also had doctors available to us during performances."
  • "Through the ballet's communication app, we were able to book an appointment with the Physical Therapist assigned to Alabama Ballet, who works specifically with the dancers there."

PT Available?

2
1

Was There a Recovery Plan?

1
1
1

Describe Recovery Plan

  • "We had to manage injuries on our own with our own PT and maintenance protocols."
  • "My recovery was very thorough and led to a full recovery. I was never pushed to dance while in pain."
  • "I was never injured."

Mental Health Therapists Available?

1
1
1

Were Students Given Fat Talk?

3

Staff Made Comments About Bodies?

2
1

Were Students Weighed?

3

Was "Coded Language" Used?

1
2

Additional Comments

  • "Injuries and health are treated poorly. Dancers do not feel safe communicating their concerns to teachers."

Performances: Winter Show/ Nutcracker

Performance Opportunities

2
1

School Winter Show?

3

Company or School Show?

3

Cast in Winter Show?

1
2

How Chosen

2

Winter Show Role

1
1

Were You Paid?

2

Rehearsal Impact on Classes

2

Rehearsal Hours

2

Performance: Ballet Season

Cast in Company Productions?

3

Kind of Part Given?

1
2

How Chosen

3

Was Casting Fair?

1
2

Did Rehearsals Impact School Schedule?

2
1

Rehearsal Hours

1
2

Perfomance Opportunities

  • "Able to perform in all school opportunities and two company performances."
  • "I had a wonderful experiance performing with the company. I got to perform snow and flowers in George Balancines the Nutcracker and a few different roles in Sleeping Beauty."
  • "The Day Program (2025-2026) offers students the opportunity to perform in designated shows. I chose to perform in Sleeping Beauty, which included dancing alongside the company. I performed two roles and appeared in every show. There were opportunities to perform in The Nutcracker, showcases each semester, along with guest performances."

Were You Paid?

3

Competition

School Does Competitions?

3

Competitions Required?

3

% of Students Who Performed

  • "2 dancers"
  • "only two of my classmates participated"
  • "Around 10%"

How Chosen?

  • "unknown"
  • "You can choose to participate or not."
  • "Competition is optional and left to personal choice."

Competitions Cost Extra?

  • "unknown"
  • "yes."
  • "N/A"

Separate Competition Rehearsals?

3

Competition Interfered With Training?

  • "Yes. Training would essentially stop. Pointe classes cancelled or shortened, etc."
  • "It did not affect me at all."
  • "N/A - Did not compete"

Communication

Formal Orientation?

1
2

Handboook & Paperwork

2
1

Quality of Communication?

Poor
1
1
1
Excellent

Who Received Communication?

3

Exams

Formal Exam?

3

School Culture

How Supported Did Student Feel By Staff?

Not
1
1
1
Completely

How Supportive Were Students of One Another?

Not
1
2
Completely

Describe School Culture

  • "Toxic with a lack of organization or leadership."
  • "Joyful, inclusive, steady"
  • "Drama-free, hardworking aspiring professionals"

Placement Notification Timing

  • "Not notified at all. (next quest forced an answer, but we had no communication)"
  • "I found out in the beginning of March."
  • "You had the option to be notified at the end of the current season or at the beginning of the next."

How Dancer Was Notified

2
1

Dancer Had Mentor?

2
1

Mentoring Details

  • "A company member reached out and was very kind and provided continued guidance. No one else in the organization provided any type of support or guidance."
  • "There was no actual mentoring but there are so many people there to encourage you and give you advice! I never felt the need to have an actual mentor."
  • "n/a"

Overall School Culture

Lord of the Flies
1
2
Warm & Inclusive

School Outcomes

Highest Levels of School?

1
2

How Many Promoted Internally to Bridge Level

1

Where Graduates Who Do Not Get Bridge Level Go

1
1

How Many Left and Went to College?

1
1
1

Career Support

1
1
1

Describe How School Helped

  • "None other than received a recommendation letter after several reminders."

Building & Surrounding Area

Security Around Building

3

Safety of Area Around School?

Not Safe
1
1
1
Extremely Safe

Studio Space

Cramped
1
2
Lots of space

Studio Cleanliness

Dirty
1
2
Spotless

Housing

Was Housing Provided?

3

Where Did Dancer Live?

2
1

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

1
1
1

Emotional Support

1
1
1

Housing & Food

3

Performance Opportunities

2
1

Overall Comments

Program's Best Aspect

  • "N/A"
  • "My favorite part is the training. Our instructors are incredible and i have learned so much from them this past year!"
  • "My favorite thing about The Day Program was the intention and care the faculty showed toward each dancer. Coming from a drop in style training environment that relied heavily on personal motivation, I felt truly seen and supported. I also appreciated the continual focus on specific corrections that carried through the entire year. Each class built on the previous one rather than starting from scratch, which helped me arrive to class with clear intentions and a focused, mentally engaged mindset."

Program's Worst Aspect

  • "Too much disorganization, lack of communication, no support."
  • "Communication to students and parents could be improved."
  • "No complaints!"

What Changes Would Be Helpful?

  • "Clear communication and expectations."
  • "I wish there was more of a focus on contemporary and better contemporary classes."
  • "No Changes!"

Anything Else We Should Know?

  • "It was truly a poor experience for us as parents and my dancer. Partnering was provided once per week but after hours (in the evening). There were no men in our program, so company men and other men were brought in from outside studios. There was no cohesion amongst the teachers and they constantly contradicted each other. While there was supposed to be a contemporary class twice weekly, the teacher frequently did not show up - if he did show up, he was unprepared. Note that this was never addressed with parents/ persons paying for tuition. Injuries were not properly addressed with any student. We also noticed that dancers had common injuries. The teachers/staff can also be quite disrespectful to the students. Dancers who worked frequently had to change their schedule due to inconsistencies and lack of communication. The same is said for academics."
  • "There is a place for everyone here!"
Reviews
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Dancer Age
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Age: 18, FemaleInstruction D
Placement D
Performance B
Attended 2025-26
Age: 19, FemaleInstruction A
Placement A
Performance A+
Attended 2025-26
Age: 21, FemaleInstruction A+
Placement A+
Performance A+
Attended 2025-26