Ellison Ballet SI 2012
I know you’re all waiting with bated breath for the annual list of summer intensives. While unfortunately the vast majority of programs that I typically include have not yet updated their 2016 information, the major top programs in the US have. So I thought I’d get those up here for your reference now.
Once most of the other programs have their houses in order, I’ll post the usual mega-spreadsheet with details like ages and dates. For now, in no particular order (and please don’t try reading into who I’ve included and excluded, though I know you guys love to do that!), here are the top US programs who have posted their 2016 main summer program details:
School of American Ballet (NT)
American Ballet Theatre (NY+)
Bolshoi Ballet (NY/CT)
San Francisco Ballet (CA)
Ellison Ballet (NY)
Boston Ballet (MA)
Houston Ballet (TX)
French Academie (NY)
Kirov Academy (DC)
The Rock School (PA)
Let me know if this is helpful either in direct message or down below in the comments. Remember there are plenty of resources here on BalletScoop (starting here) to help you decide where to spend your time auditioning and how to find the best training for your needs. Merde to all!
BalletScoop 
Hi!! Looking for a ballet intensive abroad for my daughters. Could you separate the abroad intensives from the States. Thanks!
Hi. In the complete list once published, you’ll be able to sort SIs by location just as in previous years.
Hi, I am going to be fourteen over the summer and am not the most advanced student. I live near New York City and wondering if there are any intensives you would recommend. I am looking at Joffrey, Bolshoi CT, French Academie, Manhattan Youth, The pennsylvania ballet school, and CYPB. This is my first year going to a SI. Would you recommend any of these intensives, and do you have any additional suggestions? I have read all your SI lists from previous years and it’s been a huge help!
Hi there. I’m so glad you’ve found the site helpful for your audition preparation. Congratulations on beginning your SI auditions for the first time. All the intensives you have listed are excellent and would be excellent choices. Read the “You Be the Judge: Choosing Your SI” post to research differentiations between them that might matter to you so you can pick between them. Just looking at your list, the main difference I think you’ll probably discover is stylistic (French, Russian, American styles of ballet are each focused on difference qualities). If you are not yet familiar with those differences, try watching youtube videos of the same variation performed by the main companies of each style (NYCB for American, Paris Opera for French and Bolshoi or Kirov for Russian). You’ll probably find that you prefer one style over the others and that should help you choose your priorities. Merde!
The »ART of« Ballet Summer Course is taking you to Madrid in 2016.
Our Ballet Summer Course will feature exceptional classes given by the top ballet teachers, ballet masters and professionals of dance.
The »ART of« Ballet Summer Course MADRID 2016 will take place from the 18th of July until the 30th of July 2016 with the support of William Forsythe and in association with the Conservatorio Superior de Danza de Madrid where the Ballet Summer Course will be held.
http://www.madrid.art-of.net
Hi I commented early but I’m not sure if it showed up. If it did and you replied ignore this. I am going to be fourteen and I’m not the most advanced dancer, and I want to attend my first SI this year. Your previous lists have been a huge help to me! I live in the New York area and do not mind intensives in New York City. I have been looking at the Joffrey NY program, CYPB, the French Academie, The Manhattan Youth group, the Bolshoi CT program, and the Pennsylvania ballet school. Do you recommend or don’t recommend any of these programs? and do recommend any others?
Hi dear, I just responded this morning. Thanks for waiting while I’ve been busy during the holidays.
Hello Juliette,
I’m inquiring on behalf of my 14 year daughter who was accepted to several wonderful programs . She was put on the wait list of SAB . Her wait list date is mid February . She was also invited to the Ellison program and will need to accept this invitation before the SAB list is out . She also auditioned for San Fransisco Ballet and will not here for a few days . Your thoughts
Thanks
Karen
Hi there. I’m so glad you’ve found the site helpful for your audition preparation. Congratulations on beginning your SI auditions for the first time. All the intensives you have listed are excellent and would be excellent choices. Read the “You Be the Judge: Choosing Your SI” post to research differentiations between them that might matter to you so you can pick between them. Merde!
Hello, my daughter is 10 and will be attending her first SI away his year. I am concerned about how to pick the best program as I want somewhere that will help her continue to grow and not just look at her age. Last year she was accepted into a summer program yet they only looked at her age and found it to be extremely easy for her. This year we are considering ABT, Princeton, Miami, Joffrey Chicago, and Rock. Do you have any advice for younger dancers looking for a challenge?
Hmm, you bring up an interesting point. This happens from time to time though its generally rare. You will have to do your research on this one and ASK. Don’t be shy about calling them up and saying, hey do you look at age alone or variety of factors? How do evaluate placement? Do you set it and forget it, or do you re-evaluate throughout the summer? It’s really an important an reasonable question.
That said, 9 and 10 year olds are rarely good judges of their own skill and how they are doing in class. Don’t get me wrong, they can be and she could be right. But it is also possible that she is overestimating her performance level and was closed off to what she could have been learning. Oftentimes kids who can do lots of tricks will get bumped down on a national scale because their form and technique are actually not at the level they need to be. It can be confusing for children at that stage to encounter more beginner classes, but they may be placed there because they have missed important fundamental subtleties of technique that they must go back and learn before its too late altogether.
Good luck!
Thanks for your response. Actually at the end of her previous program I spoke to the teacher and she also stated that she needed to be challenged more and wasn’t sure why she was placed at that level. I know that the age level is a touchy situation but I’m trying to make sure that she continues to be challenged at a level that is comparable to her regular ballet program. But I will definitely will be calling the different location to see how they will be evaluating them during the program.
The »ART of« Ballet Summer Course is taking you to Madrid in 2016.
Our Ballet Summer Course will feature exceptional classes given by the top ballet teachers, ballet masters and professionals of dance.
The »ART of« Ballet Summer Course MADRID 2016 will take place from the 18th of July until the 30th of July 2016 with the support of William Forsythe and in association with the Conservatorio Superior de Danza de Madrid where the Ballet Summer Course will be held.
Have a look:
http://www.madrid.art-of.net
Thank you for your comments and insights . The decision was just made slightly more complicated as she was just accepted to San Fransisco Ballet today . She is now overwhelmed by all of her options . So many nice options . Looking forward to any advice you could offer
Congratulations to her! All great choices, no exaggeration. I have never met your daughter let alone seen her dance and talked to her about her goals. I would need to know her pretty well before I could claim to have any kind of useful opinion! I strongly suggest that you figure out what’s are some of the specific most important things for her development at this point and whether each school offers those things. Maybe all will and that’s great, then choose based on location, fun activities, her gut interest, whatever. But you might find that when you sit down and put in the work to decide what she needs from a program, only 1 or 2 of them actually match up.
And don’t forget to have a dialogue with her current teachers about this. If they are any good, they’ll be happy to help with talking about what she needs right now in a summer program.
My son is 14 and was accepted to SAB with a tuition scholarship. Apparently, he has the perfect SAB body and deportment. He wants to get a lot of partnering training this summet, but SAB only has 1-3 classes per week. My question is this: if he turns them down this year in lieu of ABT, will he ever get invited again?
I don’t have a crystal ball up my sleeve by any means, so remember that free advice is worth what you pay for it. However based on my experience, based on the lack of available quality male talent, and based on his very young age for a male talent, I would fully expect them to re-extend that invitation in the future. If he truly is of strong potential with a good attitude and work ethic, even SAB can’t afford to pass that by. Good chance this will last until the late teens.
Juliette – Thank you for your blog, I’ve enjoyed reading it. My daughter is considering Summer Dance Company and ABT NY. She and I both think a smaller environment may be best for her. We have some idea about the overall size and amount of personal attention students receive at SDC, but we don’t have any idea about ABT. Can you shed any light on that? Does ABT give a good amount of feedback/corrections when necessary or is it easy to get lost in a crowded studio? I appreciate your insight.
JKO is a pretty well-respected school, more so now that they have established the training system. I’m not familiar with Summer Dance Company to be honest, but ABT NY is one of the top programs in the country, I’d say well within the top 10. I highly recommend that you refer to the reviews of recent attendees to get a clear picture of the most recent atmosphere/environment, which can be found at Ballet Talk for Dancers (http://dancers.invisionzone.com/) under the forums for SIs. You must make a free account to view, but it would be worth your while.
Hello, and happy easter! I am thrilled to be attending Joffrey ballet nyc and American Academy of Ballet during July this year. Recently, I have stumbled upon the BAE intensive in nyc that takes place during August. The audition is in May and I was just wondering how difficult it is to get into this program. I am a late starter when it comes to ballet, but do take it very seriously. I want to audition, but I would like to know if this program is incredibly prestigious, in which case I might wait until next year. Thank you!
Hi Marina, congrats on your summer plans. Your questions are super subjective, meaning that the answer can only be made in relative terms and based on personal observation or perspective rather than a concrete form of measurement. As a dancer, if you want to become your personal best, you should aim high and at least give yourself the benefit of exposure to good programs. BAE has turned out some fabulous dancers, but if you’re going to Joffrey NYC (which has also created some fabulous dancers) I think you can at least manage to get through the BAE audition. Just give it your best shot, auditions are always learning opportunities if nothing else.
Thank you for the good advice! This gives me more confidence. 🙂
Anytime and merde!