Audrey Lynn, a member of Kansas City Ballet’s second company, attended summer intensives at American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Kaatsbaan Ballet Intensive, the School of American Ballet, and the Harid Conservatory before starting her professional career. Being from North Carolina and traveling to these programs by plane, she became proficient in packing for up to five weeks in one suitcase.
“I was very organized,” she says. “I would take a photo of everything I had packed, laid out on the floor with my checklist.”
Packing adequate dance supplies for a multi-week ballet intensive can feel overwhelming. But, as Lynn discovered, organization and planning are the keys to success.
Most summer programs will send students a list of required items, either with their acceptance letter or a few weeks prior to the start of the summer program. Make that your starting point—and don’t be afraid to ask for expert help. Lauren Hawkins and Lynette Garcia, both floor managers and pointe specialists at Movin’ Easy Dancewear in Austin, Texas, are accustomed to dancers and parents coming with a list of items and an accompanying list of questions. “That’s what we’re here for,” Garcia says.
Plan to pack at least five to seven leotards, or enough for one week before doing laundry. Hawkins recommends bringing more than a week’s worth of tights, because they are especially easy to tear, dirty, or lose. Summer intensive housing often has access to laundry, but you can also opt to wash leotards and tights by hand in a sink or bathtub and hang them to dry. Laundry day sometimes results in leotard-swapping (accidental or otherwise), so be sure to label the insides of personal items.
When it comes to pointe shoes, Hawkins recommends that dancers pack at least one pair of shoes per week of the intensive. “I always recommend they don’t sew every pair, just in case they grow during the summer,” she says. “If they don’t use all their shoes, they can bring them back and we can refit them.” Check with your local retailer for their return policy.
Garcia points out that if dancers favor a particular brand and model of shoe, they should start to stock up early. “If a shoe is on backorder for six to eight weeks, you might not be able to buy six pairs all at once,” she says. Fitters can help dancers find an alternative shoe if their preferred fit is unavailable, and some stores can mail shoes or apparel directly to students at summer intensives.
Lynn (left) and fellow dancers at the 2021 Kaatsbaan summer intensive. Courtesy Lynn.
For more experienced dancers, summer might be a good time to try a new shoe. “If the school or company you’d like to be in wears a certain brand, you might want to try it for a summer and see if it’s a good fit for you,” Hawkins says. But for younger dancers, who might already feel anxious about dancing in a new environment, she recommends sticking with a familiar shoe. Dancers should also pack a sewing kit and enough ribbons and elastic to sew their shoes. A lighter and scissors can be packed or purchased, depending on your travel arrangements.
Summer programs often take dancers on excursions to local dance stores, which can be useful for last-minute purchases. “Sometimes the packing list will include what’s needed for end-of-term performances, but sometimes it’s a surprise and suddenly everyone needs a teal wrap skirt.” Hawkins says.
Warm-up tops and bottoms, boots, TheraBands, and tools for rolling out muscles probably won’t make required shopping lists, but you should still consider them—especially if they’re part of your regular warm-up routine, or if you’re recovering from an injury. And when packing your “normal clothes,” be sure to include layers to cover your leotard and tights when you’re between classes or outside the studio.
When in doubt, remember that nearly any item can be either purchased or borrowed in a pinch. “I always remember my mom telling me, You’re not going to the middle of nowhere,” Lynn says. “If you forgot your toothbrush, you can buy a new toothbrush. You don’t have to stress.”
The post What to Pack for Your First Summer Ballet Intensive appeared first on Dance Magazine.
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