Summer Ballet

[Guest ckdancegirl7]

I will be attending the ABT Alabama intensive for three weeks this summer. For the other three weeks (one before and two after I return) I will be taking classes at my regular ballet school. There are two different dance intensive programs I could chose from for those three weeks when I will not be in Alabama. One has dance Monday through Friday from 9-12, and the other is the same but on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday there are longer hours and classes go from 9 am to 4 pm. I would really like to do the more intense program every day from 9-4 but because of finacial problems my parents will only let me take the less intense program...the one that has dance for only three hours per day. I was hoping to improve a great deal this summer, because I am aspiring to be a professional dancer one day and I only have a few years left until I graduate. Do you think that three hours per day, five days a week, is enough to not only help me improve, but help me to contain what strength I acheive at ABT Alabama? I am having some doubts that it will be enough...I would appreciate any opinions.

[FlexNPointe123]

Everyone is different, and I realize that you are older than me, but my teacher said that I would be able to catch up well enough, and I will only be out of shape. That is after I said that I couldnt do any summer program. This is a totally situation, I understand, but I thought you should know that my teacher says I will be fine, so why wouldnt you? You SHOULD take some classes though, if you are going for professional! Keep working!

[onmytoes123]

The summer is not that long so I don't think that you are going to be outof shape for too long when you come back. You can really improve in any classes you take if they are long or short! Good luck on becoming a professional!

[Victoria Leigh]

Dancers, please don't forget that the advice here on Young Dancers is given by the moderators. Your feelings about summer study may not reflect what is best for the student asking the question, nor be in agreement with the thoughts of the Teachers here.

 

Summer is VERY important in the life of a student of ballet. One can accomplish more in 5 or 6 weeks of a summer intensive program than in several months of a regular school year program. The reasons for this are obvious.........no academic school, total focus on dance, and many more hours a day of studying dance.

 

CK, as long the as the 3 hour program is ballet, you will be quite fine. If the classes you miss in the afternoons are jazz or modern, and you have your ballet technique and pointe in the morning, which is usually the way things work, then don't worry about it. You will have, between the two programs at home and in Alabama, a nice summer intensive schedule.