Solutions4Dancers

Our beautiful Ambassador Ecem attended the Bolshoi Ballet Academy summer course in New York this summer. Following the course she was admitted to the Bolshoi Ballet Academy full time! We are so proud of Ecem! Stay tuned to read her next miniview about her summer experiences!

Hortense Pajtler 🇫🇷 (Paris Opera Ballet School)
Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what do your summer plans consist of?
Hortense: I attended the Victor Ullate Ballet in Madrid for 1 week. I love this summer intensive but it's very intense.
Solutions4Dancers: What summer courses have you attended in the past?
Hortense: I did princess grace at Monaco 3 years ago. I was a little girl so I didn't like it very much but I will try it again later because I think it's better when you are older. Before entrance at opera ballet school I did the first summer and loved it. I did other little summer intensive like Nîmes, Perpignan (in my old school), and in August I do the summer intensive of Biarritz. Also, during my competitions I did master classes where I had the occasion to meet other dancers and professors. For me, it's not good to do lots of Summers intensive in one summer because on holidays it is done to relax so 2 weeks is good enough.
Solutions4Dancers: What have you enjoyed most about your summer experiences?
Hortense: This summer intensive is great because I can work with other professors and learn different techniques. I can discovered new studio so new school.

Ines McIntosh 🇫🇷 (Paris Opera Ballet School)
Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what have your summer plans consisted of?
Ines: This year, I was at the Royal Ballet School summer intensive ().It was at White Lodge because I am too young to do it at Covent Garden. It was such an amazing experience, I have learned a lot.
Solutions4Dancers: What summer courses have you attended in the past?
Ines: Last year, I didn't do summer course in big international school like this year at the Royal Ballet. But I did summer courses in Biarritz, Houlgate, Anger for instance. In France, there is a lot of very good summer courses with amazing teachers. It was very interesting experiences, even if it was very different from the RBS.
Solutions4Dancers: What have you enjoyed most about your summer experiences?
Ines: What I've liked the most from the Royal Ballet School intensive is that I have learned a lot about the English technique. They don't have the same epaulement and way to dance in England that we do in France. It was also very important to me to have the chance to dance with dancers from other countries, I learned a lot from them. Also, teachers were really kind and took the time to give corrections to all of us. This is not the same way to teach than in France. I reckon that it's definitely important that other professional dancers and teachers watch me dance and give me different corrections than my teachers at POBS. It was a beautiful experience!

Alisa Uzunova 🇧🇬 (Vaganova Ballet Academy)
Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what have your summer plans consisted of?
Alisa: This summer I decided to relax a bit and stay home with my family. I will only do a little course here in Brussels at my old ballet school and a course in Munich.
Solutions4Dancers: What summer courses have you attended in the past?
Alisa: Last year I have attended a great summer program in Alicante, Spain .
It was an amazing experience!! I got to perform Diana & Acteon with Russian great dancer Ivan Zaitcev from the Mikhailovsky Theater. I loved it so much because the teachers were all amazing! They all came from Russia, so we had the Vaganova style, which I love the most! The other thing that I liked was that we could every day after class to the beach to relax a bit!

Robyn McKie 🇬🇧 (The Dance School of Scotland)
Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what have your summer plans consisted of?
Robyn: I was very fortunate to be accepted into the Royal Ballet School () white lodge summer intensive this year. It has been an amazing experience getting to dance in iconic studios such as the Darcey Bussell, Gailene Stock, Pavlova and Ashton studios and to be taught by incredible teachers who I've learned a lot from. It was also great to meet talented dancers including fellow Solutions4Dancers Ambassadors from all around the world who I'm sure I'll now be friends with for life.
Solutions4Dancers: What summer courses have you attended in the past?
Robyn: Last year I attended English National Ballet () summer intensive which was also an incredible experience.

Mao Fujimuro 🇯🇵 (Vaganova Ballet Academy)
Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what have your summer plans consisted of?
Mao: My teacher of ballet class in Vaganova will come to Japan, so I'll participate in her workshop.
I am looking forward to seeing her!
Also I will have a competition in Tokyo. I'll dance Aurora's variation from sleeping beauty act 3.
Do the best I can!!

Mathilde Stokkebro 🇩🇰 (The Royal Danish Ballet School)

Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what have your summer plans consisted of?
Mathilde: 1:This summer I was at Royal Ballet Summer School (), White Lodge, and Tivoli's international summercamp.

Solutions4Dancers: What summer courses have you attended in the past?
Mathilde: In the past I have been to Tivoli's summercamp, but never anything as advanced as Royal Ballet School (). Solutions4Dancers: What have you enjoyed most about your summer experiences?
Mathilde: The things that I have enjoyed the most is how much you can learn in such short time, and all the great teachers you get work with. I also think it's amazing to meet so many sweet people and make new friends. It just makes the experience so much more fun!

Sara Barbieri 🇳🇱 (Dutch National Ballet Academy Graduate)
Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what have your summer plans consisted of?
Sara: I always take a lot of summer courses, but this summer I'm just resting because I'm injured and soon I will join a ballet company.
Solutions4Dancers: What summer courses have you attended in the past?
Sara: I attended the Dutch National Ballet Summer Intensive (), ABT Summer Intensive (), Academie de Princesse Grace Summer School () and many others in Italy.
Solutions4Dancers: What have you enjoyed most about your summer experiences?
Sara: I think the opportunity to work with so many different great teachers and to work in different styles. It's always so nice to learn new things, it helps me to improve!

Andrada Ion 🇦🇹 (Vienna State Opera Junior Company)
Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what have your summer plans consisted of?
Andrada: This summer I did not enroll in any summer courses. I had to dance in a gala performance, so I focused more on that. For the rest of the summer holiday I plan to give myself a bit of time to relax since a difficult season is waiting for me starting in September. I will start ballet classes and going to the gym at the beginning of August to get in shape.
Solutions4Dancers: What summer courses have you attended in the past?
Andrada: In the past years I have attended lots of Summer Intensives. I was in Valencia, Spain at the workshop there, at the Academie de dance Princesse Grace in Monaco (), a few summer courses in Italy at at IBStage in Barcelona (). Solutions4Dancers: What have you enjoyed most about your summer experiences?
Andrada: Summer Courses were a great chance to meet and work with teachers abroad and on different techniques. I enjoyed a lot seeing dancers from other schools. This experience helps dancers grow and expand their knowledge.

Lou Spichtig 🇨🇭 (Ballet Zürich Junior Company)
Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what have your summer plans consisted of?
Lou: I've just come back from the 27th International Ballet Competition Varna, where I spent the last two weeks competing. It was an equally grueling and rewarding experience from the first rehearsals to the last gala performance, for a number of reasons. I was awarded the first prize in my division along with two other awards... I never even dared to dream of this!
Solutions4Dancers: What summer courses have you attended in the past?
Lou: In the past I've attended 's brilliant Masterclasses in Prague and the Amsterdam International Summer School () was well as Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive () both in Connecticut and NYC, multiple years in a row.
Solutions4Dancers: What have you enjoyed most about your summer experiences?
Lou: I believe that a summer experience is a great way to further your training, work with different teachers, learn new repertoire, travel to different places and meet new friends from all around the world. It's a great way to keep in shape if you have a long break, but avoids getting stuck in a rut at your regular studio!

Connor Hamilton 🇨🇦 (Canada's National Ballet School)
Solutions4Dancers: Are you attending a summer course this year? If not, what have your summer plans consisted of?
Connor: I am supposed to be at Canada's National Ballet School for the summer, but unfortunately I have an injury and had to stay home for physical therapy and to rest. I will be returning to school in September.

Solutions4Dancers: What summer courses have you attended in the past?
Connor: Last year was my first time attending summer intensives away from home. I went to the San Francisco Ballet School () and Canada's National Ballet School ().

Solutions4Dancers: What have you enjoyed most about your summer experiences?
Connor: I was a little scared to be on my own for the first time, but I never imagined how much fun it could be. I met so many nice people and learned so much from the teachers at San Francisco Ballet School. After that I went to NBS and was able to focus on the basics more. I feel like I improved so much that summer.

Photo: Gene Schiavone ()