David Dorfman, a Connecticut College professor and choreographer, said students who attended the Summer Dance Festival Intensive returned to campus with one thing in common: They experienced artistic growth spurts. “You don’t realize what you’ve learned until weeks later, but it’s baked into your cells,” Dorfman said. Serve as a teacher there. “There are all these young college students and young professionals out there doing the same thing as you: They’re sweating. They’re trying things they’ve never done before. You get this inner leap of faith, little by little. The forward-looking confidence of, “Oh, I can do this. “”
Being fully immersed in dance and performing with numerous artists from across campus each day in the Festival Intensive provides students with opportunities they are unlikely to receive in traditional intensives, which may be more technique-focused. They can be formative experiences for dancers about to begin their careers.
Formal and informal networking opportunities
Festival-based training programs are more than just training. “You also get to make professional connections with the artists who attend the festival,” said Leah Brandon, associate director of the Jacob’s Pillow School. She noted that Jacob’s Pillow hosts dozens of shows each summer. Students watch these performances, participate in workshops taught by guest artists from participating companies, and live with them.
“You all live close together and eat in the same cafeteria,” said Tessa Olson, a senior dance major at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “You really get a chance to get to know each other in a more informal setting, which creates these really cool, intimate relationships. It feels like this incubator experience, this magical world designed specifically for dancers.
Expansion possibilities
One of the great things about intensive festivals is the wide range of work that dancers are exposed to. “You’re not locked into one company or one technology,” Olson points out. At Bates, she took classes ranging from Afro-fusion to anti-techno to house music, experimenting with styles she had never tried before.
Even just by watching a performance, dancers may encounter new choreographers and ideas that may change their perspective on their career path, Brandon said. “You get access to a variety of things in a short period of time,” Dorfman said. “Anything can happen, and you can get a lot more out of it.”
deepen artistry
The Dance Festival provides students with a range of activities and opportunities to do more than just hone their skills. Artist talks and discussions are available. You may access archival footage and data to learn more about your favorite artists and genres. Open rehearsals may be held by visiting companies.
A busy campus can also bring surprises. For example, last year the Royal Ballet performed the premiere of Wayne McGregor at Jacob’s Pillow. That same week, Jessica Wright of Wayne McGregor Studio is creating a new work for contemporary students based on McGregor’s choreographic principles. McGregor himself came to the studio one afternoon to watch one of their rehearsals and then worked with the dancers for 45 minutes. “I mean, they were blown away,” Brandon said. “But they also looked at Wayne McGregor’s whole choreographic principles in a completely different way.”
Who is the holiday program best for?
The festival program offers a lot to the students. Dancers need to be motivated to make the most of everything on offer. People who thrive in this environment are those who are serious about developing their artistic voices, are willing to try new things, and are not afraid to socialize. It requires a committed, curious approach, but it can pay off: Dorfman says dancers who make the most of the festival gain a more refined sense of themselves as artists and a better idea of what’s next.
