Dance During The Summer Months With Us!

by Alice Bassler Sullivan

              Summer is an opportune time to dance at the School of Alaska Dance Theatre!  The question of dancing or taking a break from dancing is often considered.   Selecting activities to replace the school day hours leaves a huge gap of time to be filled in—often by sports, or outdoor camps.  We strongly encourage our students to take some dance classes with us--even for a limited time.

              We offer many programs to accommodate busy families.  See our summer programs listings in the March 08 NewsPointe.  Our FLEXIBLE enrollment accepts registration by the week, with class cards, or as a drop-in. Dancers of all ages and levels will benefit from lessons taught by guest and resident faculty. Take classes this summer to remember how much fun dancing is!

              While we recognize that children need some down time, family time, vacation time, and fun time, it is also important to maintain the skills learned in the past nine months in the study of dance.  Parents should consider the following factors regarding the benefits of dancing during the summer months.  Remember, that dance is an athletic activity, and that progress—in terms of technical advancement, is gained by correct repetition and consecutive years of study.  Children who study once per week, while still in their growth years, are merely “holding their own” by taking approximately thirty lessons each “academic” year.  A possible departure from dance for nearly four months during the summer requires a lot of catch up and review time in the fall. 

               Students who do study during the summer arrive more refreshed for their lessons, and tend to make significant progress.  When dancers reach the age of ten, they are typically at a level, which focuses on technique, relative to progress and advancement.  By the age of twelve, generally all students study during the summer, and are in ballet or jazz levels where most of their classmates do the same.  By ages twelve through fourteen, dancers begin to advance individually, because of their increased investment of time.  Dancers beyond age fourteen are heavily invested in dancing and chose to devote at least two-thirds of the summer to dancing.

              Summer is also a time to experiment a different style of dance.  For example, a ballet student may continue ballet over the summer, but add a jazz class or creative dance class.  Conversely, a jazz student may choose to add a ballet class.  Sampling new classes over a shorter period of time often gives students a clearer idea of what they would like to do in the fall. 

              For dancers ages 8-13 and in levels II – IV, we have classes all summer, and a specific Summer Dance Intensive.  For dancers in levels V through the Pre-Professional Division, or equivalent, we have two weeks of Summer Dance Intensives in technique classes and dance related courses.  Our Creative Dance Camps for ages 4 – 9 offer a variety of educational elements for young children, including costuming, crafts, story-telling, and a performance at the end of the week.  Dance can really be fun!