Ballet Summer Intensives: Pros and Cons

SheriL | Jul 01, 2009 | there are 2 comments

Summer intensives provide an excellent opportunity for serious ballet students. However, before auditioning and definitely before accepting a position, do your homework. Many people believe that if an intensive is linked with a professional company or university that it must be good. This is not always the case.

There are a lot of wonderful programs out there. The Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Delta Festival Ballet are among a few with excellent programs. Some others are not quite as beneficial. Here is a list of pros and cons of summer intensives along with a few tips about choosing a school.

The Pros of Intensives:

For many dancers, the summer is a time when their own school may be closed, and a serious ballet dancer's body cannot afford to take the summer off from dancing, so an intensive is a great opportunity to experience a professional environment, check out a university program they may be interested in or study with some of the best in the art. I would encourage dancers to experience an intensive the summer between their freshman and sophomore years of high school. It can be a defining moment for them in their lives.

An intensive away from their usual school takes them out of their "safe zone" and helps them see the real ballet world. It gives them diverseness in their training and most importantly it gives them a chance to see what dancing for your livelihood is really about. For some dancers, they return home and realize that a professional life in dance is not the right choice for them and begin to look at other possibilities while still taking classes for the enjoyment of it but for others it reinforces their desire even more and builds their confidence that dance truly is their life.

I do not recommend dancers attend younger than 15 years old, because I think it takes a lot of maturity to be away from home and to take on the dance load an intensive offers, I think it can be a very scary venture for a younger dancer and may damage the joy they feel for dance and influence their prospective. But for older students it may prevent the pain of rejection at 18 when the find they don't have what it takes OR it can help to make good connections for a professional career. Anytime you can experience what the real world is, in a safe environment, I think it's a good thing. It's good for parents also to know that they will come home in a few weeks. And the experience will last them a lifetime.

For dancers wanting to major in dance in college, I also recommend they attend their top choice of school summer intensive the summer between their junior and senior years. This is great because it allows the faculty a chance to get to know them before they are auditioning for their program as well as gives the dancer a chance to try on the university.

Not all university programs have affiliated intensives; most do, but in the case the school the dancer is interested in does not, then a preprofessional program like The Joffrey or San Francisco Ballet is a great choice. A preprofessional program will help the dancer reach their peek right before the college auditioning season and is an excellent reference on their college application.

The Cons of Intensives:

I think it is important for everyone to remember that the first and foremost reason a university or professional company hosts an intensive is to raise money. In the university's case, they may offer classes to their dance majors in the summer but it is also a great recruitment program for future students. For the professional companies it brings in much needed dollars to a profession that needs it badly. I think that sponsoring an intensive to make money is fine, and I have no issue with it.

What I do have an issue with are the ones who tout guest teachers who may have taught one class in the past but will not be present in the current year, although the publicity materials make it appear as though they will be. Or the professional company that appears to be hosting the intensive but is only linked because it is being held in their facilities and their staff is not involved in the actual teaching of the classes or choreography. I knew a student that attended an intensive where this was the case. It was linked to the company, but no one from the company was present. It was a horrible experience for her and she came home after four weeks weaker and far more discouraged than before she left.

Teachers, dancers and parents absolutely must research, ask questions and read between the lines before accepting any position with an intensive. There are as many bad programs out there as there are good ones, and all involved should always look closely before making any decisions, after all, it's the dancers' bodies, their training and their money that is at stake.

When chosen carefully, the decision to attend a summer intensive may be a very rewarding, satisfying way to build both dancing skills and self-confidence. As with anything else, just be informed and aware of what you want and whether an intensive meets those needs.