Finnish Summer Ballet Camp information

[Jaana Heino]

The Sammatti adult dance camp in Finland is arranged by the dance school Helsingin tanssiopisto this summer, too. The info is just up and can be found (in Finnish, scroll to the end of the page) here. I translate the essentials:

 

---

 

The camp lasts eight days, 31st July to 8th August. It is held in Sammatti, 75 km from Helsinki. The camp begins on Saturday afternoon, the classes Sunday morning. Teachers are Maija Hänninen for intermediate classical ballet, Takako Matsuda for modern, and Sirpa Laakso for beginner ballet and stretching.

 

The camp costs 350 euros, including teaching 4-6 hours a day, housing in two-person rooms in four-room apartments, and food (breakfast, light lunch, dinner). The apartments also have refridgerators and small kitchens. There's a sauna available each day and swimming trips to a close by lake can be arranged. Camp includes a performance (two shows, audience consisting mainly of friends of campers and local people).

 

All campers should take classes in both ballet and modern. Levels are, for ballet: beginners, intermediate 1, intermediate 2-3, and for modern: beginners and intermediate.

 

To register on the camp, you can fill in the (Finnish) form on the school web pages, or email to the office (hto@helsingintanssiopisto.fi). When registering, please state the levels you expect to be in each dance form (stretching is common for all).

 

For more information, contact Anita Remitz, phone +358 50 336 2208.

 

---

 

Then my own additional comments:

 

Maija Hänninen is a former dancer in the Finnish National Ballet. I've had a pleasure to have her as a substitute to a few classes, and can heartily recommend her. As she is Finnish, unlike the camp teacher of past years, the classes are likely to be in Finnish; however, practically all Finns also speak good English, so I should think language barriers can be overcome. It will be a bit of an adventure for a foreigner, though.

 

I was at the camp last year, and let me assure to you that the food for that price is a real bargain.

 

Taking part in the performances is not mandatory, but I highly recommend it.

 

As phoning from abroad might not be practical, I suppose you can also email the dance school office hto@helsingintanssiopisto.fi for more information.

 

Intermediate 1 -level is the on at which students typically begin pointe. If everything goes as last year, int1 classes might include a short pointe section tuned to the level of the students, but their performance pieces will not be in pointe shoes. Int2-3 most likely will. Beginner level will not assume previous experience in the dance form, but will advance rather quickly. Last year, beginner ballet did not have a performance, but the beginner Irish (we had Irish then instead of modern) did. I assume this too to be as previously. The levels you enter when registering will not be final, they are just to assist with the scheduling of classes. The teachers will help with finding a suitable level placement, as needed - it's all quite relaxed and levels can be shuffled around during the first day of the camp.

 

(I have not decided completely yet about whether I will go or not, this year. Depends on my schedules otherwise.)

 

My diary from the last year's camp is here.

[shulie]

hahahaha how funny! I know Miss Laakso since she went to my class in my school in Germany for a few years years ago! It IS a small world!

[Jaana Heino]

Heh.

 

BTW, I see from that old post that last year the info was out in the end of March; this is probably around when we can expect to hear of this year, too.

[shulie]

Ok great! I would really consider going!