Summer Programs When Not Yet 16?

keepingcalm
Sat, 01 Jul 2006 17:21:42 +0000

Hi Lulu’smom-
My daughter has some of the same casting problems. She is also 14 and 5’6" (maybe more by now) so suffers from being unable to be in child parts but too young for some adult parts. She is also AA which sometimes works to her advantage (ie., she is going Ragtime) but also to her disadvantage. Although she did manage to e cast as an adult male in Fiddler.
As for dancing, D is a officially doing a pre-pro ballet dance program, so she spends tons of time in ballet class (14+ hours a week). She only does 1 hour of tap and 1 of a jazzish-MTish dance class. I would say take the ballet at a school that is technique versus competition focuses. Doesn’t the compant school hold adult classes? As a tall 14 she maybe able to take these and progress that way. Of course I have no way of knowing what is readily available to you, but the feedback my D has received when she auditions is that it is technique they look at. If the basic technique is there, they can teach the specific steps.
And finally, since this is long anyway - we may see you next year at a pre-college as we are looking at OCU’s summer program. MY D did two years at Interlochen as a intermediate grades 6 and 7) and is ambivalent about going back as a high schooler. (This year she would have had to be in the Int. program again and did not want to do that) It is unlikely she will go back as we can’t afford the cost of it for ambivalent! However, she came back MUCH stronger vocally and in acting after both of her summers.