Summer in the studio: how to choose the course that's right for you.

Sound familiar? The dressing rooms of most dance schools resound with gossip about summer programs. Where to go, where not to go, what's good, what's bad? The problem is, although you value the opinions of your friends, you have to make a decision for yourself. What is the summer training that's best for you?

To decide that, you should consider different elements of summer training and set your own priorities. This article suggests some things you might consider. Then you'll be ready to shop for the perfect summer studio for yourself.

First consider location: Many students prefer the quiet, small-town feeling provided by such programs as Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Nutmeg Ballet in Torrington, Connecticut; or Boston Ballet's programs in Norwell and Newton, Massachusetts. Others prefer the city life they experience while summering at San Francisco Ballet School (SFBS) or the Houston Ballet Academy.

Cost may be a factor, at least for your parents. Check on the availability of scholarships for the programs you are considering and the number of classes you get for your dollar. Most schools offer some scholarships, and some, such as the Bolshoi Ballet Academy at Vail program in Colorado, provide full scholarships to all qualifying students.

The size of the program may also be important. Do you thrive on the bustling, competitive feeling of a large program such as CPYB (300 students) or SFBS (250--300 students)? Or are you more comfortable with a small program such as Nutmeg (60 students), which artistic director Sharon Dante says specializes in "one-on-one training" and attention?

Your long-range plans may also play a role in your choice. Are you interested in continuing your training after the summer in a yearlong residence program? Then perhaps you should consider someplace like North Carolina School of the Arts, the School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York, or Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School (PBTS). PBTS director David Holladay is among those who say that summer is like an audition for the school's academic-year program. "We use the summer to see if a student will hold up under the load of the school-year program," he notes.

For the older student particularly, the affiliation with a professional company may be important. While Dante at Nutmeg stresses that she directs a student company in which all of the emphasis is on training, Laura Young in Boston points out that the summer audition tour is also a quest for new dancers for Boston Ballet II. If you are at the stage where professional contacts are important, this may influence your decision.

Consider also the focus of each program and how well it matches your needs and abilities. If you are taking class only three or four times a week, attending a program that includes twenty-two or more weekly classes may not be right for you. As Young points out, "Any student interested in an intensive program must be in shape; gradually increase the amount you're doing so you will be prepared for the heavy class schedule." Also consider the syllabus and method of teaching of the programs you are considering. A school offering a different style may help you to become more flexible in your technique and training, but only if you are able to adapt to the different expectations. The scope of the curriculum may also influence your decision. CPYB is among those programs that concentrate solely on ballet training, while the Academy of Colorado Ballet (ACB) is among those that teach a broader range. ACB offers folk dance, jazz, music appreciation, and Pilates-based conditioning.

Although any studio other than your home base will present you with a new array of teachers, the use of guest teachers by a program might be considered. While many programs, such as CPYB and SFBS, have extensive guest faculties in the summer, others, such as SAB, use their own permanent faculty almost exclusively.

The special or unique aspects of a particular program may also appeal to you. PBTS, for example, includes a chore-ographic workshop in the summer intensive. Student choreographers are encouraged to create their own ballets, and Holladay chooses those that are the most "fully realized" for performance at the end of the program. At Nutmeg, two video projects make an interesting addition to the program. Younger students have the opportunity to document the summer experience on video, while older students participate in a project dealing with the preparation of a video audition. A video audition may turn out to play an important part in your summer plans. If you are not able to make it to an audition, you may be able to audition by video instead, an option increasingly offered by many programs.

And finally, one of the more controversial elements of summer programs may be something that is important to you--the opportunity to perform. Directors are divided over the importance and relevance of including performances in an intensive program. Among those who do not stage performances are CPYB, SAB, and SFBS. As SAB executive director Nathalie Gleboff points out, "Five weeks is not enough time to prepare adequately for performance, plus the heavy rehearsal schedule takes away from class time." On the other hand, Holladay notes that, in addition to giving an opportunity to student choreographers, his program's performance "provides all students a chance to go to the stage with what they learned over the past six weeks."

Whether or not these are the things on your final list, what is important is that you make your list and base your decision on it; don't let the dressing room tell you where to spend your summer!