Virtual Summer Course FAQ - School of American Ballet

What do I need to do to confirm my attendance in the virtual Summer Course or to withdraw from the program?

All currently enrolled students should complete the Virtual Summer Course Election form by Friday, May 29, at 12:00 noon, ET. It is essential that you complete this form, regardless of your decision, so that we can finalize our enrollment.

Will there be any negative repercussions with respect to my future auditions for SAB if I decide not to attend the virtual Summer Course?

Absolutely not. We understand that some students will have compelling reasons for not attending the virtual program. A decision to attend or not attend the Summer Course in any year is never a factor in SAB’s evaluation process at a student’s subsequent auditions.

Is the virtual Summer Course now open to all ballet students now that the program is online?

No. SAB’s virtual Summer Course is for students who had already auditioned and enrolled. We will be serving the exact same community as originally planned. At this time we do not anticipate having space for students who declined their original invitation to attend the Summer Course, but we are keeping a waiting list for that group in the event that there are any openings.

Is it possible to enroll in the virtual Summer Course for less than five weeks?

At this time, we are not offering the ability to sign up for less than five weeks. The new tuition price of $2363 encompasses the full five weeks and there are no adjusted pricing options for reduced attendance. Just as with our regular in-person program, the faculty will be introducing new material and concepts progressively over the five weeks, and it is essential that students be in attendance for the entire course to benefit from the training.

I don't know how to participate on Zoom. What do I need to do this, and how will it work?

Zoom Is a videoconferencing application that is free and easy to install on a phone, laptop or tablet. Your device must have a working camera and microphone/audio, and you will need a highspeed internet connection–the same type of connection that allows you to have internet access and TV streaming capability in your homes. SAB will provide Zoom invitations (web links) for admission to all classes and events. You will see and hear the teacher on your device screen, and the teacher will be able to see you in order to provide corrections and feedback. We will provide detailed guidelines for using Zoom effectively in our Student/Parent Handbook to be distributed in mid-June. Please let us know if you do not have the necessary equipment or internet access for participation and we will do our best to help you troubleshoot a solution.

What supervision and security measures will be in effect for the virtual classes?

Only enrolled students will be admitted into our virtual classrooms. A member of SAB’s administrative staff will monitor each class, and students will pass through a Zoom waiting room so that the SAB monitor can validate their status. The class monitor will disable the recording function for all attendees, and “spotlight” view will be turned on so that the teacher fills the screen. Students will not be able to “pin” the video feeds for other students. SAB’s administrative monitors will remain logged in throughout each class to assist students with any technical issues and to ensure that all protocols and rules are being followed.

Will I be able to turn my device camera on for every class so that the teacher can see me?

Yes, it is essential that students have their cameras enabled for all ballet classes so that they can receive individualized guidance and feedback. There may be some seminars or events for which cameras may be turned off, and that information will be shared on a case-by-case basis.

How will class placement be decided?

At our regular Summer Course, the first day of the program is dedicated to placement classes. Unfortunately, the limitations of the virtual platform will make such a process impossible in 2020. We will be organizing classes based on age. There may be some individualized modifications to this guideline based on a student’s Summer Course attendance history.

When will I know my daily schedule?

All currently enrolled students have been asked to complete the Virtual Summer Course Election form by Friday, May 29, at 12:00 noon, ET. Once we have a complete picture of who will be attending the program, we will determine class placements and finalize our daily schedule. We plan to share that information with enrolled students by June 15. In general, classes and activities will run from 11:00 am, ET, to 6:30 pm, ET, with breaks for meals, Monday through Friday. Saturday classes will be held from 11:00 am, ET, to 2:15 pm, ET. There will be a mandatory welcome meeting for parents and students on Sunday, June 28, at 6:00 pm, ET.

How big will the classes be?

We will strive to keep classes as small as possible so that teachers can provide a high level of feedback and individualized corrections. However, we will not be able to confirm class sizes until currently enrolled students have confirmed their intention to either attend or withdraw from the virtual program.

What is the attendance policy for the virtual Summer Course?

We expect all students to participate fully in their scheduled classes, seminars and activities. We will track attendance and any planned absences or illnesses must be reported by sending an email to attendance@sab.org.

Is there still a dress code?

Yes! It is important that students be dressed neatly and according to our prescribed uniforms for all ballet classes so that teachers can clearly see their bodies without distraction. Students are permitted to wear warmups for wellness and conditioning classes, and street clothes for seminars and activities.

How will I get to meet other students in the program?

We will be holding “get to know you” meetings for all classes on the first day of the program, and weekly small-group social programming for students who will be assigned to virtual Residence Hall floors!

Who gets to participate in the choreography workshop with Lauren Lovette and Preston Chamblee?

Our “Advanced Men’s” class will work with Preston, and Lauren will lead the workshop for the most senior group of girls. We’re hoping that the participating students’ parents and the rest of our Summer Course students will have the opportunity to view the end result of the workshop–but first we’ll need to see what our choreographers create and how It can be captured in this new virtual platform. We are charting new waters with this summer’s Choreography Workshop!

When will the parent seminars take place?

Parent seminars will be held every Monday at 5:30 pm, ET. The full schedule of topics will be outlined In the Student/Parent Handbook that you will receive in mid-June. These seminars are optional, and you may attend as few or as many as you’d like.

Will classes take place on Friday, July 3 (a federal holiday), or Saturday, July 4?

No. In recognition of the fact that students will be home with their families and may wish to enjoy the long weekend together, we will not hold any classes or activities on July 3 and July 4.

Will you still be inviting some Summer Course students to enroll in the upcoming Winter Term?

Our faculty very much intends to identify summer students who will be strong candidates for joining our Winter Term. However, we imagine that our processes for inviting students to train year-round may be altered this year as a result of short-term modifications to our operational practices that may be necessary this fall in light of the coronavirus. We should have a better idea of the form that Winter Term recruiting will take by the time the Summer Course begins in late June and will update you at that time.

I signed up for both Summer Course and one of the Young Dancer Series programs, but now that the programs are online, I only want to attend one program? Can I drop one of the programs?

Yes, you may withdraw from any program that you no longer wish to attend with no repercussions.

I was accepted to one of the Young Dancer Series programs but didn't sign up for it. Now that the programs are all online, I'd like to attend the Young Dancer program. Can I still sign up?

At this moment, we do not believe that we will have space to accommodate additional students at either the New York Junior Session or the California Workshop for Young Dancers. However, we are keeping a waiting list in the event that that enrollment for the virtual programs does not reach maximum capacity. You may send an email message to Hannah Federau (hfederau@sab.org) if you would like to be placed on the waiting list for one of the Young Dancer Series programs. Please note that this waitlist is ONLY for students who originally auditioned for and were accepted into one of the Young Dancer Series programs.

What is the cost of the virtual Summer Course, and how are you allocating payments that we have already made?

The new cost of tuition is $2363 plus the original $75 registration fee. For students who will be attending, we will apply all fee and deposit payments (including Room & Board deposits) made to date towards this tuition. Students who received a half tuition scholarship or higher will likely now be due a refund if they had made a Room & Board deposit and paid their activities and laundry fee (both of which will no longer be charged.) There are many scenarios in play from student to student based on scholarship awards and variances in payments made to date, and you will receive an individualized summary of either your refund due or amount still owed on June 11 after you have shared your decision to attend or withdraw with us. We appreciate your patience during this process!

I will not be attending the virtual Summer Course. When will I receive a refund for the payments I have already made?

We will be issuing refund checks by the end of June.

I plan to attend the virtual Summer Course but I had already paid In full despite the fact that the April 1 payment deadline was moved. When will my overpayment be refunded?

We will be working to refund any overpayments or refunds due to withdrawing students by the end of June. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we tackle this sizable administrative task.

I still owe part of the new tuition fee. When is my payment due?

We will be asking anyone with an outstanding tuition balance to pay in full between June 11-22. You may not make a payment prior to June 11 as we will need the next few weeks to make updates to your tuition invoices once we receive confirmation that you still plan to attend.

We haven’t been able to get a new physical completed because of COVID-19 and can’t submit the Physician’s Medical Release form. Is this a problem?

We will waive the requirement for the Physician’s Medical Release for anyone who is unable to see a doctor before Summer Course. We do not want any of our students to take unnecessary risks.

Can the scholarship award my student received this year be carried over to the 2021 audition season/Summer Course?

We know that students admitted to the Summer Course have worked so very hard to get to this point, and that it is extremely disappointing not to be able to take advantage of the full value of a scholarship award, especially for those who received scholarships that covered all or part of Room & Board expenses. Unfortunately, we start fresh every year with a new scholarship budget, and further, our faculty treat each audition season as a “new beginning”. The chief consideration in any audition season is the potential and advancement of each student at the very time of the audition. The previous year’s audition results often bear no resemblance to the decisions made at the current audition. History shows numerous instances of students receiving quite different audition results from year to year based on the progress and growth that they either have or haven’t made over the past twelve months. By extension, scholarship awards can also be inconsistent from year to year, as they are closely tied to the results of the current audition. We know that explaining our audition practices likely does not go far in mitigating the sense of lost opportunity that current scholarship students and their parents may be feeling, but we hope that our ability to maintain this year’s scholarship awards for the virtual Summer Course is at least a small consolation.

There is a dance studio near my home available to me to use for SAB’s virtual Summer Course classes. Am I allowed to take part in SAB’s classes from that space?

Yes! We have no objection to your using a more optimal space for dance outside your home for our classes. However, it is important that the space is private and other non-SAB students should not be in the room watching or joining in the class. Please ensure that the alternate space available to you meets this requirement.