Summer intensive programs can be quite shocking to your body. Typically, dancers switch from taking a few classes per week to a few classes per day. It's imperative that you prepare your body for the demands it will face.

Summer intensive programs are offered at several ballet companies throughout the country. Summer intensives are designed for young men and women who are committed to developing their ballet technique over a few weeks during the summer.

A variety of classes is usually offered in ballet as well as other dance techniques. Summer intensive programs encourage participants to expand their expertise in many directions. Faculty members often include dancers from professional companies as well as well-known professional dancers. Besides improving technique, summer intensives help to expose dancers to new and exciting ventures that may lead to professional careers in the future. If you plan on attending a summer intensive program this summer, the following preparation plan will help you to arrive in great shape in order to gain the most from your experience. Note the following timeline is divided into three phases to be used during the 4-8 weeks before your scheduled summer intensive.

Phase 1: Rest

The first phase of this program focuses on rest. Phase 1 begins after your regular school year ends. During this week, give your body a relative rest. Take a break from your regular ballet schedule as well as other workouts. Try to cut your ballet schedule in half.
The idea is to give overused muscles a chance to rest and recover.

Your muscles will be stressed during the intensive and will benefit from a short period of rest beforehand. During your rest, however, try to keep working on your core. Your core includes your abdominal muscles, back muscles and the muscles around the pelvis. Since the muscles of your core are activated during every move, you want to keep them tight and firm.

Phase 2: Fitness

The second phase of the program occurs over the next the next two to three weeks. This phase should be used to focus on cross-training. You should take about half of your regular ballet classes but work out five days of the week. Try alternating between various activities such as weight-training, swimming, Yoga, Pilates and other workouts.
The focus of this phase should be improving your stamina. Since the intensive program will involve dramatically increasing your class load as well as level of difficulty, you need to prepare your body to be able to endure the challenge. A great way to improve stamina is by participating in interval training. Interval training involves a series of intense exercise workouts interspersed with rest or relief periods.

Phase 3: Technique

The third and final phase of the program should take place the week or two before your intensive. Use this final period to work on refining your ballet technique. Decrease your cross-training activities and really focus on building up to the level you will expect yourself to reach at the intensive. This stage is very helpful as it will give you a clear picture of what type of rest, food and recovery you will need.

Prepare Your Feet

The last thing you want to deal with at an intensive is sore feet. You will most likely be wearing your pointe shoes more than ever, so it's a good idea to put them on at least once per day for the two weeks before your intensive. Even if it's just to walk around your house, putting on your shoes prepare your feet for the grueling days ahead.
<sub>Source:

Kay, Lauren. Get in Shape for Summer Intensives, Pointe magazine, April/May 2013, pp 54-56.</sub>