Get Ready For Summer.

Concerned about how you or your students will manage the added physical requirements for the daylong classes offered at summer workshops? "Prepare for it," says Lyle J. Micheli, M.D., director of sports medicine at Children's Hospital in Boston and associate clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. "There's a formula," explains Micheli, "to increase a student's capacity to survive intensive summer programs. First, determine the number of hours spent each week in classes and increase that number by at least 50 percent. This can be done by adding classes, through longer barre work at the studio or at home, or even by long daily walks. Start this process about six weeks before the beginning of the summer workshop program and you or your students should find the intensive work less tiring and the mechanical load on the body reduced."

Preparation includes avoiding illness caused by a changed environment. According to Louis J. Morledge, M.D., adviser to travelers throughout the world: "Assemble a medical kit for a dancer of any age that includes one-, three-, and five-inch tapes; Ace Bandages with metal clamps or in self-adhesive form; an over-the-counter medicine such as Tylenol or Advil (to be used sparingly, if at all), or an acetaminophen product if you are a nonaspirin user; an analgesic balm such as Kiehl's Body Rub; an antidiarrheal medication such as Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol; Bacitracin, for minor cuts, burns, and scrapes; small scissors and tweezers; an antibiotic, such as Cipro or Neosporin; and a decongestant for allergies. And don't forget the foot-care products."

Always drink bottled water. Use it when you brush your teeth, and avoid ice cubes. Diarrhea that lasts more than three days calls for immediate attention from a doctor, as does a skin rash. Always use a sunscreen and avoid tanning. Suntans turn bright red under stage lights and cover-up makeup soon dissolves in perspiration.

Your progress will depend upon your willingness to adapt to changes at and away from the barre. Have a safe, healthy, and enjoyable summer experience!