Choosing the best dance summer intensive for yourself involves considering several factors to ensure it aligns with your goals, skill level, preferences, and resources. Here's a guide to help you make an informed decision:
1. Research Programs: Look up various dance summer intensives online or through recommendations or reviews (be careful of fake reviews). Consider programs offered by reputable dance schools, companies, platforms, or institutions known for their quality training.
2. Program Focus: Determine what style(s) of dance the intensive specializes in. Some focus on ballet, while others may offer a mix of styles like contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop, some in research or even dedicated to well-known or famous choreographers' repertoire for workshops. Choose one that matches your interests and goals.
3. Faculty: Research the faculty members who will be teaching at the intensive. Look for experienced instructors with strong backgrounds in dance education and performance. Their expertise can greatly impact your learning experience.
4. Curriculum: Review the curriculum or schedule of classes offered during the intensive. Ensure that it covers a range of techniques, styles, and supplementary activities like workshops, and lectures, and some can offer showings or performances.
5. Level of Instruction: Consider your current skill level and choose an intensive that offers instruction appropriate for your abilities. Some programs may cater to beginners, while others are designed for intermediate or advanced dancers.
6. Duration and Schedule: Check the duration and schedule of the intensive. Some programs run for a few weeks, while others may last an entire summer. Make sure the timing fits your schedule and commitments.
7. Location: Decide whether you prefer attending a local intensive or traveling to a different city or country for a new experience. Consider factors like transportation, accommodation, and any additional costs associated with the location. Be careful to scam intensive programs advertising themselves in a city, and indeed, finding out once you have already booked everything that they are located 60 km by train from your accommodation.
8. Cost and Financial Aid: Evaluate the cost of the program, including tuition, registration fees, housing, and other expenses. Research if the intensive offers scholarships, financial aid, or payment plans to make it more affordable. Compare prices with different or similar intensives, some scrupulous summer intensives are charging you twice what the price should be. Be careful!!
9. Reputation and Reviews: Look for reviews online or on Google or testimonials from past participants (be careful of fake reviews) to gauge the reputation of the intensive. Positive feedback from alumni can indicate a worthwhile experience.
10. Audition Requirements: Some intensives require auditions for admission. Review the audition requirements, such as video submissions or in-person auditions, and prepare accordingly.
11. Personal Goals: Consider your personal goals for attending the intensive. Whether you aim to improve your technique, prepare for auditions, expand your repertoire, or network with professionals, choose a program that aligns with your objectives.
12. Gut Feeling: Trust your instincts when making a decision. If a particular intensive feels like the right fit for you based on your research and intuition, it's likely a good choice. By considering these factors, you can select a dance summer intensive that offers the best learning and growth opportunities for your dance journey.
In any case, we highly recommend choosing your summer intensive according to the team running it. If the whole team is already well known throughout their dance careers, as choreographers or artistic directors you can be 99.9999 % certain the intensive is valid and trustworthy.