Summer Dance Programs

<p>Any suggestions on a truly serious summer program (preferably one that has merit/need scholarships available). Ballet emphasis (5 years of pointe). She will be a rising senior in high school so we are open to suggestions for college progams that are academically challenging as well (4.0 IB student).</p>

<p>How about Jacob’s Pillow? I would also check out North Carolina School of the Arts, Joffrey NYC, John Magnus Dance Intensive (new this year), any of the Russian programs: Bolshoi, Kirov. It would help if you would give an idea of what type of atmosphere your DD is looking for. City or something more college campus-like? Would she like a good dose of modern along with her ballet or is she interested more in jazz? Also what colleges is she thinking of? Most have affiliated summer programs or programs that reside on their campuses.</p>

<p>Poppins you might check out ballet talk for dancers, which hs lots of information about summer dance programs, mostly ballet focused, as well as college information. You can just google it since I don’t have the link.</p>

<p>Two questions: has your daughter done any summer intensives previously, and is she considering dance as a career? I ask because my d, who danced at a very good private studio before college and was a strong avocational dancer (with 5-6 years of pointe), considered doing a pre-professional ballet SI during the summer she was a rising senior. She learned that, at that late (in ballet years, anyway) age, she wasn’t the kind of student the programs were looking for - they were definitely most interested in students who expected to make a career of dance, almost all of whom had been attending summer intensives for several years already. My d did an academic study abroad program instead and continued at her home studio, where she’d always had excellent summer training - but not what she 'd have received at a pre-pro SI.</p>

<p>Apologies if I’m reading too much into your post! Just trying to communicate that if your d, like mine at her age, has no previous summer dance experience at a pre-professional school, she may find the process somewhat daunting at the best-known serious programs. I put up a thread about her situation that generated quite a few responses, some of which you may find helpful: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/dance-major/287676-ballet-parents-can-you-help-si-questions.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/dance-major/287676-ballet-parents-can-you-help-si-questions.html&lt;/a&gt; As far as merit scholarships are concerned, I believe that it’s rare for female students to receive merit aid, though some programs do offer need-based aid.</p>

<p>Two summer programs that do not require auditions (or didn’t two years ago, anyway) but are said to offer excellent training are Boston Conservatory and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Boco has a very selective audition process for its college dance program, but two dancers my d knows were admitted there for the summer program without auditioning. </p>

<p>Academically challenging colleges with good dance programs: Barnard, Vassar and Smith all come to mind.</p>

<p>You might look into LINES Ballet and San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. Both have a lot of ballet (not so much pointe) but also improv, modern, and interesting repertory each day. Different from the usual SI for ballet, but life-changing for many. Both have websites.</p>

<p>Does your daughter want a BFA or BA?</p>

<p>Dance Magazine publishes a great college guide.</p>

<p>With more information, we could give you more schools.</p>

<p>Are you looking for a college-affiliated summer program, or just an excellent summer intensive for your daughter’s age, and an academically excellent college program with dance opportunities for her post high school education? Is ballet her goal, or some other discipline of dance, and, as frazzled said, what is her prior training? I see you are in Atlanta, so there are many auditions for summer programs coming to your area in January and February.</p>

<p>Try the Rock School in Philadelphia. They have a 6 weeks summer intensive with housing. Auditions start in Jan. They have several all over the country. My daughter goes to Rock West and loves it. Very good ballet training! Good Luck.</p>

<p>There is also the Princeton Ballet School Summer Intensive</p>