grand rapids ballet school summer 2021 ballet intensives

SUMMER 2021 BALLET INTENSIVES JUNE 28-JULY 30

Grand Rapids Ballet School currently plans to hold an in-person, five-week Summer Intensive with the opportunity for students to also study virtually. CDC guidelines and state regulations will most likely continue to mandate smaller class sizes and social distancing, so we will have rigorous health and safety guidelines in place, as we have been since our reopening in September 2020.

More specific information regarding scheduling, pricing, curriculum, and guest faculty is available below. Program plans will continue to evolve as we monitor the current state of the pandemic. All programs are subject to change.

SENIOR BALLET INTENSIVE

June 28-July 30, 2021

Ages 12-22 (audition required)

In the Summer 2021 Senior Ballet Intensive, students will enjoy studying with guest and Grand Rapids Ballet School faculty, refining their skills in technique and artistry. Students receive training in ballet, contemporary, pointe, and variations.  Students also gain valuable tools through seminars and specialized classes in nutrition, cardio training, and more.

Students will also perform in a virtual showcase at the end of the summer. This opportunity is open to everyone who at a minimum attends the last two weeks of classes. 

JUNIOR BALLET INTENSIVE

June 28-July 30, 2021

Ages 9-13 (no audition required)

The Summer 2021 Junior Ballet Intensive is a comprehensive program created especially with the aspiring young dancer in mind. Presented in a nurturing and encouraging environment, students will receive individual attention and custom instruction in order to improve their technical skills, in both ballet and contemporary styles of dance.

Students will also perform in a virtual showcase at the end of the summer. This opportunity is open to everyone who at a minimum attends the last two weeks of classes. 

Summer 2021 Ballet Intensive Schedule & Tuition

SUMMER 2021 SENIOR BALLET INTENSIVE TUITION

Senior Program dancers may select to attend between 1 and 5 weeks of the Intensive. To participate in the Summer Showcase performance, dancers must enroll for at least Weeks 4 & 5.

WEEKLY PROGRAM DATES:
Week 1, June 28 – July 2
Week 2, July 5 – July 9
Week 3, July 12 – July 16
Week 4, July 19 – July 23
Week 5, July 26 – July 30

TUITION:
1 Week, $400
2 Weeks, $760
3 Weeks, $1,140
4 Weeks, $1,520
5 Weeks, $1,600

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SENIOR INTENSIVE

Senior Ballet Intensive students will take four to five classes per day Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm including Technique, Pointe, Mens, Variations, Contemporary, Jazz, Repertoire, Turns/Jumps, Conditioning/Stretch, and Progressing Ballet Technique.

  • • 10-11:30am: Ballet Technique
  • • 11:40am-12:55pm: Contemporary
  • • 12:55-1:45pm: Lunch
  • • 1:45-2:30pm: Pointe / Mens
  • • 2:40-4:00pm: Repertoire

SUMMER 2021 JUNIOR BALLET INTENSIVE TUITION

Junior Program dancers may select to attend between 1 and 5 weeks of the Intensive. To participate in the Summer Showcase performance, dancers must enroll for at least Weeks 4 & 5.

WEEKLY PROGRAM DATES:
Week 1, June 28 – July 2
Week 2, July 5 – July 9
Week 3, July 12 – July 16
Week 4, July 19 – July 23
Week 5, July 26 – July 30

TUITION:
1 Week, $200
2 Weeks, $380
3 Weeks, $570
4 Weeks, $760
5 Weeks, $800

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JUNIOR INTENSIVE

Junior Ballet Intensive students will take two to three classes per day Monday-Friday 9:30am-12:30pm OR 1:30-4:30pm including Technique, Contemporary, Turns/Jumps, Stretch, Conditioning, Jazz, and Repertoire.

  • • 9:30-11:00am OR 1:30-3:00pm: Ballet Technique
  • • 11:00-11:15am OR 3:00-3:15pm: Snack Break
  • • 11:15am-12:30pm OR 3:15-4:30pm: Contemporary

ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSED MAY 31

Please click here to contact the Summer Programs Office to be considered for enrollment in the 2021 Senior Intensive. 

ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSED MAY 31

Please click here to contact the Summer Programs Office to be considered for enrollment in the 2021 Junior Intensive.

SUMMER 2021 GUEST FACULTY

Ray Love | Hip-Hop (June 28- July 2)

Ray Love was born in the inner city of Grand Rapids, MI. Mr. Love has over 24 years of experience in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, and Hip-Hop. He has performed in award-winning dance competitions in Michigan, Chicago, Detroit, New York, and Los Angeles. His talent as a dancer and choreographer was recognized by Nigel Lithgow on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” during his nationally televised audition. Ray has trained with and performed as a freelancer in dozens of performances with Grand Rapids Ballet. He has also performed with Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles and trained with Ad Deum Dance Company in Houston. His performance repertory includes appearances at “Soul of the City,” “Festival of the Arts,” “The Haunt,” and “MCM”. Mr. Love also has 25 years of experience in Martial Arts in which he has been trained in eight different styles by four masters and the heavy-weight kick-boxing champion John “The Panther” James among others. His Martial Arts record includes 36 wins 27 KOs. This training led Mr. Love to provide contracted conflict resolution, anger management, gang prevention, mentoring, martial arts, and dance training for over 30 Grand Rapids Public Schools. Mr. Love has functioned as a Guest Choreographer for Grand Rapids Community College’s Dance Team, and Davenport University’s Dance Team, as well as Dance Instructor for Grand Valley State University’s Dance Program. Ray Love is also a singer/songwriter and has provided services for multiple independent artists for songwriting and vocal arrangement. Mr. Love is the Owner/Artistic Director of The Den, School of Creative Arts, and the Founder of The PACK. Over the past sixteen years, Mr. Love has touched the lives of thousands of students of all ages. He is currently based out of Los Angeles, California, and is pursuing music, dancing, teaching, and choreographic opportunities.

Lydia Ruth Dawson | Musical Theater (July 5-9, July 26-30)

Lydia Ruth Dawson grew up dancing with the Grand Rapids Ballet and is thrilled to be returning as guest faculty for GRB’s Summer Intensive! After leaving GRB, Lydia danced with dANCEpROjECt, The Joffrey Ballet, and has freelanced with choreographers like Sidra Bell, Jana Hicks, Kevin Wynn, and Alexander Proia to name a few. Now working primarily in Musical Theater, Lydia has been seen on stages and screens across the country. She is eager to share her love for Musical Theater Dance with dancers at GRB this summer.

Matthew Farmer | Jazz (July 12-16, July 19-23)

Matthew Farmer is currently the Chair of the Dance Department at Hope College and the Dorothy Wiley DeLong Professor of Dance. He is the Co-Artistic Director of R.G. Dance Productions, Co-Artistic Director of H2 Dance Co., and the Co-Author of the book Introductory Modern Dance: A Teaching Manual. Matthew received his MFA from the University of Michigan in Dance Performance and Choreography, and his BA in Theatre and Dance from Hope College.  Matthew was a company member of The Peter Sparling Dance Co., and company member and Associate Director of LehrerDance. As a soloist and guest performer, he has had the pleasure of performing works by Avi Kaiser, Sergio Antonino, Merce Cunningham, Laura Dean, Matthew Thornton, Doug Varone, and many more. He has danced for multiple companies in the United States, Germany, Belgium, and the U.K. His teaching credits include directorships, professorships, and residencies at multiple colleges and universities in the U.S., as well as a faculty member and judge for multiple national dance conventions and competitions.  Farmer’s choreography spans the field of dance and can be seen on college campuses, professional dance companies, international festivals, theater companies, competitive dance teams, and musical theater venues throughout the U.S and abroad.

Kelsey Paschich | Contemporary (July 26-30)

Kelsey Paschich is a dancer, choreographer, educator, interdisciplinary artist. She is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Western Michigan University. Paschich holds an MFA in Dance from the University of New Mexico and she holds a BFA in Dance from Point Park University. She is 1 of 36 Countertechnique® Certified Teachers globally and also teaches ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, choreography, and theory. Her international performance career spans 20 years and multiple genres. Paschich has performed extensively with: The Moscow State Classical Ballet, DCDC2, Thodos Dance Chicago, River North Chicago Dance Company, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Interdansa Dance Festival 2010, Keshet Dance Company, ARCOS Dance, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Lawine Torrèn (Dance Theatre Machines Media) in the Hannibal Project in Sölden, Austria. Paschich’s choreographic and performative experience, informs her pedagogical methodology in providing a progressive and holistic education that cultivates the next generation of artists. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of project whitewall which experiments and creates live + digital work that explores humanness, the moving body, and its relationship to technology. She views dance as a language that can be shared across many mediums. Her work often utilizes multi-media elements inspired by surrealism as the theoretical and conceptual framework. Paschich was recently the recipient of the Creative Living for Dancers Award 2021 (Brussels, Belgium), the Dancing Lab Residency at the National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron (NCCAkron) 2021, as well as the National Dizzy Feet Foundation Gene Kelly Legacy Scholarship in 2016.

Summer 2021 Ballet Intensive Scholarships

SUMMER 2021 MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

Summer Intensive merit-based scholarships are awarded to prospective Senior Intensive dancers following the audition process, whether in person or through a video submission. Partial, half, and full tuition scholarships are awarded to students based upon their potential to achieve a professional career in ballet through a visible means of talent and passion in ballet technique and artistry.

SUMMER 2021 FINANCIAL AID SCHOLARSHIPS

Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Summer Financial Aid Scholarship Program aims to provide tuition assistance to young students eager for high quality dance instruction in a nurturing and encouraging environment, inspiring a love for dance and thorough knowledge of technique. To apply, families will need to provide a completed application form and supporting financial documents.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE

Housing Options

Unfortunately, due to COVID health regulations and the safety of our students, we are unable to provide supervised housing this year. We do have excellent rates of $99-$119/night at hotels (some with full kitchens) within a 15-minute walking distance of Meijer-Royce Center for Dance.

Email us today for more information on securing reservations.

Amway Grand Plaza

The Morton (rooms with full kitchens available)

Hyatt Place 

Summer 2021 Ballet Intensive Auditions

VIDEO SUBMISSION

Our audition video submission deadline for the 2021 Summer Intensive program is now complete. For dancers interested in auditioning for the Senior Program, please contact summerintensive@grballet.com to learn about our options.

CLICK TO LEARN ABOUT VIDEO AUDITIONS

Video Audition requirements

  • • headshot (can be a school photo) and full body photo in first arabesque position emailed to School Director Attila Mosolygo at the same time you complete your registration
  • • video of at least five minutes but not longer than 8 containing the following elements (only one side needs to be shown of each combination, and the frame of the video should show your full body throughout):
    • ∙ barre work: pliés, tendu from 5th, degagé, rond de jambe a terre, adagio, grand battement
    • ∙ center work: adagio, pirouette combination with pirouettes en dehors and en dedans, petite allegro including jetés, assemblés, sissonnes, etc.
    • ∙ ladies pointe work: two pointe combinations showing both sides that include échappés, retirés, single/double pirouettes
    • ∙ men: two combinations showing entrechat quatre or entrechat six and single/double tours en l’air

ZOOM CLASS

Our virtual audition class tour for the 2021 Summer Intensive program is finished.

Dancers interested in auditioning for the Senior Program, please contact summerintensive@grballet.com to learn about our options.

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