What did you learn or improve at your SI?

[Victoria Leigh]

With the Summer Intensive programs winding down and the school year beginning soon, I would like to hear from our young dancers about things you learned and improved during the summer. Also, tell us about your goals for this school year. What can you do during the year to not only maintain what you learned, but continue to improve and learn? Tell us about technique, and also about things in the program which were new and different for you, like other dance forms or history of ballet, terminology/vocabulary, nutrition, or whatever was new and/or helpful to you!

[scdancergal1]

This summer i was lucky enough to do a intensive amazing ballet teachers and teachers from former So You Think You Can Dance such as Nick Lazzarinni and Travis wall! It was so much fun to learn about what inspires them and it really had an impact on alot of students, expecially me. I learned alot of new techical and streching tips also! I had a great time and it was well worth my money!

Edited August 2, 2008 by scdancergal1

[Victoria Leigh]

I know there are a lot of students on this board who should be back from their SI programs now, so how about some thoughts on this topic???

[Carrie]

I haven't had my SI yet (starts tomorrow) but in my regular summer program I learned about being more confident, the importance of good attendance, and all sorts of uninteresting stuff about pointe shoes and such

 

My goals for SI are to try and be uninhibited and give everything my best shot.

 

My goal for the new year are to just make it to school every day I'm not sick, nail the audition for company, and be able to consistently land double pirouettes en pointe.

[TechniqueFreak]

I attended the Alonzo King's Lines Ballet Summer Program this year. I attended session 1. Going to Lines was probably one of the best decisions I could have made. I learned so much there that I know I will carry on into my training this coming school year. Part of the reason I went to Lines was to find freedom and confidence in my dancing. I hope to apply all of those freedoms to my classical dance training during the school year.

 

I learned a lot about my body and how it works during my time there. Having Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis really helped me to realize how my muscles worked and how to stretch in a safe and beneficial way. "Creating space" between the vertebrates (sp?) of the spine and remembering to breathe were also emphasized, and those things helped me SO much. I never thought I could move the way I did this summer, and the wonderful teachers helped me to loosen up and find confidence in my dancing. I was exposed to a new style of dance that I found I felt comfortable doing. Also having Alonzo King for class and learning about what he thinks about movement was very beneficial. Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Lines this summer, and I hope I can retain everything that my teachers taught me, above all being to have confidence and let the music move you.

 

I hope all of my thoughts on the program were helpful. If anyone has any questions about it, I would be more than happy to answer them! I am currently at the Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell program at the Kennedy Center. When the program is over, I will comment on that as well!

[Victoria Leigh]

Sounds like you are having a great summer, TechniqueFreak! Thank you for telling us about LInes, and we will look forward to hearing about the Farrell program too.

 

Carrie, we will look forward to hearing about your SI too, and it's good that you have also had your regular summer program.

[OperaDeParis]

This summer I had an AMAZING experience at the Washington Ballet. I learned so much from all of my teachers. My main focus was turnout. Remembering to constantly thinking about it and having nice open positions. At the end of the prgram my teacher told me my turnout had improved alot this summer:) I also worked alot on relaxing my demi plie during jumps and combinations with plies.

 

Um, my goals for the year are to continue getting stronger, work on my backs strength and flexibility, breathing while I'm dancing and relaxing my facial muscles.

 

I am really excited for ballet this coming year:)

[Victoria Leigh]

Very good things, OperaDeParis. Keep up the good work!

[idreaminpink]

I improved my alignment a lot this summer. I hope to have my alignment fixed by next spring. I am also working on always keep my knees straight.

[xoballet88]

My summer intensive REALLY showed me how good some dancers from

all around the world really are. It didn't make me lose any confidence,

it just made me try even harder.

 

I was so excited when I started to get as many corrections and compliments

(just a simple 'good' meant so much!) as the girls who I thought were pretty

much amazing!

 

My goals for the year in general are that I'm planning on working hard. I want

to have a consistent triple pirouette and SPOT! I'm going to work on my center

split and extensions and not slide away from my turnout in the center. (It's so

frustrating how it is really good at the barre and horrible at the center )

 

I can't wait for ballet this year either! There's just so much to work on, which

isn't a bad thing at all! I love having goals!!