Campers raise the barre with Sarasota Ballet

Pirouettes, plies and pique turns are all a part of the curriculum for the Sarasota Ballet Children's Summer Intensive camp. On this morning students are rehearsing the numbers they have spent the last three weeks learning in preparation for a performance for parents.

In musical theater a group of students is reviewing a number from the musical “42nd Street” that involves sharp pivots and all 30 students hitting their marks on the correct music count.  As a reward the students are allowed to perform their favorite choreographed number to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A” The variety in dance ranges extends to the range of classes campers are take that include character, flamenco, yoga, hip-hop, ballet and more. 

“It wasn’t at all watered down,” said Head of Children’s Division for Sarasota Ballet Wendy Johnson. “They gained exposure to all sort of other forms of dance from jazz to hip hop, flamenco.”

Generally dance students will have lessons from one teach throughout the year, through the intensive program they had instruction from a variety of faculty members. This summer was the first time that a three-week intensive program was offered to the dancers ages seven to 10-years-old. Johnson says she would like to see it happen again next year because of the positive feedback from parents and students. 

“Whatever class they came out of last they would say was their favorite class, then go into the next class and say the same thing,” Johnson said. “A lot of parents commented that their children loved dance but now they saw a whole new level of commitment.”