Orlando Ballet School

[Victoria Leigh]

I'm placing this topic here as this school is not yet listed in this category, and it should be! We have it in the SI programs, but for some reason it has not yet been discussed here. So, it is now open for discussion, if we have any current members who attend the School or the new Academy program.

[MBF]

I would love to hear about this school. My DD has a friend who attended the SI this summer and just raved about it.

[LauraR]

My dd has some classes with the OBSA students. She's hoping to attend next year. It's a full schedule with pilates once weekly, conditioning, partnering a couple times a week, ballet classes throughout the day, and character. Right now they are also cast in the next OBII production and have a lot of rehearsals.

[MBF]

LauraR, I know the Academy program is new this year but do you happen to know if SI attendance is mandatory for acceptance into either that or the trainee program? Also, do you know if Orlando facilitates host families or has housing options?

[LauraR]

The trainee program is separate. SI attendance is not mandatory, but they do hold auditions for OBSA during SI and of course, watch the students who attend as any program would. Orlando does not offer any housing options, one could always ask about host families. A close friend was able to stay with a host family to attend Peter Stark's program in Tampa. I don't think the school officially sponsored the host family relationship, it was just worked out between families.

[luvmiballerina]

Any more current information about the Orlando Ballet year-round school? Is anyone attending this year not from Orlando?

[LauraR]

There is no residence at OBSA, so most students are from Orlando and surrounding areas. A few older students are OBSA/Trainees and have moved to apartments in Orlando. One student came from out of town during the week then returned home on weekends. I don't want to give out any information that may identify anyone personally. There is a lot of interest in OBSA from families that do not currently live in Orlando.

 

As for the school in general, a lot of students move to Orlando to train, so there are a lot of dancers coming from different areas and different countries.

[CRdancer]

I was accepted here in the Academy program. The lady said I could attend the year-round program without having to attend the Summer Intensive. My last day for registration for the Summer Intensive is tomorrow. But I just have one more question. How much has the school changed since Peter Stark left the School?? What are some new changes?? What opportunities going to their Academy give me for my future?? I'm 17, could I re-audition for them when I'm 18 for the Academy incase I don't go?? Does them offering me a partial scholarship mean they're interested in me?? How many levels are there in the Academy program?? .. These are just some concerns of mine. Thanks!

Edited February 22, 2011 by CRdancer

[LauraR]

This is just the opinion of one person, but I don't see a lot of change since Peter left. I think the main reason is that the rest of the teaching staff stayed in place. Mr Stark is a very charismatic teacher and of course his presence is missed. Since he left the men's program is smaller, but the young men he was working with at the time were also at the point of moving on to larger schools. Mrs. Burger met with the parents at the beginning of the year and she seems to want a smooth transition. She works well with the dancers and everyone is treated equally. The biggest change is that the school has begun using the ABT curriculum. So far that has been most evident in the younger and beginning point classes, but it may be integrated into the upper levels more after the teacher training seminar this spring.

 

OBSA has just one level this year. As for future opportunities, I imagine the same as getting pre-professional training anywhere. An OBSA student has about 20 classes per week and extra rehearsals. Many times they are cast into OBII productions and have extra performing opportunities.

 

If you look at the Orlando Ballet SI thread, Mrs Burger gave me permission to post her contact information and would be happy to answer your questions. She's very approachable at the school.

[CRdancer]

Oh, ok. Thanks so much! I'll try looking for that info it will be awsome if I can find it! And thanks, it was a helpful response. Oh! And I just came up with one more question. Do you know until what age it goes?

[LauraR]

Sorry, I don't. The youngest student attends OBSA part-time and is almost 15. The oldest students are the men, maybe 19-20-ish, but I don't know for certain. Average age seems to be 16-17.

[alyssa41]

Hello, I'm currently a trainee here at orlando, and last year i was one of the first people to be accepted in the first year of the OBSA program.

This year they have 2 seperate levels, and I know they plan on creating more levels as the program grows.

 

However I do not know much about the summer program because I have lived in Orlando my whole life and always went away for summer. The OBSA program is really great, so many people including myself have improved so much within one year of the program. We dance 6-10 hours a day (depending on rehearsals) and get a lot of personal attention. We also get a lot of opprtunities to perform with the company and do competitions.

 

 

 

 

From Clara76-

FYI- http://www.grammarbo...ion/capital.asp

Edited January 15, 2012 by Clara 76
To correct grammar and spelling/capitalization errors

[Clara 76]

Welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers, alyssa41! I did edit your post to help with some errors. Since we have an international membership here and English may be many poster's second language, we ask that all of our posters write as correctly as possible. I included a helpful link in case you might need some help with your English.

[kdanceforlife]

Hi, I am 17 turning 18 next Jan, and I have been accepted into the OBSA program. I'm from Hong Kong, and I am not sure about professional ballet schools in the States. Could anyone in the program give me more information about the daily schedule of the program? I am quite late for starting full-time training so I'd really hope that the program is a very intensive one to help me catch up. I am willing to work extra hard during free periods. But I'm afraid I would not be given opportunities to join the performances and competitions. Also, I'd like to know if they provide good modern training, since I may be aiming at becoming a contemporary dancer instead, given my late training.

Thanks.

[LauraR]

Last year OBSA had one modern class, one jazz class, and one character class per week. The emphasis is ballet, given that it is a ballet school, but all of the instruction is excellent. and intensive. Performance and competition opportunities are available. Students are selected by the faculty to compete at YAGP, and the company cast OBSA members for productions based on need. If you go to the Orlando Ballet School website (the older one), there is a sample schedule for OBSA.