Attending a new ballet summer intensive can be a fun experience, but there are always lots of questions surrounding the right amount of gear to back to ensure that one is properly prepared. Below are some questions you'll want to answer and some general guidelines for what works best.
Check the weather forecast
Before you start packing, check the weather forecast for the location you'll be attending for your summer intensive. This will give you an idea of what kind of weather you can expect and help you plan accordingly.
Bring appropriate dancewear
Analyze your schedule and look through all of the different classes and genres you will be attending. Many programs will have a dress code full of recommended or required gear for students to bring with them. If you're program does not include this list, try reaching out to them via email to see if they have recommendations each class.
Some common questions to think about would be:
-Do they require specific colors for ballet leotards?
-Are skirts or shorts allowed?
-Is everyone required to wear ballet pink tights?
-For Character Class: What color of character shoes would they like?
-Do the students need character skirts?
-For Modern/Contemporary: Do they require any special footwear? Socks? Barefoot?
-For Jazz/Broadway: What color of Jazz shoes are needed?
-Are there any specific requirements for Jazz pants?
-For Pilates/Conditioning: Are the dancers expected to bring/have any gear for this class?
-For all other classes and genres: Is there any dress code expectations that students should be aware of?
For most classes, a solid black leotard and ballet pink tights with either warmups, a skirt, or nothing else will probably be sufficient. Bringing extras of these will help to make packing easy.
How many Pointe Shoes do I bring?
Knowing how many pointe shoes to bring can be tricky. To answer this question, you'll need to know both the daily/weekly schedule of the summer intensive and also how long you're pointe shoes usually last. If the schedule is full of daily pointe class, partnering, variations, and pointe repertoire, your shoes will wear out a lot faster than at home. You'll also want to make sure you have enough pairs to rotate through during the day so that you are not dancing on wet shoes. A general guideline I give my advanced students is that they will need 1 pair of shoes for each week they are training. For some, this is too many shoes to bring while for others, it is not enough, but it's a good place to start and adjust from. The last experience you want at a summer intensive is not being able to train or perform properly because you did not have enough shoes to last through the intensive.
Plan for fun activities
Most summer intensives provide additional optional fun activities available to their dancers on the weekends. Be sure to plan accordingly for these if you plan to participate in them. Gear to think about packing should be great walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, swim suit, water bottle, and extra money for expenditures.
Prepare for lodging
Each summer intensive will have it's own setup for how students are housed during their time in the program. Many will have connections with a local college for students to stay in the dorms, some will have host families that will help to take care of students in the area, and others will leave families on their own to find suitable housing during this period. For whatever lodging you stay in, make sure that the expectations for what you receive, the rules for being allowed to live there, and transportation are very clear before you arrive. Staying in a college dorm is always a great experience as you will most likely have a roommate to socialize with, access to a cafeteria for all of your meals, and the program should supply transportation to and from the dorms. Other setups might require more work to make sure you are properly prepared. If staying with a host family, will they provide all of your meals for you? What will your room look like? Will you have access to the laundry room and will you need to bring/buy your own detergent? What is the host family's typical daily schedule? What would their rules for staying at their home be? Make sure that you are comfortable with the living arrangements you will be staying in for the duration of the program.
Packing other essentials
These other essentials might seem like a no-brainer for any trip, but it's best to include them on your list so that you don't forget
-Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Razor
-Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Floss
-Deodorant, Lotion
-Hairbrush, bobby pins, hair-ties, hairspray/gel
-Bedding if needed
-Versatile clothing for outings
-Plenty of band-aids and other first aide needs for your feet
-Reusable water bottle
-Cleaning products like surface wipes and paper towels to help keep your dorm/room clean.
We hope these tips help you prepare for your program this summer! What tips/gear do you find that you need for your summer intensive?
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