Students fill out surveys upon completion of the program and we have included some comments here. We have also included quotes from the many letters sent to us from students and their parents.

"I loved the Program, I just loved it!  Keep the boys here, I am coming next year!!!"

- Jefferson Payne, SDP - Newton 2008

"This is my favorite program I have been to so far.  The teachers here were lovely, and the atmosphere was great.  I would definitely recommend it to any budding young dancers."

- Sophia Clarke, SDP - Newton 2008, DanceLab 2007

"I had a great experience here at Boston Ballet's Summer Dance Program!  The teachers were all very talented and experienced.  I improved a lot with the help of my teacher.  I would definitely come back, and I would recommend this summer intensive to anyone!"

- Elizabeth Ashton Brewster, SDP - Newton 2008, DanceLab 2007

"This is the best summer I have ever had!  Keep everything the same because you all are GREAT!"

- Madelyn Ellenberger, SDP - Newton 2008

"Wow, this program was a really great experience!  Ms. Atkins was really great and she helped me improve so much!  I loved everything about this program, and I hope to attend more at Boston Ballet."

- Marjolaine Garrow, SDP - Newton 2008

"I really really liked it here!  We had so much fun dancing, hanging out, painting, shopping, watching movies and more!  The dance teachers were great!  I also really liked the studios!  Overall, I had a great experience and I would love to do it again!"

- Julia Doyle, SDP - Newton 2008

"I really loved this program.  My teachers were very professional but at the same time relatable.  Ms. Atkins especially made class fly by and I hope she teaches again next year.  I made a lot of friends and I can't wait to come back next year.  The class sizes were just right and I loved everyone in my class!  Thank you for this great program!"

- Audrey Garrow, SDP - Newton 2008

"I loved it here at the Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program because it's an amazing experience.  I have learned so much, and I want more than anything to come back next year because I loved it so much.  The friends that I have made here are just like me and they are super nice.  It's so great here thanks to my friends, my RA (who is just like my mom) and the dance experience."

- Kaylee Grippando, SDP - Newton 2008

"The program overall was great!  Thank you for having me!  I had a blast!"

- Lauren Turley, SDP - Newton 2008, DanceLab 2007

"SDP was so much fun.  I improved so much and I got to meet new people, learn new dances, and get new technical views on my dancing.  I really enjoyed SDP - Newton and hope to come back next year!"

- Julia Gangemi, SDP - Newton 2008

"DanceLab has been extremely fun and a great experience. It was especially good for a first time away from home for that long. The dancing was amazing and the teachers are all so accomplished. I would recommend it for almost anyone. If I don’t return next year, I hope wherever I go will be as fun and as advantageous as this was."
- Alexandra Heier, DanceLab 2007

"This summer has been one of the best summers I have had because I had such a wonderful experience at Boston Ballet’s Summer DanceLab. The staff and faculty are wonderful and informative. I have improved greatly because the teachers here are amazing!!! I hope to come back next year."
- Laura Borodic, DanceLab 2007

"I thought this program was amazing! I have learned and improved so much over the past 5 weeks. The best part other than the dancing was that we got to watch a video of class at the beginning and end of the program to see how much we had improved! There is no other program like this one and I am so glad that I came!"

- Caitlin Taylor, DanceLab 2007

"I really enjoyed DanceLab. It provided a great environment for me to meet new people and improve as a dancer. My teacher was great and my RA was excellent. I learned tons as well. The weekend trips were fabulous too. My overall DanceLab experience was awesome. Thank you for putting together such an excellent program."
- Elizabeth Smith, DanceLab 2007

"Boston Ballet really felt like home. Over the course of 5 weeks, the dancers become like family. You walk into the Boston Ballet studios and you feel like it’s home! The classes change your whole perspective while you still learn about yourself as a dancer. The teachers really care about us and try to help us improve as much as we can. This whole 5 week experience was one that I will never forget. I have improved so much and I don’t want to leave! I absolutely loved it!"
- Elena Shmerling, DanceLab 2007

"I absolutely loved the dancing and all of the classes you offered us! My teacher was amazing and I wish I could have her year-round. The specialty classes were phenomenal. Overall I loved Boston Ballet DanceLab and hope to attend the Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program in summers to come. Thank you for all the dance knowledge you have given me!!"
- Emma Faus, DanceLab 2007

"The DanceLab program is great. You improve and learn a whole lot and the teachers are wonderful. I love all the different classes that are offered and you get your money’s worth. The studios are beautiful and there is a lot of space too. I also like the location because you’re next to stores, food places, and different types of shops. The residential life is awesome. You can hang out with friends, explore campus, and watch wildlife. And most of the trips are really fun."
- Sofia Robbins, DanceLab 2007

"I LOVED DanceLab! I have improved so much! I love my teacher and I learned so much from her. I recommend it to everyone. It was great! Thank you so much everybody that work so hard to make this happen!"
- Charlotte Hovey, DanceLab 2007

"I LOVED the program. I have made so many friends, learned so much, and have had so many fun experiences. Mount Ida is in a great location and I feel safe there. I loved my experience!"
- Lina Dimitrov, DanceLab 2007

"I really, really, really LOVED DanceLab this summer. The residential life was really fun and I made so many friends! But what I enjoyed most at DanceLab was the classes and the time I spent at the studio. The classes were really fun, informative, and I learned a lot from them. I also felt that the amount of time we danced each day was just right. I also enjoyed the faculty at DanceLab. They were very welcoming and accommodating, but they pushed you very hard and taught you many things. The specialty classes were also very helpful and, because of them, I feel that I have become a much stronger dancer. From these five weeks here at DanceLab I feel that I have learned countless things and that I have improved not only my technique, but my expression, musicality, and ability to apply the corrections I have been given. I feel that I am going home a stronger and more passionate dancer than when I came."
- Zoe Tippl, DanceLab 2007

"The program not only improved my technique but also helped me grow and mature as a person."
- Mia Carlson, DanceLab 2006

"This experience has changed my entire view of what the art of dancing is all about."
- Chloe Wright, DanceLab 2006

"I really enjoyed Boston and the DanceLab program. The teachers were all encouraging and I found myself improving due to their constant nurturing."

- Grace Shay, DanceLab 2005

"DanceLab really did help me improve in every way.  I enjoyed my time in Boston meeting new people and loved my teacher.  I would definitely love to come back."

- Katie Hippelheuser, DanceLab 2005 

"I want to thank everyone responsible for making DanceLab possible.  I had a really good time and learned a great deal about my dancing.  The specialty classes were really unique and educational.  This was a wonderful experience that I will take with me the rest of my life."  

- Samantha Smith, DanceLab 2005

"[DanceLab] has helped me become a better dancer and a lot stronger.  I loved making new friends and experiencing dorm life!  Overall, Boston Ballet DanceLab was totally awesome!"
- Emily Hilton, DanceLab 2005

"This has been an amazing experience that I wouldn't have traded for the whole world."

- Emi Oshima, DanceLab 2005 

"At DanceLab I have improved a lot. I look forward to going home to my studio and showing my teachers how much I've improved in Boston."

- Angela McCarthy, DanceLab 2005 

"My time at DanceLab was very valuable. I learned so much from my teacher and I definitely think that my technique has improved."

- Kathleen Salamone, DanceLab 2005

Parent Comments:

“[We] are so very pleased with the excellent training that our daughter Karen Leslie Moscato received at DanceLab 2006 and 2007. Karen was thrilled to receive the 2006 early acceptance notice. She had other summer opportunities, but after visiting the Newtonville studios, Karen wanted to attend your program. She had a wonderful experience with Anna Lantz, who encouraged her to return to DanceLab. As other summer 2007 acceptance letters arrived, Karen compared class sizes to DanceLab’s small group format and mentoring. She decided that your program would again provide her best training opportunity, and her enthusiastic reports about classes on our daily commute back to the hotel confirmed that decision. Again this summer, we were impressed with the DanceLab program’s variety of well-thought-out classes, including floor barre, pilates, and nutrition sessions in support of the technique, pointe and variations classes. Of course, Karen feels so fortunate to have trained under Rochelle Zide-Booth. The momentum initiated and renewed at your DanceLab program is a significant factor in Karen’s progress and for her future prospects for a professional ballet career. Allow me to reiterate our family’s appreciation for the training provided to our daughter.”
- Diana Goffe, DanceLab 2007 parent

 "Thank you for your support of Hannah in so many ways… most important of which are being her mentor and role model."
- Cheryle and Dan Kapsak, Longmont, CO, Dancelab 2004 parents  

"My child just returned home from DanceLab 2005.  Bridget felt that this was the best summer intensive program that she has ever attended.  In the past, she has experienced camps in which teachers rotate but do not stay with the same group of students the entire length of the camp.  Bridget felt that the mentoring format, in a small class environment with one experienced teacher, helped her improve dramatically.  Bridget's teacher [Ms. Silva] was fantastic.  She gave Bridget positive corrections throughout the camp.  She identified Bridget's strengths and weaknesses and worked with her all summer towards improvement.  This positive approach to dance instruction is just what Bridget needed to improve."  

- Leslie Brawner, DanceLab 2005 parent