Hello, Ballet Families! 

Ballet Spot will be sending out monthly newsletters to keep you all up-to-date with all of the Ballet Spot happenings! This month, we will be discussing the importance of summer training, specifically the benefits of attending summer intensives!  

Summer is a great time to allow dancers to focus on their passions, without the pressure of school and working to maintain their grades. I often see exceptional growth of dancers over the summer when they are able to put their full focus on dance. Those who do not choose to continue their training through the summer often return to classes in the fall, disconnected from their bodies and all that they learned the previous year.

Dancers also have the amazing opportunity to attend intensives and workshops over the summer to help maximize their growth. They have the opportunity to join us at Ballet Spot Ballet Summer Intensive, as well as to take advantage of summer intensives all over the world! Ballet companies, schools, and conservatories all over the world hold summer intensives, allowing students to train from their elite ballet staff. Acceptance to these intensives is based on auditions held by the company/school/conservatory, and range in length from 2-6 weeks. I highly encourage any dancers who are serious about their ballet training to consider attending a ballet intensive from a professional company, in addition to our in-house ballet intensive! I have included some testimonials from our ballet staff on their experiences at summer intensives and how fabulous they can be! 
“As a young dancer, I always looked forward to attending summer intensives! I was able to immerse myself in ballet daily, while being surrounded by others who shared my passion. I had the amazing opportunity to travel to cities such as New York and San Francisco, making memories and friends that will last a lifetime!”

Ms. Hannah; Ballet at Balance/Ballet Spot Director 
“As a young dancer, summer intensives totally opened my eyes to the ballet world and how I could actually be a part of it! I gained training from world-renowned teachers whose wisdom shaped me and my career, lasting friendships with dancers from all over the world, and memories that have lasted a lifetime!”

Ms. Kirsten; Ballet at Balance Instructor 
 
“Summer intensives always helped me come back to my studio with a fresh perspective and energy. They are a great way to diversify yourself as a dancer, develop new friendships, and expand what you know about dance.”

Lisa Schreck; Ballet at Balance and Ballet Spot Instructor 
“Summer intensives were the best time of my dancing career. Learning different ballet techniques helped me become a very versatile dancer. You also make amazing friends. Some of my best friends to this day I met in summer intensives. Intensives are essential to a dancers development.”

Mrs. Taylor; Ballet at Balance Instructor 
“Ballet intensives are an integral part of a dancer’s training. It gives a unique opportunity to train like a professional where you are fully immersed in dancing a full time schedule. This amount of dedication will allow the dancer to learn so much in a short amount of time which will help them to take their dancing to the next level. It is an amazing experience to meet other dancers and teachers from around the nation and the world!”

Kyrie Loyd; Ballet Spot Instructor 
“I've loved every summer dance intensive I've ever been to. From the friendships I've made, to the multiple teachers I had the honor of taking classes from. Along with the variety of classes, and the growth I experienced - artistically, technically, personally - in a short period of time. I can't recommend them enough, they are truly transformational.”

Mrs. Jess; Ballet Spot Instructor
“The opportunity of attending summer intensives granted me access to world renowned instructors I would not have worked with otherwise. They encouraged me to develop my voice both as an artist and a person, I will forever cherish those experiences.”

Emily Lofton; Ballet at Balance Instructor 
Below are a few summer intensives for dancers interested in attending. Please click on the school/company name for more information: 

Joffrey Ballet School Virtual Auditions through February 28th  
Ballet West Dallas, TX Audition March 7th; Video Audition Option 
Orlando Ballet Video Auditions accepted through April 29th 
For those interested in auditioning, please feel free to chat with your ballet instructor about advice and details. I have also included a couple of links to some videos Ms. Kirsten has made, with tips for auditioning! 
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