a male instructor guiding a female dancer's arm while taking class in the studio

Why High Schoolers Should Consider a College Summer Dance Program

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.

How University of the Arts Teaches Dancers to “Pay Attention Differently”—and Why It Works

When first-year students begin classes at the University of the Arts’ School of Dance in Philadelphia, they’re met with guiding questions that challenge them to reframe the very purpose of dance training: “How do you pay attention to what you’re doing all the time, differently?” asks Donna Faye Burchfield, professor and dean of the School of Dance. “What […]

These 5 Mistakes Are Holding You Back from Improving

There’s a healthy dose of repetition in your dance education—whether it’s those same fundamentals you’re asked to practice over and over as you deepen your technique or the many run-throughs it takes to polish a piece of choreography. But teachers also see the same missteps and issue the same reminders from student to student, perhaps […]