More on Summer Study - Company School or Conservatory?

Once you've decided to do a summer dance program, it can be a daunting task to decide which one is right for you with the plethora of choices. One way to divide and conquer is to split the choices into two categories - company school versus conservatory. Here are some videos to help you, and an article from Dance Magazine that breaks it down - Dance Magazine: Summer Study Guide 2011: Conservatory vs. Company School.

The main difference? Company schools offer you exposure to join the company, while conservatories offer small class sizes with individualized attention and a chance to join their year-round school. Company schools include San Francisco Ballet School, Miami City Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and any other school at a professional dance company. Conservatories include The Rock School for Dance Education, The Nutmeg Conservatory, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Harid Conservatory.

Here, some San Francisco Ballet students share their summer intensive experiences at SFB.



Here is a video from The Rock School for Dance Education on their summer intensive.

Inspiring Words from a Ballet Dancer

"I dance for those rare moments when everything comes together, when my body and mind cease to conflict and when I am absolutely present, when the steps just happen and I inhabit the music, when I don’t have to think because the dance has taken over." - Julie Diana, Pennsylvania Ballet Principal

Ever really thought about why you dance? Maybe reading the passions of another dancer will help to put your own into perspective. Here, Pennsylvania Ballet Principal, Julie Diana, shared with Dance Magazine about why she dances, and it might be just the words you need to read to get through a tough ballet class and keep pushing onwards and forwards! Why I Dance: Julie Diana

Julie Diana, Photographed by Alexander Iziliaev