Suggestions for good SI's for Boys

[foliedespagne]

Hi there,

 

I have a relatively "new to ballet" boy dancer, just turned 14, still small for his age. He definitely has talent, but not a lot of technique yet as he started studying ballet seriously about a year ago. He's done lots of other types of dance. He'd really like to do an SI as we are in a small town and have no pre-professional school here.

 

I feel overwhelmed by the number of SIs and don't really know where to start. Also we're going to be out of the country during the audition tours, so if we do do this, we'll need to make a tape. On top of that, his teacher will be leaving mid-December on a trip and probably won't have the time to help ds make a tape before then.

 

Also can anyone chime in as to how the various SIs choose students...is it potential or what has already been accomplished. We know he's behind technique-wise and are trying to address this during the summer. But we don't want to have him apply to places where he has no chance at all.

 

We'd be most grateful for any help/suggestions.

 

Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

Harid is also good for boys. Mine who have gone learned a lot in just the summers.

[dancemaven]

foliedespagne, Welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers! We are happy to have you join us. Please take a little time to nose around the Board, learn about the various Forums we have, drop in on some threads that interest you and please do stop by the Welcome forum to introduce yourself and your dancer and receive a proper welcome from our lovely Welcome Lady, Gianannia.

 

As a parent of a DS, I'm sure you will find lots of pertinent information in the Parents of Boys forum. In fact, "SIs good for Boys" is a topic of several threads over there through the years. Please do take a look at those threads for past input. Here's one with many entries: SI's boys and young men have loved, good boy's and men's programs

 

In addition, we have a specific forum dedicated to collecting and collating Summer Intensive information. That forum is arranged alphabetically with each SI (that we have information on) given its own dedicated thread. There is all kinds of information in those threads posted by parents and dancers with first-hand information about their experiences with the SI auditions, applications, attendence, etc. Anyone can post their questions on those threads, but all the answers come from persons with first-hand experience. So, although we do not make recommendation between and among SIs for individual dancers, the dancer along with his/her parents and teachers can make reasoned decisions based upon the information collated there.

 

But, I do warn you, this Board can become addictive, so please pour a nice cup of coffee or tea, pull up a comfortable chair---and don't leave anything to burn on the stove or in the oven. Enjoy reading!

 

 

P.S. It is Board policy not to 'double-post' topics or questions, so because there is already a thread concerning suggestions for SIs in particular for boys' needs, I'm going to close this one. Please do continue the discussion over on the thread listed above---to receive first-hand experiences from parents of boys!

[Momof3darlings]

I'm moving this thread here so that the question can be answered by those experts who would know...Parents of other Boys. I have removed the replies from those who are not members of this forum, not because their information was not valid but so as not to cause problems when the email notifications came out and they posted inadvertantly.

 

Suggestions from others who do not to my knowledge have boys were: Bossov, CPYB, NYSSSA, and The Rock School just to be sure their information was shared also.

 

Carry on...........

[its the mom]

For a young boy who just started not too long ago and especially if he is behind in technique, I would definitely recommend CPYB. My ds attended for four or five summers when he first started dancing. He would not have to attend an audition - you just send application and pictures.

[Clara 76]

Some of our boys have enjoyed:

Houston Ballet

PNB

 

 

Here is an existing thread I found here on Parents of Boys that might be useful!

SIs for boys

Edited December 4, 2008 by Clara 76

[vicarious]

I have 2 boys and a girl at Bossov. Classes are small. My oldest boy (14) is taking partnering. I know that's young but he's big for his age. My younger son(10) is small and immature for his age. They get a lot of corrections. Last summer younger son didn't take classes but was in the performance. A full day of classes was a bit much for him to handle.

[Momof3darlings]

Thank you vicarious for adding your information again. Without "mom to boys" or similar in the profile we had no way of really knowing which of those parents who responded posts could be moved. It's hard to keep up with who is who and whose child is what...

 

If anyone else's post was removed that was in actuality from a Parent of a boy (thread was on Parents of 13+), please feel free to add your information back here. We were doing the best we could with the information we had. Which is why we suggested the member just start a new thread to begin with.........

[Santos]

The Boston Ballet SI at Newton which allowed boys for the first time last year, is also a very good program for serious boys age 10-14. Last year my son went there and the male instructor paid a lot of individual attention to the dancers with different levels of technique. The class was small (12 boys) with dancers who showed a broad range of technique from "just beginners" to very advanced technique.

 

Another good SI for technique is the first session of the Kirov SI. Three weeks of only technique classes.

[jama]

Does anyone have thoughts about the comparison of Nutmeg to Boston SDP for 16 yr old S? Any feedback would be helpful, Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

jama, welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers, but board policy discourages "either/or" comparisons of schools. Pertinent information on either school may be found on the Summer Intensives forums. Thank you for understanding.

[jama]

I do understand.

[david from nc]

My 15 (soon to be 16) year old son wants to attend a ballet intensive this summer. He has not attended one before. He would like to attend a program with other male dancers as he dances mostly with girls during the school year. Looking through the board at what others have said have a large boys program in in the past plus some local schools to North Catolina he plans to audition for Houston, Miami, Boston, NCDT, University of SC, and NC School of the Arts. Did any one's boys attend any of these? What did they think about it? Do you know the chances of a boy getting a scholarship for these programs?

[Clara 76]

Welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers, David!!!!

 

I'm not familiar with the SC University program, but I have heard of boys getting scholarshipped to some of those programs you mentioned. Another one I know scholarships boys is Orlando Ballet.

[cheetah]

There is plenty of information about boys attending Miami, Houston, and Boston on the SI threads for those programs! They each have fairly large numbers of boys. Not so sure about the other ones you listed. You can also look at San Francisco, Kirov, Orlando, Ballet Austin, Kaatsbaan session III, ABT, SAB and Chataugua. All of these programs have a lot of men close to your son's age, though Kaastsbaan may have the smallest contingent!