Policies

Cancelation

The initial $450 deposit is non-refundable. You may request a cancelation in writing before June 15, 2024. We will extend a refund to you, less the $450 deposit. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect your investment in the event of a last-minute illness or injury.

Age

Dancers must be age 18+ at the time of the event. This event is for adult ballet dancers and participants must be age 18 by the time of the event. If you are under 21, you are not allowed to consume alcohol at the happy hours.

Waivers

All dancers must sign an injury and liability waiver indemnifying Broche Ballet from injury liability and damage to the hotel prior to the start date of the event on behalf of themselves and any guests you bring.

FAQ - The Venue

Q: What is the address?

A: 1200 Glory Way Blvd, Bradenton, FL 34212 via Tampa | Orlando airport

Q: Which airport should I fly into?

A: Tampa (TPA) or Orlando (MCO).

IABF will arrange shared black car transportation to simplify your travel.

You may purchase a spot in one of our shared cars to make the ride to IABF easy and fun.

(Speaking of Orlando, if you plan a Disney trip after the festival, the agent who assisted us with 2022 & 2023 has excellent Disney deals.)

Q: Are pets allowed?

A: Unfortunately, no :(

Q: I’m driving or renting a car, can I park my car?

A: Yes, there is complimentary self parking on-site.

Q: I’m arriving early or flying late, can I stay an extra night?

A: Yes, we have discounted room rates for 3 nights before and 3 nights after.

Shared black car transport subject to availability for flights arriving early/late.

Q: Can I have a kitchen or a larger room?

A: Yes. The room upgrade options include kitchenette with refrigerator and cooktop, and pull-out sofas.

Plus, options for balconies and river-facing rooms.

FAQ - Religious Affiliation

Q: Do I need to be religious to attend?

A: No. All dancers are welcome at IABF.

Q: What, if any, affiliation is there between Broche Ballet and Christian Retreat Center?

A: There is no affiliation between our organizations. Our contract is simply to utilize the beautiful facilities at the Christian Retreat Center for our IABF experience.

Q: Will any religious activities be part of IABF’s program?

A: No. The IABF itinerary does not include prayers, church services or other religious activities.

If you do want to attend the Retreat Center’s services, there is a service on Wednesday evening at 7pm. It is not part of IABF, but a separate event hosted by the Christian Retreat Center.

Q: Are there any clothing restrictions?

A: Thong bikinis are not allowed at the pool.

Q: What religious symbols am I likely to encounter?

A: There is a Bible each room. There is a cross by the street entering the Retreat Center. Each hotel room has a plaque indicating a pastor or reverend who has donated the room.

Q: Can I bring an unmarried partner to share a room with me?

A: Yes.

You may bring up to 3 guests to stay in your room.

Children under 18 must be supervised.

Q: What is the alcohol & smoking policy?

A: This is a dry property with no alcohol or smoking.

So then, you ask, how will we have our happy hours?

Not to worry.

We have party buses to a local venue a couple miles away to celebrate together the "IABF way" ;)

FAQ - Meals

Q: Which meals are included?

A: All meals during the festival are included this year.

• Sunday: Dinner

• Monday - Thursday: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Granola Bar snacks

• Friday: Breakfast

Q: Can my special dietary needs be accommodated?

A: The chef can prepare vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free. If you have a severe allergy, please get in touch.

FAQ - Friends & Guests

Q: Can my guests eat with us?

A: Absolutely. We'd love to have them!

Guest meal plans for the full week (or just a ticket to the awards dinner party) will be available for purchase.

Q: Guests coming to the show

A: There is no cost for your guests to watch the show.

Your guests are welcome to book into the hotel with us.

Final awards dinner banquet + cocktail party tickets will be available for purchase.

Q: I want to share a room with my dance friends. How do we register?

A: The first dancer will register all-inclusive, and the others will register for the intensive-only package.

Please note we have very limited intensive-only tickets on sale and they go fast. Register early if you intend to share a room.

FAQ - The Showcase

Q: Will the show be streamed/recorded?

A: The showcase will be recorded and published on our website. Dancers may request NOT to have their video included in the published showcase. Depending on logistics, it may be live-streamed for your friends and family to watch live.

Q: How do the group pieces work?

A: Dancers learn the choreography over Zoom and recorded videos.

Each dancer receives instruction & follow-along practice videos for their part.

Then we practice on stage during the festival to learn the spacing for the show.

Your registration includes Zoom rehearsal time, but dancers are responsible for their own costumes.

Group pieces will be announced in March and online rehearsals will run from May - July.

You do not need to attend rehearsals live. All rehearsals are available recorded.

Q: What level do I need to be for the group pieces?

A: All dancers are welcome. We offer group pieces for beginner & advanced levels, both in soft shoes & pointe shoes.

Q: For my solo(s), am I welcome to select my music, costume and choreography?

A: Yes.

This is one of the key reasons IABF exists - to give you space to share your art with the world. Kids have YAGP, Adults have IABF.

Each dancer has 5 1/2 minutes on stage.

You don't need to use all of it, but you may divide this time into 1, 2 or 3 pieces. Each single piece must be less than 3 minutes and 15 seconds.

Most dancers perform one piece, but some choose to do additional pieces.

Costume and choreography are created by YOU!

We accept one of each classical variation on a first-come-first-serve basis. Register early to be sure to get the variation of your choice!

Pop or other music is subject to licensing availability. After registering, we'll show you how to search our database for your music selection.

Q: How does the competition work?

A: You may choose to enter one of your pieces into the competition.

The competition is woven quietly and seamlessly through the show.

Our panel of judges will score your piece and write feedback as you dance.

You will be placed into a division for your level and your piece type.

At the end of the show, we tally up all the scores and award prizes!

We select different prizes each year.

Some past year prize highlights include:

• James Whiteside signed book and ballet shoes

• Misty Copeland signed pointe shoes

• Private lessons

• Custom ballet tutu

• Home ballet barre

• Massage guns

• Gift cards

Entering the competition is completely optional.

But, it's a great way to get feedback from the judges and have the chance to win amazing prizes!

FAQ - The Itinerary

Q: Will there be a virtual option?

A: No. This event will be on-location only. The classes are designed for collaboration, corrections, and in order to keep the on-location intimate feel, the classes will not be available virtually.

Q: Will we be dancing on proper dance flooring?

A: The classes will take place within the hotel. Dance flooring will be installed in the venue for studio spaces & showcase to transform the spaces into a unique and intimate ballet venue.

Q: What is the itinerary?

A: Click here to view the schedule. It's jam-packed!

Q: Which faculty will be at IABF 2024?

A: We hire faculty based on their ability to lead and foster a group of passionate adult ballet dancers. Stay tuned for faculty announcements in the coming weeks.

Q: Are beginners welcome?

A: Yes. Having said that, I don’t recommend you take your very first ballet class at IABF. But if you can enjoy a basic beginner ballet class, you'll love IABF.

You're even welcome to perform a solo or join our group pieces!

Q: What should I wear for the photoshoot?

A: Most dancers wear one of the costumes, whether their solo costume or one of the group piece costumes.

You’re also welcome to wear ballet class attire or any other outfit that makes you feel beautiful!

Any more questions?

Julie at our host company Broche Ballet will get back to you within 1-2 business days. We reply to every message we receive, so if you do not receive a reply, please check your spam.