VIII SUMMER MASTERCLASSES 2024

We are constantly monitoring the situation in the world and at the moment we are enrolling participants and planning to hold the masterclasses according to the schedule.

As in 2020-2021, during the pandemic, we managed to hold the masterclasses with the participation of foreign teachers and students, we think positively and hope that we are able to hold the masterclasses this summer again despite the pandemic and restrictions.

Please contact us to clarify the details of your situation!

Yes, we can meet participants in the airport, harbour, or bus station and help them with the transfer to the dormitory (or hotel). The tickets for public transport are bought immediately at the station or airport. It is considered an additional service and the price is calculated according to the people that travel together.
Therefore, there will be a person from our side who will stay with the participants at the hostel during all masterclasses. We will make sure that everything is okay and help them with any issues.

About the every-day organisation of the course:
From our experience, we can say that usually participants get up at 7:00-7:30am and at 8:00-8:15 we all start heading to the lessons. The first days they are accompanied by our coordinator or volunteer. They initially help them, but usually on the following days participants start to be more independent and go to the school on their own. They are typically able to regulate the timing; however, a coordinator is ready to accompany them every day if needed.
The lessons are held about 40 minutes away from the dormitory where participants stay, and we use public transport. And since our main venues are located in the city centre, it is very secure for them to travel alone there and back. We will explain everything to them on the very first day, show them around, and give them a kit with the information about the locations and transport they can use. There are at least two supermarkets near the dormitory, so participants will be able to buy food and other necessary items before and after classes.
The halls are open from 8:30am and participants will be spending their days there until 6pm. We also organise lunches during the class days. Afterwards, participants continue their classes at the school.
On the first day, the class coordinator helps participants with the transfer to the dormitory, showing the way and explaining how to get to the shops etc. Once a coordinator is sure that participants know the way back home, on the following days we let them walk in the Old Town or visit shopping malls after classes. We can also provide the participants in the dormitory with board games so they will not be bored, but usually after the planned classes we do not force participants to stay at the hostel or take part in the activities they are not interested in. They are more or less free to walk in the city (we give out the maps, contact information, etc.) or rest in the rooms. Moreover, we are always open to their ideas and ready to support them. So if one day they want to go to the Tallinn Zoo, for example, we can try to organise that trip.

Yes, we can confirm that we will do our best to make it possible. If participants are coming to Tallinn together and would like to live together, we always try to arrange that opportunity. The hostels we choose usually have bedrooms for 2 or 3 people. So far, it has not been a problem to arrange that.

General costs consist of three parts: your roundtrip flight to Tallinn + tuition fee + related expenses.

Related expenses for the 27-day programme (see the exact number of days and nights in this year's program):

Accommodation in the dormitory: 26 euros x 30 nights = 780 euros
Lunches: from 12 euros x 20 days = from 240 euros
Board (breakfasts, dinners and day-off lunches) on their own: from 10 euros per day x 28 days = 280 euros
Transport card (tram, bus, trolleybus): month fee 30 euros + deposit of 2 euros
Taxi on arrival and departure days: 2 x 15 euros = 30 euros
Joint programme: from 30 euros
Pocket money: from 50 euros
Total: ~1442 euros

This means that if one participant aged 15-17 comes for three weeks, he or she can spend around 3500 euros, but please take into account that tuition fee and air tickets are cheaper when booked in advance.

The participant can be refunded the paid cost minus the non-refundable registration fee and bank commission.
If notified 31 days or more before the first day of the general programme - 100% refund
If notified 15-30 days before the first day of the general programme - 70% refund
If notified 8-14 days before the first day of the general programme - 50% refund
If notified 1-7 days before the first day of the general programme - 20% refund
Upon notification on the first day of programme and later, the paid cost will not be refunded.
See more in the Rules of Participation

Yes there absolutely are. If you have an ISIC student card, or other documentation in English that proves your student status. it allows you to get discounts on many services and goods in Tallinn (for example, public transport, lunch in a cafe and etc.)

In our experience, none of the hostel residents have experienced any difficulties. Tallinn is a small city and is a relatively safe place in Europe. To feel more confident, we advise you to make friends with other participants in the summer masterclasses. Many of them are locals. Also, in case of questions, any requests or problems, you can contact the coordinator or volunteers of the masterclasses. All necessary contact details, including telephone numbers and important addresses, will be given to all participants. We advise you to have this information with you at all times.

If possible, the best option would still be to arrive prior to the morning of the arrival/registration day, even if your arrival will take place late the night before. If this is not possible, then come as soon as you can and let us know the details in advance. We are ready to meet you whenever you arrive.

You can arrive at any time, and we will meet you at the airport – even if the arrival time is late at night. Anything can happen with transfer flights, but don't worry about your arrival time in Tallinn. We track the arrival time of your flight, and even if there is a long delay, we will still meet you. For you to be less worried, we can exchange contact information in any of the messaging apps and stay in touch.

On the first day of masterclasses, the coordinator accompanies the children to the lessons and back. Further, on the following days, participants can choose their own ways of getting there: either with a coordinator, or on their own, if they remember the road. This is decided by prior agreement.

Typically, participants return to the dorm after class between 18:00 and 20: 00. It should be noted that in July and August in Tallinn, it is light outside until about 21:30 - 22:00.

The last week of classes should be considered separately; it will be devoted to rehearsals, preparation for the concert, trying on costumes, and most likely, in the last few days before concerts, the participants will stay at the ballet school until late hours. In this case, coordinators will organise a snack and accompany the children to the dorm themselves or call a taxi.

We do not require a parent or guardian to accompany the child to Tallinn if the parent or guardian believes that the child is able to independently travel to Tallinn and back. One has only to clarify the rules for the departure of minors from your country and the rules of the transport company that organises the flight to Tallinn, and also inform us of the arrival details so that we can meet the participant upon arrival.

Yes, contemporary classes are planned to be part of the masterclasses. The final schedule will be available in May/June, but in the afternoon we always have contemporary classes, where performance numbers learned in class also become a part of the concert programme.

Currently, there is no compulsory selection process. All participants are required to send a video and photo in advance as part of their registration form in order to pre-assess their level and properly distribute them into groups.

If you are in a pre-school group, you can be admitted by not attaching a video to your registration form. However, in order to be a part of other groups, the video is required.

The results of the group distributions will be sent to the participants in late April or early May, when the selection panel of teachers will determine the average level of each group and distribute the participants. Groups will be formed by age and level of training. The wishes of the participants can also be taken into account, and in the first days of the class, the participant can be transferred to another group based on his/her level of preparation (taking into account the cost adjustment).

The approximate age groups are as follows: Primary & Secondary 11-14 years, and High 15-19 years old. Along with age, the participant's abilities are also taken into account. If you are older or younger than the indicated ages, your participation may be considered based on your background and professional skills.

We have had some cases when participants have fallen ill. We usually bring them to see the doctor and they prefer to stay at the dormitory the next day. Usually the coordinator accompanies them to the hospital and back. Teachers are also notified of the situation. They are allowed to watch the classes or do as much as they can. We will have a first aid kit in the dormitory and at the ballet school. Always ensure the participant has their European Insurance Card. More information can be found here: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=559

Yes. Upon request, we prepare and send an invitation electronically in English. It should be printed out and presented at passport control at the airport at the request of the border guard.

It depends on the specific situation, it is difficult to predict, but in 2020 and 2021 we had the following experience: some participants, with our help, sent a request to the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, attaching our invitation. As a result, they were given special permission to enter Estonia. However, this did not relieve them from the requirement of a mandatory 14-day self-isolation upon entry to the country.

There are two ways to pay tuition: either by international bank transfer (you can use the Wise system), or with credit/debit card and a Paypal account.

If you need a specific bank account number to make the transfer, please let us know. Also note that any additional bank fees associated with the transfer are paid by the participant. You can make a payment using the following details:

Beneficiary name: DX ART MTU
Beneficiary's bank: SWEDBANK AS
IBAN: EE212200221056299055
SWIFT / BIC: HABAEE2X

In the column for the purpose of payment, it is necessary to indicate the name and surname of the participant, as well as the phrase "TIBM20 __" (year of the masterclasses).

We will inform you when the registration fee has been received at the same time we inform you to which group you have been assigned based on the results of the video selection. By the end of April, you will need to pay the remaining amount. The fee is not connected to the group, so please feel free to pay at any time. It is also possible to pay the fee in instalments. In case of cancellation we will refund the fee according to the Rules.

Usually preliminary information about the teachers becomes available in spring. However, the final confirmation of the list of teachers happens at the end of May. We send more detailed information to registered participants via email.

In our materials, we indicate the average living costs in Tallinn, including food, which starts at approximately 30 euros per day. Lunch on class days can be ordered from us. As for breakfasts and dinners, as well as lunches on weekends, participants from other countries/cities prepare their own food by buying groceries in a supermarket near the hostel. Another option is to order takeaway food or go to a cafe/restaurant.

The hostel accommodation is in two-room blocks with a kitchen and a bathroom, designed for two or three people. The hostel provides bed linens (one pillow and one blanket per person), and one large towel. The kitchen is well equipped (fridge, kettle, microwave oven, stove, dishes for 4 people), and there is a TV and free WiFi. If the child needs something specific, you can bring it with you. Next to the hostel there is an area with a washing machine and a dryer, which can be used for a small fee.

Every year the situation is different. However, in our experience, every year we have had minor participants, and they almost always lived in the hostel.

Yes it is possible. The selection panel makes a decision of group distributions based on the submitted videos. The final decision can also be changed in the first days of classes, based on the student's performance and the overall group dynamic. In this case, not only age is taken into account, but also the skill level – both of each participant individually and the general one, so that the groups are balanced.

From 2017 to 2023, we had participants from Estonia, Russia, Japan, Finland, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Portugal, Belgium, Turkey, Korea, Poland, Greece, and the USA.

The masterclasses use 3 languages: Estonian, English, and Russian.

The organisers and most of the teaching staff are fluent in all three languages. However, there are also some teachers that are invited from other countries who speak only Russian or only English. If the participant does not speak the language in which the teacher is conducting the lesson, it may be necessary to obtain the information by observing other students, although the terms of classical ballet come from French and sound the same in different languages.
If the teacher has any specific comments for the participant who does not speak the same language, our assistants will help with translation after the lesson. The coordinators are fluent in all three languages, so you can contact them if you have any questions.
If necessary, we can provide an interpreter for an additional fee.