All promotions are made at the end of summer and students receive their placement in the mail. Promotions are based on individual skill as well as class configuration, i.e. students having similar needs being grouped together. In America, ballet dancers begin training at different ages, take different amount of classes in the beginning, and are not hand selected for body types. Thus, it is natural that students would progress at different rates and should not be discouraged or feel defeated if asked to repeat a level.