Packing for a summer dance intensive can be daunting, which is why we’ve created this list to help you pack and know what to bring to a summer dance intensive.
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Packing for a summer dance intensive can be intimidating. There is so much you need to bring with you but you might not know where to start, what to bring, and how much stuff you need to bring. As a dancer that has been to multiple intensives, I’ve created this guide to what to bring to a summer dance intensive.
In this post you are going to learn all about what to bring to a summer dance intensive, how to pack for a dance intensive, dance clothing for intensives, and more to help you prepare for your next summer dance intensive.
After reading this post you will know exactly everything you need to bring to your next summer dance intensive!
Keep reading to access and download your FREE Summer Dance Intensive Packing List!
This post is all about what to bring to a summer dance intensive
Summer Dance Intensive Packing List
What is a Summer Dance Intensive?
A summer dance intensive is special program designed to give dancers an inside look into a professional company or dance school. Summer dance intensives are very common for ballet schools or ballet companies as well as other dance companies. Some college dance programs also offer summer dance intensives as a peek into what being a college dance major is like.
Sometimes dance intensives give dancers the opportunity to audition or try out for a studio company or dance school for a year-round program. Some dance intensives include housing while others do not.
Wherever you may end up going, a summer dance intensive is an incredible opportunity to take new dance classes and try new things as a dancer.
How long are Summer Dance Intensives?
Summer dance intensives range in length. Some can be just a few days while others might be for the entire summer. For this reason you want to be sure that you pack the right things for your summer dance intensive experience.
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What Should I Bring to a Summer Dance Intensive?
There is a lot that you should bring to a summer dance intensive. Over this next section, we will cover everything that you need to bring to a summer dance intensive in order to dance and take classes. This will include dance clothing, dance shoes, and dance equipment.
Summer Dance Intensive Clothing
You are going to need a variety of dance outfits and clothing for a summer dance intensive. Before purchasing or packing anything, be sure to consult any summer intensive packing list or information packet to know what clothing items you need.
How much clothing do I need to bring to a summer dance intensive?
If your summer dance intensive is 5 to 10 days long, I recommend bringing enough dance clothing for at least one change of clothes a day. This is so you have a spare for every day and then some.
If your summer intensive is longer than 10 days, try bringing enough clothing for two weeks and washing what you can when you can. If you are able to wash your dance clothing make sure to bring along some laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and maybe even some hangers if you prefer to hang up your dance clothing to dry.
Here is a list of clothing items you might want to bring to a summer dance intensive:
- Leotards
- Tights
- Pink Tights
- Black Tights
- Dance Skirts
- Dance Shorts
- Warm up clothing
- Cover-up clothing
Leotards
Leotards are a definite must for any summer dance intensive. Every intensive I have every been to have required leotards as a uniform for dance intensive classes. Whatever you might normally wear to a dance class, wearing a leotard for a summer dance intensive class is your best bet.
Tights
Tights are a must for any dance intensive. If you are going to a ballet intensive, pink tights are usually best. For most other intensives you will probably want to wear black or tan tights for your dance classes.
Dance or Ballet Skirts
For any ballet class you may have, ballet skirts are a great accessory to have for your summer dance intensive classes.
Dance Shorts
Dance shorts are another useful dance clothing essential you might want to bring to a summer dance intensive. Shorts are useful warm ups and cover-ups even if you aren’t dancing in them so it is definitely a good idea to pack these with your other summer dance intensive clothing.
Warm Up Clothing
Warm up clothing is also incredibly important to bring to your summer dance intensive. There are times when you might have a break between classes or days where the studio is just a little extra chilly and you want to stay warm in some warm up clothing.
Cover Up Clothing
In addition to staying warm and dressed for dance classes, cover up clothing or street clothes are also important to bring to a summer dance intensive. When you are traveling to and from classes, you want to wear regular clothing and cover up your dance clothing to remain professional.
Dance Shoes
For a summer dance intensive, you typically will want to bring the types of shoes for the dance styles you will be taking classes in.
I recommend bringing spare pairs of dance shoes to your summer intensive. This is helpful incase something happens to a shoe or it just gets old. This way you will have extra shoes in case of emergencies or if you just want to rotate your shoes out.
You definitely want to have extra pointe shoes and ballet shoes at the bare minimum when you go to a summer dance intensive. This is because these shoes tend to wear out a lot faster than any other pairs of dance shoes.
Dance Equipment
Lots of dance intensives will require you to bring additional conditioning or dance equipment with you for classes like yoga, pilates, conditioning, or PBT. Even if you don’t have these classes in your summer intensive schedule, it is helpful to have some of these dance equipment essentials for personal use at an intensive.
Exercise Bands
Every dancer needs the standard exercise band or “theraband” in their dance bag for a summer intensive. These versatile pieces of dance equipment are helpful for stretching and strengthening nearly every muscle in your body, especially for what dancers need to do.
Lots of summer intensives will offer pilates or conditioning classes that require exercise bands so be sure to have one handy for your next summer dance intensive.
Foam Roller
A foam roller will be a life saver after long intensive days. This is also a useful tool for a few conditioning and pilates exercises.
Massage Ball or Tennis Ball
A massage ball or tennis ball is essential to a dancers training equipment. There are lots of exercises you can do with a tennis/massage ball but you can also always use it as a massager to roll out your muscles after long summer intensive days.
What do I need if I’m staying at a summer dance intensive?
If you are traveling and staying in a different city for a summer dance intensive, you will need a few extra things in order to stay. This section will go over other essentials for traveling and staying at a summer dance intensive including bedding, toiletries, and more.
This section will simply list the items you might need out by category since you probably don’t need much of an explanation as to why you need a toothbrush!
Here is a list of the categories of things you need to bring if you are staying away for a summer intensive:
Bedding
Bedding items will depend on where you are staying and if your summer intensive has housing. However if you are staying in a hotel or Airbnb, you probably won’t need a lot of the items listed.
Here are the bedding essentials you need for a summer dance intensive:
- Sheets- Check with the intensive you are staying with for sizes. Usually a twin or full will work (link college dorm)
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Pillowcases
Toiletries
Bring all of your essential, everyday toiletry items. Usually, these are items that are easy to find or get in case you forget them at a local drugstore but you can never be too careful.
Here are the toiletry essentials you might need for a summer dance intensive:
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Body wash
- Scrub brush/washcloth/loofa
- Hair Brush
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Shower Shoes
- Other personal hygiene and skin care essentials
Non-Dance Clothing and Shoes
Even though you will probably be dancing most of the time at your summer dance intensive, there are a few non dance clothing items that you will need.
Here are the non-dance clothing items you might need
- Undergarments
- Pajamas
- Cover-up Clothing
- Possibly one nice outfit
- Shower shoes
- Good walking shoes
Your Summer Dance Intensive Packing List
Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for, your FREE summer dance intensive packing list! Fill out the form below and you’ll have your packing list delivered straight to your inbox!
Before You Go
I hope this post has helped you know what to bring to a summer dance intensive. Now, you are more prepared than ever to travel to your next summer dance intensive with EVERYTHING that you need.
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This post was all about what to bring to a summer dance intensive
