Informal ranking of DMV ballet studios?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up near Washington Ballet in the 80s and 90s. So we would see the girls coming out of the school a lot. I really wanted to take dance lessons when I was five or six, but my mom refused because she said she thought the girls looked like they had just gotten out of a concentration camp. She also thought they were all losing their hair. She just did not think it was healthy. Obviously that’s several decades ago and it’s not like my mom is an expert on ballet but just FYI. I always thought those girls were a little creepy looking. Super skinny with high balding fore heads and they walked weird

Oh also I had friends who went there and the instructors pressured them to lose weight even though they were already super skinny

There isn't the outspoken pressure anymore to be thin, but it's more subtle. As PP said, the petite dancers get rewarded with good roles and the kids notice. They say it's because of costume sizing, so... Really? Update a couple costumes so you're not stuck in 1980s backward standards. If WB wants to progress, then progress already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up near Washington Ballet in the 80s and 90s. So we would see the girls coming out of the school a lot. I really wanted to take dance lessons when I was five or six, but my mom refused because she said she thought the girls looked like they had just gotten out of a concentration camp. She also thought they were all losing their hair. She just did not think it was healthy. Obviously that’s several decades ago and it’s not like my mom is an expert on ballet but just FYI. I always thought those girls were a little creepy looking. Super skinny with high balding fore heads and they walked weird

Oh also I had friends who went there and the instructors pressured them to lose weight even though they were already super skinny

There isn't the outspoken pressure anymore to be thin, but it's more subtle. As PP said, the petite dancers get rewarded with good roles and the kids notice. They say it's because of costume sizing, so... Really? Update a couple costumes so you're not stuck in 1980s backward standards. If WB wants to progress, then progress already.

Oh, it's not subtle. They're just not advertising it! When a "nutritional expert" invited as speaker for ballet intensives tells children to avoid certain foods entirely, that's what I call outspoken pressure. And your child might report it to you as "Oh an expert came in and taught us healthy food habits". You think "great!", but no... it's not what you think.

[Anonymous]

We’ll, what is it then? My dancer had the nutritionist talk last week and came back telling me about complex vs. simple carbs, the need for protein, and how we should try to eat the rainbow of fruit of veg. There was also some advice what to eat and what to avoid before long rehearsals and performances, i.e. crackers with protein are a good snack to bring along, potentially nuts if there are no allergies, lots of water, some chilled grit and veg. No to sodas, bags of chips, and choc bars. Oatmeal and pnb sandwiches as opposed to donuts. I fail to see what’s wrong with this. It’s what I keep telling my kids, but of course it’s gospel if it comes from dancer turned nutritionist rather than boring mom.

[Anonymous]

Chilled fruit, not grits!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up near Washington Ballet in the 80s and 90s. So we would see the girls coming out of the school a lot. I really wanted to take dance lessons when I was five or six, but my mom refused because she said she thought the girls looked like they had just gotten out of a concentration camp. She also thought they were all losing their hair. She just did not think it was healthy. Obviously that’s several decades ago and it’s not like my mom is an expert on ballet but just FYI. I always thought those girls were a little creepy looking. Super skinny with high balding fore heads and they walked weird

+1
My mom wouldn’t let me switch to WSB for the same reason. Then years later I ended up doing hot yoga at a studio that shared a floor with some wsb classrooms and I couldn’t believe how awful the students looked.

[Anonymous]

My DD had a big growth spurt this Spring and was devastated for what that may mean for her and roles. She cried in the doctor's office when the nurse read out her height. I really didn't know what to say to her, it's not anything in her control and it's an arbitrary standard they've created that tiny dancers get more opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up near Washington Ballet in the 80s and 90s. So we would see the girls coming out of the school a lot. I really wanted to take dance lessons when I was five or six, but my mom refused because she said she thought the girls looked like they had just gotten out of a concentration camp. She also thought they were all losing their hair. She just did not think it was healthy. Obviously that’s several decades ago and it’s not like my mom is an expert on ballet but just FYI. I always thought those girls were a little creepy looking. Super skinny with high balding fore heads and they walked weird

I feel like you write this on every post about ballet — specifically, the Washington Ballet. You thought they were “creepy” looking because that’s what your mom taught you to think. Not sure why your mom would even use a concentration camp reference, but OK. It sounds like you wanted to be one of those girls, but wasn’t given the chance.

[Anonymous]

Same! I remember her! Sorry your mom wouldn't let you dance!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Washington Ballet.

Until recently, Maryland Youth Ballet was also excellent, but ever since their former artistic director retired, they've had some issues at the top, have let their current artistic director go (he was a complete mess), and as a result, their conservatory has shut down. Your daughter is too young to belong to one anyway, but there's enough flux at MYB that you might want to go elsewhere.

Kirov has shut down for financial reasons (plus they always had those murky ties to the Korean Moon cult).

So... there's only Washington Ballet that I can recommend. They're not perfect, they have long been dogged with accusations of nepotism and favoritism in performances, but their classes are objectively of high quality.

The teachers at MYB are almost all the same now as they were five years ago. Maybe one departure. There is no reason to believe that the “issues at the top” have impacted the quality of the dance training. Mr. Muñoz came in at an unfortunate time as all but 14 months of his 44 month tenure were complicated by COVID-19 and this region’s reaction to it. A really bad time to start up a daily conservatory group. On the positive side, the studio Re-opened for in-person classes on July 6, 2020 and has stayed open ever since. Which dance school did better than that?

Personally, I’m not a fan of the conservatory because it essentially wipes out a kid’s entire day and I can’t fathom when they get actual learning done. At night, after dinner, I guess. Sounds exhausting. If the studio doesn’t have the resources to have a tutor/teacher on staff and a dedicated learning area, then it seemed irresponsible to entice kids to short shrift their education to add an extra two or three hours of dance during every school day. At least Kirov seemed to understand that.

Flux, not turnover, PP. And if your child is in the lower levels or has the traditional appearance of the ballerina (desired height, complexion, body type), then she might go through MYB never realizing some students are treated differently.

MYB staff had more cohesion and direction when Michelle Lees was there. Munoz, being artistically gifted but administratively lacking, had the effect of revealing flaws and inequalities in how some teachers taught students, and how MYB as a group responded to complaints of favoritism and bullying, because there was no firm hand on the rudder. Their Covid response was pretty good, I'll grant you that. But a lot of parents of higher-level students are pulling their kids out, since MYB, despite sending out a survey and trying to correct course, did not address the main cause (separating from Munoz) until parents were fed up.

I hope their next artistic director is fair-minded and forces certain other teachers to behave.

What does this mean?

It means that at this school, just like at most high-level ballet schools, there is discrimination regarding:
Height (not too tall, not too short)
Body shape (as slim as possible, elongated limbs)
Skin color (pale so everyone can look the same in line)

Yes, you read that right, and I hope you're not surprised, if you know anything about the ballet world.

What is the ideal height range?

5'4" to 5'6" is ideal, below or above not so much if looking for a professional job after trainee level

That's surprising, I always thought ballerinas looked really tall!

I danced (ballet) professionally and I’m 5’7”. In my company, sometimes I was even cast in short girl parts. For a while our corps tended really tall. Not all the advice people (person?) are posting on here is accurate. Or, it’s somewhat accurate but way more absolutist than I experienced. They did demand extreme thinness, and from the looks of my former company, still do.

OP, as someone who still feels a bit ruined by a lifetime in dance, I encourage you to look for a healthy environment over the “best” schools. If your daughter truly is on the path to a professional career, this will become obvious at summer programs, and you can decide to move later. Ballet Nova will provide great training for a 9 year old. It’s a solid program, presumably near to your house, with (from what I’ve heard) a good environment. Good luck to you and your daughter! And always always check in and make sure she’s still finding it worth it.

This x 100 over. Unless your kid shows an intense passion and desire to be a ballet professional dancer, she can still get a solid dance education in many different studios. Dance can be an awesome activity even if a kid doesn't go professional....and most don't. Professional ballet is a short lived career that can leave both emotional and physical scars. I think the kids who take ballet along with other dance types in solid but non prestigious schools do not burn out and still love it later on in life. A lot of the seniors graduating at our studio are going to great colleges and majoring in things like CS, pre-med, etc with a few minoring in dance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD had a big growth spurt this Spring and was devastated for what that may mean for her and roles. She cried in the doctor's office when the nurse read out her height. I really didn't know what to say to her, it's not anything in her control and it's an arbitrary standard they've created that tiny dancers get more opportunities.

I am so glad our studio is body inclusive

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting to me the parents who are trying to dissuade OP from switching their DC to TWSB or MYB, but in the same breath are mentioning that their DC is at one of those schools. Presumably, you all wanted “the best” for your kids just as OP seems to want the best for theirs. Seems really disingenuous to tell OP not to bother when your own kid attends those schools for the very same reason OP would like her kid to attend.

My DD doesn't attend either of those but maybe the parents are speaking from experience? I get the sense that parents start out thinking oh this is what is best for my child/she really wants it but then get in and realize how toxic it can be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how bullying happens in a ballet class? I’m honestly confused. Don’t the kids just show up for class and do what the instructor says and go home? Is it happening at rehearsals for ballets?

The older kids stay at MYB for hours with back to back classes. In between, they in the corridors, stretching and warming up or cooling down. One young adult dancer in particular just kept saying nasty stuff, with absolutely no reprimand from above.

Why would a “young adult dancer” be at MYB except to take the occasional adult class? I know there might be a few 18 year old high school seniors in the Academy program. Was that what you meant? This is one reason why MYB ought to re-open the family waiting areas. We, as parents, help monitor such behavior and our mere presence might cause kids to act a little better. This is true at school or at dance or athletics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how bullying happens in a ballet class? I’m honestly confused. Don’t the kids just show up for class and do what the instructor says and go home? Is it happening at rehearsals for ballets?

The older kids stay at MYB for hours with back to back classes. In between, they in the corridors, stretching and warming up or cooling down. One young adult dancer in particular just kept saying nasty stuff, with absolutely no reprimand from above.

Why would a “young adult dancer” be at MYB except to take the occasional adult class? I know there might be a few 18 year old high school seniors in the Academy program. Was that what you meant? This is one reason why MYB ought to re-open the family waiting areas. We, as parents, help monitor such behavior and our mere presence might cause kids to act a little better. This is true at school or at dance or athletics.

"Young adult" could be college age/young professional and still taking several evening adult classes a week. Yes, such people exist.
Or perhaps this poster meant "upper high school age". Not clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how bullying happens in a ballet class? I’m honestly confused. Don’t the kids just show up for class and do what the instructor says and go home? Is it happening at rehearsals for ballets?

The older kids stay at MYB for hours with back to back classes. In between, they in the corridors, stretching and warming up or cooling down. One young adult dancer in particular just kept saying nasty stuff, with absolutely no reprimand from above.

Why would a “young adult dancer” be at MYB except to take the occasional adult class? I know there might be a few 18 year old high school seniors in the Academy program. Was that what you meant? This is one reason why MYB ought to re-open the family waiting areas. We, as parents, help monitor such behavior and our mere presence might cause kids to act a little better. This is true at school or at dance or athletics.


The days of parents hanging in the waiting area are long over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain how bullying happens in a ballet class? I’m honestly confused. Don’t the kids just show up for class and do what the instructor says and go home? Is it happening at rehearsals for ballets?

The older kids stay at MYB for hours with back to back classes. In between, they in the corridors, stretching and warming up or cooling down. One young adult dancer in particular just kept saying nasty stuff, with absolutely no reprimand from above.

Why would a “young adult dancer” be at MYB except to take the occasional adult class? I know there might be a few 18 year old high school seniors in the Academy program. Was that what you meant? This is one reason why MYB ought to re-open the family waiting areas. We, as parents, help monitor such behavior and our mere presence might cause kids to act a little better. This is true at school or at dance or athletics.

"Young adult" could be college age/young professional and still taking several evening adult classes a week. Yes, such people exist.
Or perhaps this poster meant "upper high school age". Not clear.

I was reminded that there was a 22 year old male doing conservatory (and other Academy classes?) last Fall. Perhaps the previous year, too. Anyway, he hasn’t been at MYB since early January.