General things to know
What to pack
Your packing will change a little day to day, but as a general idea:
- At least two different pairs of dance shoes, with different heel heights if applicable.
- A variety of snacks.
- Your favourite water bottle.
- Tea and/or coffee supplies - the kitchen has access to a Keurig if you bring pods.
- Deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, mints, sweat towel.
- Arnica, Rub-A535, your go-to anti-inflammatory, and any other pain-related supplies you think necessary.
- Foam roller (latex free, please), hand-held roller, field hockey ball, accuball, golf ball, whatever other things you use to combat sore muscles.
- Cutlery and any dishes you plan to use.
- Yoga mat or blanket for sitting on the back lawn (not inside the building).
- Something that records video, a notepad, or another way of recording what you learned.
- A sweater.
- At least one change of pants daily.
- At least two changes of top daily.
tips for success
Past first-timers shared some of their experiences. Here's what they had to say:
Q: How did you feel on each day?
A: Day 1: bewildered. So many new names to remember! How does the schedule work? Am I allowed to dance with everyone? Am I SUPPOSED to? Assessments seem over very quickly, even with 3 hours!
Day 2: rough and humbled. This was my biggest day of self-doubt. It hit me a bit earlier; most people seemed to hit bottom at the end of Day 3.
Day 3: starting over. The schedule had become routine at this point, so I knew when to take a longer break from dancing and people, and when I could connect with other dancers.
Day 4: breakthrough. Started feeling a bit better about myself. Had some successes during coached practice. Still humbled, but much more comfortable with the classes, the coaches, and my partners.
Day 5: forward-looking. This day was, surprisingly, my most focused. I was more relaxed (though very tired) and able to hone in on what the coaches were giving me. I chose to use the coached practices to get help in prioritizing which things (of many!) to focus on fixing first.
Q: When did you start to feel at home?
A: Midway through day three. I went out for lunch with a couple of other dancers and we all “unloaded” a bit. That helped me to realize that, despite the fact that all three of us were at very different levels, we were all going through similar experiences with doubt and growth.
Q: What was valuable for you?
[The small class size]. This gave me the chance to get to know some new people, which was one of the most valuable things about dance camp – sharing experiences and ideas, and finding opportunities to help each other. The caveat is that, being separated from the [other level] dancers for everything other than coached practice, I had to make a concerted effort to approach and try to get to know those people.
The support of dance friends, both new and old. There is much empathy and understanding to be found (and to offer) at dance camp, if you are open to it.
Q: Anything else the first-timers should know?
Be observant and respectful of other people's state of mind. Do your best to be kind, to others and to yourself (this is hard!). Also, if you notice something that you admire in another dancer, I'd encourage you to tell them (be genuine, specific, and don't put yourself down to compliment someone else). What might seem obvious to you is worth saying out loud because you can genuinely make someone's day, particularly if they're feeling down.
Q: How did you feel on each day?
A: Day 1: bewildered. So many new names to remember! How does the schedule work? Am I allowed to dance with everyone? Am I SUPPOSED to? Assessments seem over very quickly, even with 3 hours!
Day 2: rough and humbled. This was my biggest day of self-doubt. It hit me a bit earlier; most people seemed to hit bottom at the end of Day 3.
Day 3: starting over. The schedule had become routine at this point, so I knew when to take a longer break from dancing and people, and when I could connect with other dancers.
Day 4: breakthrough. Started feeling a bit better about myself. Had some successes during coached practice. Still humbled, but much more comfortable with the classes, the coaches, and my partners.
Day 5: forward-looking. This day was, surprisingly, my most focused. I was more relaxed (though very tired) and able to hone in on what the coaches were giving me. I chose to use the coached practices to get help in prioritizing which things (of many!) to focus on fixing first.
Q: When did you start to feel at home?
A: Midway through day three. I went out for lunch with a couple of other dancers and we all “unloaded” a bit. That helped me to realize that, despite the fact that all three of us were at very different levels, we were all going through similar experiences with doubt and growth.
Q: What was valuable for you?
[The small class size]. This gave me the chance to get to know some new people, which was one of the most valuable things about dance camp – sharing experiences and ideas, and finding opportunities to help each other. The caveat is that, being separated from the [other level] dancers for everything other than coached practice, I had to make a concerted effort to approach and try to get to know those people.
The support of dance friends, both new and old. There is much empathy and understanding to be found (and to offer) at dance camp, if you are open to it.
Q: Anything else the first-timers should know?
Be observant and respectful of other people's state of mind. Do your best to be kind, to others and to yourself (this is hard!). Also, if you notice something that you admire in another dancer, I'd encourage you to tell them (be genuine, specific, and don't put yourself down to compliment someone else). What might seem obvious to you is worth saying out loud because you can genuinely make someone's day, particularly if they're feeling down.
