Tips for Choosing a Summer Dance Intensive

lright, so you’ve decided you would like to study at a dance intensive this summer — good for you! Studying dance outside of your dance studio will be an incredible experience for you to learn and grow. You will get an opportunity to learn from new teachers, choreographers and be in a whole new environment. You will be surprised at how much your dancing can improve in a few short weeks of intense study away from your typical day-to-day.

So, how do you pick the program that is right for you? Here are 5 tips to help you choose a summer dance intensive:

1. Establish personal goals. The key in selecting a summer program is to first establish your personal goals. What skills are you hoping to improve? Would you like to study a certain technique? Or are you looking for a wide variety of styles? Are you interested in developing your choreography? Once you narrow down exactly what it is you would like to accomplish this summer, selecting a summer intensive (or even a few options) will be much easier.

2. Compare program size. Some summer programs are very large with hundreds of students in attendance and some are smaller with more individual attention. Chat with your parents and dance instructor to discuss which environment best suits your personality, goals and budget.

3. Consider location. When choosing an intensive, consider how comfortable you are with being far away from your family. If you’ve never been away from your family for an extended period of time, you may want to choose a summer program that is a bit closer to home rather than flying across the country. If you’re a seasoned traveler, maybe spending the summer away from your family and friends is no big. It’s all in the name of dance, right?

4. Determine your budget. Talk to your parents to find out the budget that works with your family. Summer intensives can come with some serious expenses like tuition, food, room and board, travel, etc. Typically if you attend an intensive closer to home, you can save some money by staying at home and not eating out. Often times, there are scholarships and financial aid available, so do your research and don’t be afraid to ask.

5. Ask for input. It’s a good idea to meet with your dance teacher or someone knowledgeable about summer dance programs when deciding on an intensive. Your teacher will likely have additional insight about which programs will be a good fit and help take your dancing to the next level.

DanceMagazine.com has a great summer intensive resource released each year. They have information on over 300 summer intensives including audition dates, tuition rates, difficulty level, and more! Check back weekly for the 2019 Summer Intensive Guide.

Get ready...all of your need-to-know audition and intensive tips are coming your way! Stay tuned for more tips this week.