Step by step: budding dancers will be on their toes as they learn from ballet's best at Jackson's International Dance School.

Artfully blending instruction and inspiration into an unforgettable two-week immersion in ballet, Jackson's International Dance School (IDS) stands out among the myriad of summer workshops offered in the United States and beyond.

Whatever other schools may offer, none can boast the same exhilarating end to each exhausting day of dance instruction: nightly performances by the best ballet dancers in the world. This unique learning environment returns to Mississippi's capital city June 17-July 2 as part of the quadrennial USA International Ballet Competition (USA IBC).

The dance school has been an integral part of the USA IBC since its American debut in Jackson in 1979. Truth be known, the whole experience--over in two short weeks but full to the brim with world-class dance training and performances--is about much more than just dance.

For the 250 to 275 intermediate- and advanced-level students expected to attend this summer, IDS will be a cultural exchange of everything from languages to foods to music and even technology. It's an amazing opportunity for young dancers age 12 and up to mingle with the rising stars of their field. It's a blend of hard work and fun weekend outings, of challenges and triumphs that produce bonds of friendship and lasting memories. And it's even a chance to build social skills as students dress up, display their best manners, and claim their seats at one of the world's most prestigious arts events.

"It will be an intense and unforgettable two weeks," said IDS administrator Lauren Morris. "These students will be working extremely hard. They'll be tired at the end of the day. This is not what they usually do in their training at home."

On a typical day, each student will pack in three 90-minute classes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a lunch break squeezed in onsite. They'll study ballet technique, pointe, variations, character, jazz, and contemporary and modern dance.

At the end of each day, students will crowd into the upper balcony at Thalia Mara Hall to witness the competitions before retiring to dormitory accommodations at Belhaven College.

And when it's over, it's not necessarily over. Students who excel have a chance this year to win scholarships for summer study in 2007 with prestigious programs including the Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School, and Alabama Ballet.

At IDS, even the teachers get to be students: a Teachers' Workshop, which included 39 teachers from 13 states and three foreign countries in 2002, will for the first time offer both ballet and jazz training this year. About 40 to 50 dance instructors are expected to enroll this year. The clinic will be headed by Finis Jhung, who instructs ballet in New York City, and Nan Giordano, artistic director of her own jazz studio in Chicago.

In addition, students, teachers, and the public will be treated to a presentation by Garth Fagan Dance Company, founded by the choreographer of Disney's Broadway show "The Lion King." A free lecture and demonstration June 21 will be followed by a master class for advanced and professional dancers. An evening performance will be presented by the company on June 22.

Rhodie Jorgenson, instructor for the Maryland Youth Ballet, returns to Jackson this summer as an IDS faculty member, a role she also tilled in 2002. In 1998, she participated in her first IBC, coaching two dancers who captured gold medals in their divisions.

"These (IDS) students work very, very hard," she said. "They can expect to sweat and for their muscles and feet to hurt, but the teachers are sensitive to the varying levels and abilities of the students. In their training at home, these kids don't have the luxury of taking three classes a day, so their workload is increased. Here, the kids are able to go beyond their routine, and everyone benefits."

Donna Delseni, a faculty member for Northwest Florida Ballet, will also serve as an IDS instructor. "This is an ultimate experience for them," she said. "The teachers will keep their bodies and their brains in constant motion. There is so much to absorb and then observe at the performances at night it's a ballet feast!"

Delseni called USA IBC "the most extraordinary event I have ever had the privilege to participate in." "The artistic standard for this competition has, from its inception, attracted--and continues to attract--the best dancers from around the world," she said.

And the dance students get to witness that excitement firsthand, said Delseni. "The students have a world opened to them that few experience. In two short weeks, they train daily with international teachers in varied dance forms, watch the best young dancers in the world compete, and see performances by professional companies," she said. "They are inspired, educated, and challenged. I truly believe it will change them forever."

Mia Whitehead of Jackson was only 16 when she attended IDS four years ago, a training ground that won her a scholarship to attend an eight-week summer study at Joffrey Ballet School in New York City in 2003.

Now a dance student at Belhaven College, Whitehead said IDS was a chance to build friendships and experience ballet "from different perspectives," as she observed fellow students from different countries. "It broadened my horizons," she said. Whitehead aspires to dance professionally and said she may consider training to compete in the USA IBC in the future.

Aimee Long of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was 21 and a dance student at Belhaven when she attended IDS in 2002. "I took just about every class I possibly could," she said. "The teachers were such down-to-earth and likeable people."

Long is now a freelance ballet dancer and teacher, working toward her master's degree in dance education through the University of North Carolina.

"I had been to other intensive workshops, but to be able to immerse yourself in the culture of ballet for two weeks-with the great teachers and the performances every night and the activities on the weekends--was amazing," she said. "There is really no other thing like it in our country that I know of."

IDS is a learning experience that is not limited to the students. With a diverse faculty of 11 teachers from all over the United States and other countries, the mix of experience and expression is unparalleled, Jorgenson said.

"Any time I have the opportunity to go somewhere and teach as a guest, it helps me grow," she said. "The teachers I have met at USA IBC in Jackson may have slightly different perspectives, or they may have similar perspectives that reconfirm what I know. It's very inspiring. And the hospitality in Jackson is wonderful."

USA IBC Executive Director Sue Lobrano, who has guided the competition since it began in Jackson 27 years ago, selects the IDS faculty for each competition.

"I'm looking for someone who is a recognized person in ballet, jazz, contemporary, or modern dance," she said. "I look first for a person who can come in to our school and be very confident teaching older and more advanced students and be equally happy instructing younger students who don't have as much experience."

Student selection is based not on auditions but on applications, recommendation letters from teachers, and photos submitted by prospective students.

"Many, many who apply are serious students, and in our application forms we try to convey that this is not summer camp, this is not for beginners or those who aren't serious about learning," Lobrano said. "They must be able to handle an intense level of instruction."

Lobrano said she believes the dance school has grown in importance "because the reputation has grown for IBC around the world. For the dance students, getting to experience the competition's performances is in itself a learning experience. Students live on the same campus as the competitors. They mingle with them and look up to them as stars. It's part of their educational component."

Even though they come from different backgrounds, countries, and perspectives, IDS students share some common traits, Jorgenson said. "They like to dance," she said. "They're serious about learning, even though they may come from very, very mixed levels. Placement comes on the first day to get kids in appropriate levels to make sure they're challenged. As long as they have the required experience (four consecutive years of ballet and one year of pointe for girls, and two consecutive years for boys), this school is open to any student who wants to learn. We are here to encourage them and inspire them to reach a higher level."

After two weeks at IDS, students take home new friendships and lasting rewards from their intensive training. "The ones who will receive the most are those who are willing to receive and assimilate direction," Jorgenson said. "After two weeks, they should be able to take a step forward in their training. And they are inspired by the performances, too. I can't imagine spending two weeks seeing the dancers performing and not being inspired."

To Jorgenson, the whole experience is one seamless opportunity to learn life skills along with ballet steps.

"As a teacher, I want to work with them, have fun with them, inspire them," she said. "And getting to watch all these international dancers on stage at night is wonderful for all of us. Teaching ballet, we're working toward something beyond the mediocre."

raising the barre

Call it one of the most respected dance events in the world.

In Jackson, they call it the USA IBC, and every fourth summer the capital city's pulse quickens for two weeks as this most worldly of events--the International Ballet Competition-makes itself at home in this most Southern of cities.

Young artists from around the globe return to Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson June 17 through July 2 as the curtain rises once again.

A record 293 dancers from 31 countries applied to compete in this year's contest; more than 120 of them, from 27 nations, were selected to take part in the Olympic-style competition. At stake are scholarships, cash awards, and contracts with professional dance companies.

Mississippi First Lady Marsha Barbour, who is serving as as the state's official ambassador for the 2006 competition, called it "an outstanding event for the state, both culturally and economically," giving visitors from around the world the opportunity to "discover our rich Southern tradition and heritage."

Three performance rounds spread over ten days will determine who will be awarded the coveted gold, silver, and bronze medals--but there's so much more. The contest's festival of ancillary events includes the International Dance School, regional ballet company performances, workshops, and arts exhibitions.

The opening ceremony, this year featuring Ballet Hispanico of New York, will take place Saturday, June 17, at Thalia Mara Hall. The company is considered America's foremost dance interpreter of Hispanic culture.

Round I competition begins June 18, as every contestant dances to classical music in afternoon and evening performances through June 21. Round II invites about half of the original participants back on stage to perform to contemporary music June 23 through 25. Finalists take the stage June 27 through June 29, performing to classical and contemporary music.

The event culminates with a Grand Prix Ball on June 30, an Awards Gala and Curtain Call party July I, and an Encore Gala July 2.

For ticket information, call the box office at 601/973-9249. For general information about USA IBC, call 601/355-9853 or visit www.usaibc.com.