The summer according to Howard: master teacher David Howard offers some tips on choosing the right summer intensive course.

Master teacher David Howard offers some tips on choosing the right summer intensive course.

What should you look for in an intensive summer ballet course? How do you choose the one that's right for you? We put these questions to David Howard, one of the master teachers of our time. Howard teaches an annual intensive course at his studio in Manhattan and he often participates as a guest at many intensive programs around the country.

The first thing that Howard suggests is that you choose a program that is different from your winter school. If you regularly study at a Balanchine derivative school, for instance, seek out a program with a different training perspective, such as Royal Academy of Dancing or the Russian school. If you study only classical dance during the year, find a school that offers jazz or modern dance. If your regular school is in a big city, search out a program in the mountains. Choose a school at which there are more advanced dancers who can inspire you and help you to enlarge your aspirations. Seek a new point of view. Learn about another way of working.

Before you choose a program, first clarify what you want and what you need. Is performing a priority? Look for a program that has access to a theater and stresses frequent performances. Do you want a true classical orientation? Then be sure the school offers two or three ballet classes daily at various levels.

Howard says that a strong summer program should offer the opportunity for students to enlarge their perspectives. There should be classes in more than just ballet technique. The summer is a good time to learn variations and partnering, for exapmle. A program might also have jazz, tap, modern dance, or Spanish dane.

In adition to two or three physical classes daily (not more than three, Howard stresses), there should be other opportunities or events. Schools in an urban center might provide the opportunity to attend performances or hear professionals discuss their work. Those in a rural setting might offer the chance to swim or take nature walks. There might be discussions on such topics as good eating habits, dance history, music for dance, the fitting of pointe shoes, or an introduction to anatomy or kinesiology.

The summer is a special time in which you can fully concentrate on dancing. Howard observes that young people sometimes make the most progress during summers because they approach the work with a new kind of energy and a different frame of mind.

Part of the advantage of having more free time in the summer is the opportunity to take more classes each day. Be sure that you are prepared for a more intensive experience. Get yourself ready physically for three classes a day, particularly if you are used to studying only three times a week, or if you have not been taking class just befoe going to a summer program. Unprepared bodies are ripe for injury.

It is important to choose a course in which you will make the most progress. At the end of the summer, assess your progress. If you haven't improved noticeably, try something else next year.

Many young dancers believe that a summer at a company-affiliated school is an important way to be seen. Howard says that this is a common and legitimate reason for choosing a particular program. He warns, however, that students should realize that only a very small number of summer workshop participants are invited to join company apprentice programs, and he cautions against unrealistic expectations. He points out that summer programs must accept enough students to remain financially viable. Acceptance is not necessarily a strong indication of a company's interest.

Both your teacher and your parents can help you determine when you will most enjoy and benefit from company-affiliated schools. Maturity, technical levvel, self-confidence, and openness are all needed. Given the right moment, the pre-apprenticeship experience can be important and inspirational. At the wrong moment, it might be devastating.

In choosing a company-affiliated school, you should become familiar with the orientation of the company, since the school will reflect it. Learn something about the company's repertoire and its style. You will only be happy if you and the company ae on the same wavelength.

To determine if a program is fairly priced, compare the number of classes you will be taking with an average class rate and add a small amount to cover extracurricular and administrative expenses. For example, if the going rate for a class is $9 or $10 and you are taking eighteen classes per week, a fair tuition might be $550 to $650 for a three-week course; if room and board are provided, factor in an additional amount for them. For a longer workshop, the per-week tuition might drop somewhat.

It is important to establish in advance the exact price, including all fees, so there are no unpleasant surprises. Most programs have printed materials that clearly states the costs. Also, most reputable summer programs offer substantial scholarship aid to a small number of deserving students. Offering a small rebate to a large good of students is more of a marketing device than a scholarship program.

What about class size? For Howard, twenty to thirty students is optimum. Master classes might be larger. Classes should run one and a half or two hours. Classes such as pointe might be shorter.

How can parents and students judge good teaching? Howard has the following suggestions: The atmosphere in the class should neither be that of "shut up and behave" not should it be out of control. It is not the teacher's role to define the only right way, but rather, to offer alternatives. Teachers can only provide information; it is up to the student to absorb the information and use it to progress.

Explanations don't need to be very long. The exercises themselves should convey much of the information. A dance training artists, which encom-passes more than mere technical accomplishment. Above all, he class should keep alive the love and curiosity of both dancer and teacher; moving the body must always remain a joyful experience.