Summer Intensives Guide (Hint: Start NOW!)
Pronunciation: Ah-lay-nah Fow-ler | Pronouns: she/her
By Alaina Fowler, DWC Ambassador
Summer ballet intensives. I had just turned thirteen when I went to my first intensive. It was the first time I had ever been away from home for that length of time. One of the other girls at my studio (and good friend) went with me on this adventure. My parents drove 6 hours to Walla Walla, we unpacked and I was overfilled with emotions. Those four weeks were one of the worst experiences of my dance life. The winter of 2022 I decided to give the whole summer intensive thing another shot. As simple as that sounds, several challenges awaited me.
The first challenge I faced was the auditions. The audition process for most companies and programs take place between January and March of the upcoming summer. However the process started long before that. Most companies require some sort of audition photos, whether this be a headshot, first arabesque, or first position. I try to take my photos a month or two in advance, around November or December. Then comes the audition itself. In the pacific northwest most auditions are held at Pacific Northwest Ballet. That means that there are dancers coming from all over the state and even other states to audition. December is a good time to choose which intensives you plan on auditioning for.
In my opinion the time before the audition starts is the most nerve racking. I remember thinking to myself “everyone looks so good, how am I supposed to compete with them.” I remember the intense stares and clumps of girls. I was intimidated at first but then I realized everyone in that room was most likely feeling the same way I was. I decided to try to start conversations with the girls around me. While talking to the other dancers we all realized we were in the same boat feeling the same things. This took the stressed, intimidated feelings away. The environment immediately became more relaxed and friendly. Ever since that audition, creating a conversation with the dancers around me is the first thing I do. The most important part of an audition is to not psych yourself out. The more you stress about what you are doing the worse you will typically perform. My largest tip is to try your best to imagine you are just taking a normal class, in your home studio, with your favorite teachers.
This year I attended three different summer intensives across the country. Carolina Ballet, Ballet West’s choreography intensive, and Nutmeg. All of the intensives were vastly different from styles, teachers, dorms, and overall location. I have created a spreadsheet with my personal experiences from each of these intensives. I gave each intensive a rating out of ten, or additional key information based on these categories: Range of styles offered, teaching style/ teacher environment, studio space, food, housing, tuition for two weeks, program size, dress code, location, and most importantly did the program help me improve. I have always had a difficult time finding reliable reviews from dancers about their summer intensive experiences. I believe this spreadsheet can be a credible source for information for dancers looking to attend summer intensives.
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