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FAQs

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Will you have classes for adults?

We have received a few questions asking about ballet and other dance classes for adults. We will explore this possibility in the future but first need to focus our energy on getting our Classical Ballet, Conservatory, Adaptive, and Preschool Classes up and running. We are humbled by these requests!

 

Why hasn’t my dancer moved up a level?

In answering this question, we first want to reassure parents that it is the norm to stay in a given ballet class for a few years. The class as a whole becomes more advanced over time, so an Intermediate 1 level this year will start at a more advanced level than it did last year for repeating students. There are only so many levels in the school, so students cannot move up every year or they would be at the most advanced level by about age 10! We will never hold a dancer back from being moved up when they are ready. So if in September or December, a dancer is ready to move up, we will move them to the next level. 

 

Many parents and guardians see the growth in their students—they see their legs higher in the air, the ability to do more turns, or perhaps more coordination in the movement across the floor, and they wonder why their dancer is not moving up a level.  These are all important advances, but unless you were trained as a dancer at a classical ballet school, you might not be attuned to some of the more basic building blocks of ballet technique that we look at when we place students. One of the most important things we look at is placement and basic technique. 

 

We look at things like:

 

• Whether a dancer can stand and dance with their core consistently held and spine straight, hips even and pulled up. 

• Whether a dancer pronates (rolls in) on their ankles. 

• If dancers can hold their arms without dropping the elbows. 

• Whether dancers can maintain their turnout using the correct rotator muscles rather than by gripping the floor or forcing from their knees and ankles. 

• If  the dancer can keep their hips aligned when the leg is up in the air. 

• If a dancer is “spinning” vs. turning with control–and we look at how a dancer prepares for pirouettes and how they land from them. 

• How dancers land from jumps and if legs and toes are stretched and turned out in the air.

• And of course we look at if dancers consistently stretch their legs, knees, and feet and how stable they are when up on their toes (do they wobble, do they tire, do they lose turn out and form).

• We also look at if a student stays focused the entire class and if they apply corrections from faculty and continue to apply them the following week. We look at attendance because students generally cannot keep up with their peers if they are not attending their classes regularly. And we look at emotional maturity, whether dancers follow classroom etiquette (e.g., no talking during class),  and the composition of the classes to ensure students in a given class are working at the same skill level. We also evaluate their knowledge of ballet vocabulary, musicality, and ability to link steps together.

 

So a dancer who has not moved up a level surely still has improved! But they might still be working on some of these important skills outlined above. Most likely, if you ask your dancer, they will tell you some of the kinds of placement and alignment corrections they have received in class. We recommend students write corrections down to help them remember what to focus on in class. Not only are these building blocks important for advancing through levels, but they are important for preventing injuries. They are so important that we start working on these skills right from the beginning in Creative Movement. 

 

It is very helpful if you communicate to your dancers that the best way to move up is to keep after it, consistently apply corrections, try not to compare themselves to other dancers, and to instead focus on their own individual growth. Receiving corrections in class means the teacher is trying to help the student improve and is the biggest clue to what the student needs to do. Building strength and technique in ballet class is not a fast process. It is a slow process to train the muscles and the brain and there is a lot of beauty in that development over time.

 

Will you offer Tap?

This question has come up a lot recently! Yes, tap will be offered starting at Pre-Ballet 2 and up! We will also have one private lesson in tap available per week on Fridays.

 

Can I take class en pointe?

The decision to allow a student to begin pointe work is based on several factors, including age, strength, and technical readiness. Starting pointe too early or before a dancer is sufficiently prepared can result in serious injury. To prevent this, all students will be evaluated for pointe readiness by NEBA faculty. Students who have previously trained en pointe at another studio may not do so at NEBA without explicit permission from their NEBA teacher. Pointe training requires a minimum of two ballet technique classes per week, in addition to one pointe class.

 

Will you offer private lessons?

Yes! We plan to offer private lessons in addition to regular technique classes. These can be helpful for students who are returning from injury, for those seeking extra assistance focusing on aspects of ballet technique, or for students filming college and company audition videos.  Private lessons will only be available to students enrolled in NEBA classes. Private lessons cannot be used for competition coaching.  Enrolled students Levels Int 1 and up can request private lessons here: https://forms.gle/RyG1AViCwRQGm8AY9

 

What will the class levels be?

Class levels will be as follows: Creative Movement, Pre-ballet 1, Pre-ballet 2, Beginner Ballet 1/2, Intermediate Ballet 1/2, Intermediate Ballet 3/4, Intermediate/Advanced 1/2,  and Conservatory (Levels A & B).

 

When will NEBA start classes?

We will stay consistent with what our families have come to expect over time and plan to start classes on the first Monday after Labor Day - September 14. We feel this gives dancers a chance to ease back into school before adding extra curricular activities. We do expect to be able to offer open classes for Intermediate 3/4 and up prior to that date.

 

How do I know my level if I’m new to the faculty?

For dancers who are totally new to our faculty, we expect to hold placement classes on  August 4 and 25  and/or early September to place new students in the appropriate level. Please email us for details.

 

What will the tuition be?

Tuition was included with all placement emails. Please email us if you did not receive it. We increased tuition a modest amount relative to what families have paid per hour in recent years. We are attempting to bring the cost per hour into line with the market rate, however, we are also very sensitive to not wanting to make cost increases dramatic and are comparing every potential scenario in terms of number of hours danced per week against the pricing structure that families have paid this year. The goal is to ensure the financial sustainability of the school and ensure that we will have the tuition needed for future efforts, such as a build out to more permanent space and performance opportunities. The cost per hour of instruction decreases with a greater number of hours of study per week.

 

Will there be a Nutcracker?

Nutcracker is a big operation–besides the beautiful dancing, behind the scenes it takes a lot of people and a lot of money to get that program off the ground. As a newly forming organization, NEBA does not own any Nutcracker sets, scenery, drops, props, or costumes.  In addition, NEBA does not own the specific Nutcracker choreography that many students have come to love. For these reasons, we cannot put on the exact Nutcracker that our students have come to love. Our focus in year 1 will be on getting our school up and running and doing what is needed for a build out of new studios. However, we know Nutcracker is important to our students! Dancers ages 8 and up will have the opportunity to work on new Nutcracker Suite choreography for  in-house  performances. We think it will be exciting to learn new choreography and to be a part of the inspiration for a new ballet.  We have no doubt that the feeling of Nutcracker magic will be present even though there are changes.  We are excited for this new opportunity which will allow us to focus on our bigger priorities and help us to reimagine Nutcracker all at once.

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Enrolled students ages 8+ can sign up for auditions here: https://forms.gle/yCApX8moj15bEaEF7

 

Will you be able to accept donations?

Yes! Once we have our non-profit status with the state and apply for federal tax-exempt status, we can accept donations, though their tax deductible status will be pending until we receive federal tax exempt 501(c)(3) status. 

 

Who is Erika Wolf and what is her role at NEBA?

Erika is currently serving as the Acting Executive Director at NEBA and once the board is incorporated, she will transition to serving as the President of the Board. Erika is a former professional ballet dancer, who danced with the Louisville, Connecticut, and Illinois Ballets after training at the Joffrey Ballet School (prior to the Company’s move to Chicago) and with Mimi Wallace. She has also choreographed numerous ballets, including on the Louisville Ballet. She moved to Boston in 1997 and transitioned to a career in academia while dancing with the Boston Dance Company.  Erika is the mother of three young ballet dancers and has volunteered at NSB for over a decade. She is helping to organize the NEBA structure, working on budgets and space searches, and supporting artistic staff to make the NEBA vision a reality. 

 

When will we know class placements?

Class placement e-mails have been sent out. If you did not receive one, please email us. The NEBA faculty recognizes how important class placement and schedules are to all of our families. Our faculty carefully consider every child’s technical level and emotional and social needs as we determine class placements. We want to assure you that we approach these decisions with great care and consideration for each student.

 

Will financial aid be available?

Yes, we are committed to providing a nurturing space for dancers to train regardless of income level. We are looking into existing objective financial aid criteria that would guide these decisions.

 

If I auditioned for the NSB Conservatory and was accepted, can I attend the NEBA Conservatory?

Yes, we will honor all NSB Conservatory placements in the Conservatory at NEBA. You do not need to audition again for NEBA.  If you did not audition for the NSB Conservatory and are interested in joining the daytime Conservatory at NEBA, please email us to discuss how to audition for the program.

 

Where will your new school be located?

We will have 2 studios located in the Old South Church at 6 Salem St. in Reading and we will also have studio space at “the Annex” (the Chapel) in The First Church, with its entrance on Sanborn St.

 

What will the schedule be?

We sent out the schedule (subject to change based on enrollment) with placement emails. Please let us know if you did not receive it.

 

Will you have classes in other forms of dance?

Yes! Though our mission is first to provide excellent training in ballet technique and artistry, dancers today must be very versatile. Studying other forms of dance is important for self-expression, movement exploration, picking up choreography, and developing kinetic movement quality, and musicality. We expect to offer additional classes in modern, contemporary ballet, jazz, tap, and ballroom. Enrollment in these classes will be contingent on level placement and enrollment and attendance in ballet technique class. We will update our website with additional committed faculty in these types of dance in the coming weeks.

 

Will your school be a non-profit organization?

Yes. The school will be set up as a 501(c)(3) that can receive tax-deductible charitable donations. However, receiving this status from the Federal government takes time.