Summer intensives offer endless opportunities—to fortify your training, to connect with teachers and other dancers, and to prepare for a professional career. But how do you know if you’re ready for your first intensive? And how can you prepare your mind and body for the physical rigor of dancing all day, every day, plus the […]

Choreographer David Dorfman, a professor at Connecticut College, says students who attend summer dance festival intensives return to campus with something in common: They’ve gone through an artistic growth spurt. “You won’t realize what you learn until weeks afterward, but it has sunk into your cells,” says Dorfman, who attended American Dance Festival’s intensive as […]

On one hand, doubling down on your primary dance style could supercharge your progress going into the following school year. But when it comes to your overall growth as a dancer, is it better to try something new? There are pros and cons to both options.

When you think of a summer dance intensive, you might not immediately picture a college campus. But many higher ed dance departments do host summer programs, which can offer a chance for holistic growth and often function as a preview of life as an undergraduate. A summer on campus might help high school students plan for their futures—whether at the same school or elsewhere in the dance world.

Last summer, you had an amazing training experience at your dream intensive. You can see yourself studying at that school full-time—or even dancing with its affiliated company one day. Does that mean you should return to the same program this summer?

Alexandra Wells can always tell when a dancer hasn’t read her summer intensive information packet. Sometimes, says Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s director of artist training, there’s a quick fix for the lack of preparation. “You can go and buy a long-sleeve shirt after you burn your shoulder really badly in that first floorwork class,” she […]

You’ve spent all spring preparing for this. You killed it in the audition, obsessed over the packing list, connected with your roommate on social media, and taken so many extra pointe classes that your Band-Aids need Band-Aids. Bring on the summer intensive! A summer spent studying with a well-known company or prestigious academy can be […]

Summer intensive audition season is almost here. But how do college students decide which program they’re aiming for? With the number of intensives available, it can be overwhelming to choose the one that will serve you best. We talked to outgoing Juilliard dance division artistic director Lawrence Rhodes about how he advises his students: If […]