Summer Course Survival Guide 1.0

 Happy May, and hello, Fools Spring! Yes, that’s right. Here in the Central Valley, it is Fools Spring. Last week it was up in the 80s-90s, and today the highest is 53. Fifty-fucking-three. In May. I had to break out my sweaters again. I am hoping that soon the weather will warm up to the 60s-70s and stay that way for a long while.

Here on The Yelena Effect, May is a ballet post-filled month. I have 5 ballet posts for all you dancers out there. As summer intensives draw near, some of you may be nervous about it, especially if it's your first time. Never fear, my "Summer Course Survival Guide" is here! Enjoy. This is part I of a four-part series, so stay tuned for parts two, three, and four.

My history.

   First, I will tell you about my history with summer courses. My first actual summer course was the one I did with my dance studio summer of 2013. Obviously, it wasn't a course like that of SAB or ABT, but let me tell you, it was so much different from the previous courses I had done. We had different guest teachers every week, pas de deux class, everything was on pointe, and it was terrific. Since I had danced at this studio before, I didn't have to audition because I was already placed at a specific level. I was in Level 4/5, the highest level at the studio. I absolutely loved the program.

Now on to my top tips to get the most out of your summer program.

Tip #1: Be a sponge (absorb everything).

   "Be a sponge" was something my old dance teacher, Justine, told me before I started the Northwest program. When I say be a sponge, I literally mean to absorb every correction given, even if it's not given to you. That will really show the teachers how much you care about ballet. It will also help you get the most out of your program since most are only six weeks long.

   If you apply the corrections given, chances are if you audition again, you'll get in because the teachers know how much you want to improve.

Tip #2: Be friendly.

   We've all seen it before, those girls who have that "mean" look on their faces and are never nice to anybody. You must be friendly to EVERYONE, even people you may not like. Teachers pay attention to everything from how to talk to the other dancers and how you look to how much you're willing to put into the program. If you're friendly to everyone, the teacher will notice and be more inclined to correct you. 

   I've seen it before; a girl wasn't being friendly and barely got any corrections all summer. That's a) a waste of money and b) a waste of everyone's time.

   Asking questions after the classes are over is an excellent way to get the teachers to like you. I can't stress this enough, but ALWAYS CURTSY before leaving!!! Don't be that girl who says, "Thank you," and walks out. No one wants to help an unfriendly person.

Tip #3: Attend seminars and activities.

   If the program you're doing holds seminars, attend them. They are specifically designed to help Y-O-U! The program I do doesn't offer seminars, but if they did, I'd attend them all with a notebook in hand so I could write down what's said and ask questions later. Attending seminars will also help you get the most out of your program. The workshops that would be particularly helpful would be nutritional ones and ones on injury care and prevention. Even strength training ones would be good to attend.

   Attending activities such as trips to museums, performances, sightseeing, etc. are very important because it helps you make better friends. Going out can also take your mind off ballet, especially if you're struggling with something or got yelled at (been there).

Tip #4: Eat well and drink lots of water.

   I cannot stress enough how important it is to eat healthily and to drink lots of water. You must be alert throughout the day, so eat a good breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. Some suggestions are yogurt, granola, toast, eggs, and sausage for breakfast. A small pasta salad with veggies or a small soup and sandwich would be optimal for lunch. You want your lunch to be small so you don't feel bloated if you have a class after lunch (been there many times). A good dinner could be pasta with veggies and meat if you haven't already eaten some, or fish and rice. Of course, having a treat after dinner is okay, as long as it's small.

   Eating well and drinking water will help you replenish your muscles, give you energy, and give your body time to heal if you get injured. Doing these things will also help you from being less sore.

Tip #5: Pay attention!!

   Paying attention is crucial if you a) want to be liked by the teachers and b) to get the most out of your program. Really watch how the arms, headlines are placed, etc. I've seen it before when a teacher looks like they're gonna explode if an arm or headline is missed. This is not a time to add your own flair to the moves. Do them exactly as the teacher showed you. They'll like you more that way.

   Warming up is also very important because the teachers usually expect you to be warm already. It's a waste of their time and yours if you haven't warmed up already. Get to the studio early to warm up. The barre work is also designed to warm you up, but you should also be stretched out, especially when it comes to adagio. If you get there early and the teacher isn't busy, it is also an excellent time to ask a few questions. Just don't be obnoxious with your questions.

   Know the combination! I cannot stress enough how important it is to know what you're doing. I've always needed help memorizing combinations, especially if it's super complicated. If you need more clarification on the combination, go in the second group, especially if over thirty of you are in one class. It will help you so much. But if you know exactly what you are doing and are supremely confident, go ahead and be first.

   Don't talk in class or be late. It's rude and disrespectful to the teachers and the other students. It happened before when a girl kept talking to me, so I finally had to tell her to shut up and pay attention. This same girl was over a half hour late to class and had to forfeit the entire class because she wasn't warmed up properly.

Tip #6: HAVE FUN!

   You've heard it before, have fun during your learning and dancing. After all, that is why you dance, right? You don't want to have a miserable summer, so be ready to give it your all while dancing and having fun with it. Attend all the activities and seminars, make friends, and be prepared to be a better dancer than you were before the start of the program.

And that concludes my summer course survival guide. Check back next week for the 411 on perfectionism.

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