by Gavin Larsen | Jul 5, 2024 | Pointe+, Summer Study, Training
Summer programs offer lots of exciting new experiences, including the chance to meet other students as passionate about ballet as you are. However, when so many enthusiastic, ambitious young dancers come together for a weekslong intensive, there can be less-happy...
by Chava Pearl Lansky | Jun 21, 2024 | Higher Ed, Summer Study, Training
Last summer, Kirsten Smerud, then 20, had just finished a traineeship at BalletMet and was preparing to join Louisville Ballet’s Studio Company. She wanted to keep up with her training, but she found that she’d aged out of most summer intensives and would be older...
by Lindsay Martell | Apr 20, 2023 | Summer Study, Training
Updated on 4/27/23 Dust off those suitcases, dancers! It’s almost summer, which means ballet intensives are approaching quickly. Whether you’ve been busting your bum all year in class or you’re ready to delve back in after taking a break, scores of studios all over...
by Katie Slattery | Jan 24, 2023 | Pointe+, Summer Study, Training
January and February may bring snow, but for serious ballet students they are prime months for summer intensive auditions. Whether this is your first time auditioning or you’re a summer program veteran, here are some practical tips so you can put your best foot...
by Linnea Swarting | Jun 8, 2022 | Summer Study, Training
Summer programs are right around the corner! Whether you’re leaving home for the first time or you’re an intensive expert, you’ll need to think about what essentials to bring with you. Here are some packing tips for a summer of success. Organize Your Suitcases Getty...
by Gavin Larsen | Feb 18, 2022 | Summer Study
After years of being waitlisted, Kayla Schmitt finally got into Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s summer program at 16. “PNB was my dream company, especially as a taller dancer, so finally getting in was very exciting for me,” says Schmitt, now a member of Ballet...
by Katherine Beard | Aug 27, 2021 | Career, Summer Study
Every summer, thousands of ballet students participate in summer dance programs. But young people aren’t the only ones. You might spot the occasional professional dancers at these intensives, too, using their annual summer layoff to hone their technique or work on...
by Katie Slattery | Jun 27, 2021 | Training
I still have vivid memories of my summer intensive training: dancers packed tightly into a studio that could barely fit all the bodies, the mirrors misting up due to the heat and humidity. The energy in the room was invigorating, and I loved observing the talented...