Artists have long sought refuge and inspiration in nature. But since many dance schools revolve around city centers, it’s rarer for students to have this experience. That’s one reason why some young dancers are drawn to a handful of summer programs with deep connections to the outdoor world.
“There’s something really magical about being immersed within nature,” says Gerald Casel, director of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, located in the Berkshires in Massachusetts. “When you’re at the Pillow, there’s something spacious that also invites the spirit to feel more capacious.”
Learning With Nature in Mind
At many nature-imbued summer intensives, the outdoors play a role in the curriculum. “Creativity expands exponentially,” says Casel of learning in these spaces. “Nature is so beautiful, and then it reflects back on the work itself.”
Bringing dance students outside can foster new ways of thinking about movement, improvisation, and composition. “It really changes the way students engage with their creativity using textures and topography,” Casel says. “All that informs and awakens the proprioceptive system of the body.”
Ellen Rosa-Taylor, chair of the dance department at Idyllwild Arts Academy, which is located in California’s San Jacinto mountain range, says that dancing outside, in the absence of mirrors, can be a freeing experience for young dancers. “It’s really about being in space and dancing and feeling where you’re at,” she says.
Ellen Rosa-Taylor leads ballet class at Idyllwild. Photo by Cory Jones, Courtesy Idyllwild Arts.
Even when nature isn’t a direct focus during a lesson, it can influence a student’s dancing. Adin Joseph, a former Idyllwild student, says that he always felt like nature was a tool he could draw on during his training. “If it was snowing outside, that informed my movement for the day,” he says.
Bringing the Outside In
Many nature-oriented summer programs include outdoor dance spaces. At Idyllwild, younger dance students learn in a studio that is fully outdoors. Rosa-Taylor says it’s not uncommon for deer to wander by, and teachers often stop class to allow students to observe the wildlife.
At Jacob’s Pillow, students get the opportunity to perform on the Henry J. Leir outdoor stage. The experience can become a lesson in mindfulness and adaptation if the weather is inclement. “It’s part of this immediacy and a reminder that we’re part of nature, not separate from it,” Casel says.
In addition to providing opportunities for students to learn about dancing in nontraditional spaces, taking time to focus on their art in a quiet, intentional environment has many benefits for summer study students. “Being on a mountain and sort of secluded added a lot,” says Joseph. “It gave me a lot of focus and it felt like a sanctuary.”
Class at Jacob’s Pillow. Courtesy Jacob’s Pillow.
Navigating Environmental Factors
Along with the many benefits of learning in nature, studying in these kinds of settings can also bring challenges. For example, some of these intensives are located at higher elevations, so dancers might need to adjust to lower oxygen levels. “It takes about three to four days for students to really acclimate their bodies,” says Ellen Rosa-Taylor, chair of the dance department at Idyllwild Arts Academy. “The teachers are all aware of it, so as we’re structuring the training we are trying to build up so it’s not so much on the first day, but by the end of the week we’re at full capacity.”
Dancing outside in the summer often requires extra preparatory measures, like putting on and reapplying sunscreen throughout the day and taking extra care with hydration. Gerald Casel, director of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, also mentions that the presence of certain insects and types of wildlife might be new for some dancers. Dancers at the Pillow are made aware of the dangers associated with bears and ticks, for example.
Those accustomed to the noise and bustle of city living might find the silence in these natural havens disconcerting at first, says Rosa-Taylor. “It is healthy for you to have this experience, because your body does need to decompress,” she advises students. “What I find is when the kids leave, you can tell they’re just much more relaxed from being in this environment.”
Idyllwild alum Adin Joseph in the campus amphitheater. Photo by Cory Jones, Courtesy Idyllwild Arts.
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