Summer Courses – Diving in with Eyes, Ears, and Mind Wide Open
By Emma Love Suddarth We all know the feeling. The letter comes in the mail—you recognize the logo on the return address. The tremendous excitement is equal to the overwhelming anxiety at the idea of opening it. Finally, you work up the courage to dive in and tear open the envelope. “Congratulations! You’ve been accepted […]
Q&A with PNB School student Mimi Heffernan
Recently, PNB School Level VIII student Mimi Heffernan carved out a few moments from her busy ballet schedule to chat with us about her PNB School experience, mentoring younger students, participating in Summer Course, and her favorite pointe shoe hacks. Keep scrolling to learn more about Mimi and her advice for younger dancers! I came […]
Q&A with Dave Jensen, Summer Residence Director
Meet Dave Jensen, PNB School’s longtime Summer Residence Director, in this Q&A about student life, Seattle adventures, and 30+ years of summer courses.
Tips for Thriving at Summer Course: Part 3
10 Strategies for thriving at summer course Read Part I here and Part II here! The faculty at PNB is rarely aware of any issues of homesickness during the summer course because of the extensive experience of the dorm staff. Dave Jensen, Summer Course Residence Director, will be in his 21st year of overseeing the dorm lives of PNB […]
Tips from a Professional Dancer on Surviving Summer Course: Part 2
Read tips 1-3 in Part I here! Take advantage of all the opportunities that your summer course has to offer you! Be open to trying new things and experimenting with new styles & methods of dancing. Not only will your Modern, Spanish and Jazz classes make you more ready for contemporary work, but exploring other […]
Tips from a Professional Dancer on Surviving Summer Course Part 1
When you think about the professional dancers that you see in magazines and on social media, it might be hard to imagine them having fretted over decisions about which summer intensive would be the best fit for them. Believe it or not, though, all dancers start as students who go through the same training processes […]
Q and A with Summer Course Students
With summer course auditions just around the corner, we asked three students from 2017’s summer course to give advice on how to prepare yourself for the intensive training and how to get the most out of your summer course experience. Below are excerpts from a conversation with Charlotte Sanford (age 13) Maeva Laube (age 17), and […]
Mythbusters: The Summer Course Audition Edition
When it comes to ballet summer course auditions, young dancers put a lot of pressure on themselves to be accepted by their top choice. And, it doesn’t help that are a lot of myths surrounding the audition and selection process! Last year, corps de ballet dancers Elle Macy and Jahna Frantziskonis shared some practical tips to make the most of your […]
Audition Tips from PNB’s Apprentices
PNB apprentices share their best audition tips for summer intensive programs, from preparation and mindset to what ballet schools are looking for in dancers.