The time has arrived! International Summer Schools 2018 all over the world, are enrolling now for dancers and dance teachers to enjoy many varied types of Summer Intensive Courses over the next few months. You may well already have booked on one… Or even more than one. But if you haven’t, then here are 5 great reasons to do your research and enrol onto a Summer School of your choice today.
1) School’s out for Summer.
Perhaps you have just recently completed your SAT’s, GCSE’s, AS Level exams or even your A Levels and you needed to knuckle down on your revision during this time and therefore you haven’t been able to attend as many dance classes this last term as you would have liked. Sound familiar? Summer School courses can be great for building your strength, technique and confidence back up, as often these courses run across 1 or 2 weeks and this consistent daily training is everything your dance needs to catch up.
2) Are you currently auditioning?
Or maybe you recently received offers for Vocational Schools and Colleges commencing September 2018? Attending a Summer Intensive is an excellent way to familiarise yourself with your top, Dance College / University choices and see if they really do meet up to your expectations. When you are signing up for a ‘Professional Dancers Course’ or the likes of, for the next 3 years then gaining insight into what your day to day training will be like, is going to help make decisions about your future much easier. No doubt helping to put your mind at ease, that this is what you really want to do! It will also be an easier adjustment from your current home life to settling in quick and easy with your new regime, meaning you can simply crack on with your training.
3) You can never have too many great friends.
By attending ‘Summer Courses’ you are spending time with like-minded people who share your love of dance and can’t wait to meet you too. These are young dancers that are going through all the same things you are as a student of ‘dance’ and sharing your experiences thus far both in the studio and of what lays ahead for you. It will certainly make for some great conversations and a few giggles as your new friendships begin.
4) Further your qualifications and training.
Whether you are a dancer or a dance teacher, it is often possible for you to participate in an examination session at the end of the course. Most likely you will need to check this scenario out from the off with the course provider, but if it turned out that your current school was not hosting exams this year or you felt on the advice of your teacher that waiting a little bit longer and taking the exam during a summer course would be good for you then brilliant and your progression continues. Summer courses for dance teachers help in preparation for which ever level you are working at. Maybe you are looking at Licentiate Qualifications, but do not currently teach at the Advanced levels, so these type of courses are a great way to brush up on syllabi, training methods and new techniques. Being surrounded by many other teachers will certainly help you get answers to any un-answered questions that you may have. Sharing your knowledge also with others is hugely beneficial to all.
5) Enjoy classes in different surrounds with different teachers and company dancers.
Don’t worry your current teacher will not be offended. Please bare-in-mind however, it is always good practice to request the permission from your teacher and take on board their advice and knowledge when entering into discussions about which Summer course is the right one for you to attend. To take class with other teachers at certain times during the year can only help your talent grow. Different teachers focus on different theories, ways and means and technical corrections. You will probably find that your own teacher has been asking you to apply a certain correction for a while now, but for whatever reason, sometimes, as every great teacher knows, you just needed to receive the correction in a new environment and from a new voice for you to hear it. Many students find it motivational and challenging to stand in-front of new eyes and work hard to receive feedback from possibly their idols.
In closing, by attending a Summer Intensive you have absolutely nothing to lose… OK these courses may cost you in a monetary way, however, the 5 reasons above should be reasons enough for you to have by now grabbed your computer, pen, phone and encouraged you to make contact with the schools of your choice running Summer Intensive Courses this year!