National Ballet School of Canada

[LexBallet]

Hello, would anyone have any experience of the summer intensive/audition for full time and the full time programme for 15 year olds. Curious to find out if it’s a month worth doing?

 

thank you

[Knh]

Hi, my DD was 16 last summer and had a wonderful experience.
 

She is there full time now as a grade 11 and loves the school. We think the school is thoughtful and deliberate in all aspects of student life (ballet training, academics, residence).
I believe your DC will be going into grade 10 (though it seems like it is not strictly based on the birthday) and grade 10-12 generally have the same schedule and performance opportunities as senior students, so I am happy to try to answer any question you may have. She was also at a company affiliated school in the US before NBS so we have some other reference points. 

As to your question on whether the summer is worth it—if your DC is interested in attending NBS full time, summer school  is the main route as you know (though some come through competitions etc). If you are asking about the “odds” of one being accepted, it is hard to say as I think it varies year by year but it seems like many of  DD’s classmates started in 9/10th so perhaps it is a good time to start? I can ask DD how many of the grade 10ths started at NBS last fall, but in 11th, it is usually not more than a handful. If it is important to your DC that they dance all day during the summer, my DD had 3 classes a day Mon-Thu and 2 on Fridays last summer so I’m not sure NBS summer school is what your DC is looking for. 

Edited March 26, 2023 by Knh

[LexBallet]

Hello and thank you so much for your reply.

 

It’s great to hear from you that you feel it’s a very rounded school. We are absolu aware that odds of gaining places are very slim, but are initially looking at it as a summer intensive that gives her a different perspective to the British ones and European ones and to experience the teaching styles. so with the summer course three classes a day is about 4.5 hours? Seems plenty to me if they are working at a high level and did your daughter board during summer? If so did they then keep them selves entertained and have a chance to see Toronto?

 

As for the main school, in the tiny hope she got a place, I have a few questions:

- how big are the years groups/classes

- how are job prospects viewed

- do most dancers manage to graduate or are many assessed out

- what does a timetable look like at age 16ish (year 11) in terms of hours on academics/hours dance and hours of classical versus contemporary

Sorry to bombard you but across the pond is all completely new to us.

 

thank you so much.

 

best wishes,

alexia

 

 

[Knh]

I'll try to answer as much as I can but with the caveat that we have only been with NBS for less than a year. 

 

Class size:  I think grade 11 is around 25 boys and girls. I say "think" because they are spread out in various academic classes and dance classes so I actually do not know. Grade 11 (15?) girls are spread out over 4 dance groups (they don't call them levels because they are grouped based on development needs) with girls in grade10-12 and some post grads. Each dance group has about 10-15 dancers. My DD's group has 11 dancers ranging from grade 11-12-post grad students.

 

Job prospects: Everyone seems to find their way to university or their next step in dance (post grad program,  second company, company). Many audition while applying for university. I cannot give you the stats because I only have anecdotes and the auditions for this year are ongoing. 

 

Assessments/promotions: There seem to be several children who have been at NBS from grade 6 (I think equivalent to grade 7 in the UK) who are in the graduating class every year. At the company affiliated schoolbin the US that my DD was at before NBS, I would say we would only have those cases once every few years (maybe a decade!?). No one is assessed out between grade 11 and 12 at NBS. 

 

Academic hours: Senior students have academics from 8:15am-12:15pm Mon-Fri. Just for context, my DD was at a school that was considered fairly academic in the US before NBS and class hours are about the same. So basically, the clubs/office hours/assembly etc at her "regular" highschool was replaced with dance at NBS. So it is much more manageable, especially since her 1.5 hour commute to dance everyday was also replaced with a short walk from the residence to classrooms/studios. At NBS, a student can take a University Course or College Course, the former having a heavier academic load. They advise students to always keep their options open and emphasize the importance of plan B. They try to work with the student to meet their needs whether their academic aspirations  are higher (top university) or lower (meeting the minimum grad requirement of the Ontario public school carriculum which they follow). 

 

Hours of dance: 1:15pm-6:15pm is generally allotted to dance for the senior students but the schedule is quite different week to week depending on rehearsals. There is always a 1hr 45min technique class everyday Mon-Sat. There is usually a 1 hr pointe/variations class Mon-Fri. And if there are no rehearsals, there would be a third class which could be contemporary, conditioning or PDD. I would note that there are many performance opoortunities though mostly for the school--two solo variations, one year end performance, and spring show case. This year, they also performed at the Toronto dance festival called Fall For Dance North and will at Assembly Internationale (AI). AI is something NBS hosts other schools from around the world (ABT, RBS, SFB, etc) every four years to take classes and perform together. NBS has a theatre that seats 280, which is also great. 

 

Your questions on summer school: My DD did not stay at the residence as we spent the summer in Toronto as a family.  Grade 10-12 auditiong students organized their own outings (sightseeing, shopping, cafes) or activities at the residence (to weekwith the help of chqperones if needed when they were not dancing