Make Summer Last Forever

It’s the end of July, and many summer intensives are coming to a close. How can you make sure the corrections you’ve received stay with you all year long? As Gwynedd Vetter-Drusch wrote in Never-Ending Summer for Pointe, a few simple steps can make a huge difference:

• Write everything down—before you forget it. Record every correction you can remember, both the personal ones and anything your teachers told the whole class. Try drawing diagrams of helpful images, like “Hug a tree.” Note any inspirational stories you heard, and anything new you found out about your body or movement style. Then, before classes start in the fall, review everything you wrote and set your goals for the year.
• When you return home, ask to meet one-on-one with your year-round instructor. Talk about any new corrections that helped you, and discuss what you hope to work on this coming year.
• Purchase a DVD of your summer program classes or performance, so you can review what you learned and see how you look.
• If your program taught you a new style, such as Balanchine, look into attending master classes in that technique so that you can keep the differences in your muscle memory.
• If you built a connection with any of the teachers at your summer intensive, ask for their email so you can stay in touch! You could leave with a new mentor, or a helpful networking connection.
• Work on your summer corrections by yourself when the studio’s empty. You’ll be better able to focus on what you learned over the summer when you don’t have the distractions of class.