The University of Kentucky Summer Dance Intensive is a one-week program for high school and college students that offers advanced classes in ballet, contemporary, modern, and jazz techniques, African dance, Yoga, body conditioning, improvisation, stage combat, and repertory. The Intensive is designed to provide dancers’ with a variety of classes to develop versatility and expand their artistry, all in a positive and supportive environment. The intensive ends with a combined performance with the Summer Stage Combat participants - attendance open to family and friends - and serves as great opportunity for the dancers to share their work.
Housing is available, introducing high school participants to college life and to assist with future educational dance decisions.
June 2 - 6, 2025
Classes take place 9:00am-5:00pm each day of the intensive with breaks between classes and a break for lunch. If participants choose to stay in the dorms, each night there will be a variety of supervised evening activities. All classes will be in the Fine Arts Building.
Charles F. Dickins Dance Studio
Fine Arts Building, 465 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40506-0022
Guignol Theatre
Fine Arts Building, 465 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40506-0022
Ballet: Follows a traditional format, but develops the individual voice of movement. Concentration is placed on quality of movement, refining lines and finding new ways for the dancer to move through space.
Contemporary Modern: Embraces the creative side of modern dance fused with contemporary. The class focuses on using technique, flexibility and performance to allow for efficient and sophisticated communication within the choreography.
Jazz: Emphasizes technical and artistic skills based on a foundation of correct body alignment, movement isolation, rhythmic awareness, musicality, intermediate to advanced vocabulary, auditioning and performance focus, strength, stamina, and flexibility at the intermediate/advanced level. Dynamic range of jazz influences including traditional jazz, commercial jazz, and musical theatre will be explored.
African: Explores the technique, styles, and rhythms of regional and national cultures of Africa.
Stage Combat: Instruction to Unarmed/Hand to Hand stage combat. The dancer will get a new perspective on choreography and partnering with the fundamentals of stage combat.
Body Conditioning for the Dancer: The dancer will move through series of exercises to help the many needs of a dancer. Exercises move from the feet to the head for injury prevention, increased endurance, mobility, and strength.
Hip Hop: Energetic and face-paced, the intensive’s hip hop classes focuses on performance, stepping out of the dancer’s comfort zone while encouraging individual style.
Yoga: Three days of the week start with the principals of yoga to center the dancer before they perform begin their day. Focus on the mind, body, and spirit provides a solid foundation.
Repertory: The dancer will end their day learning dance choreography. Learning rep after a day of dancing helps dancers improve their technique and artistry as they can interweave what they have worked on throughout the day. This also is a great way to build confidence and just get to DANCE!
- Water bottle
- Yoga mat (optional)
- Towel (optional)
- Hand sanitizer
- Journal
- Warm-up clothes/dance clothing/ extra dance clothes
Attire
In order for the instructor to provide proper alignment feedback and anatomical corrections, students must wear appropriate dance attire that will show clean lines: leotard and tights, unitard, or form-fitted pants. Ballet slippers for the ballet class, Jazz shoes for the jazz class, and bare feet for the modern dance portion. If you do not own jazz shoes, ballet slippers will suffice. Dance clothing or workout clothes are needed for the body conditioning class. Pointe shoes are optional, some students like to wear them. We will be on marley, but there will not be rosin in the space. Hair must be secured away from the face. Please refrain from wearing jewelry that is potentially dangerous or that impedes movement.
Monday, June 2
- 9am-10am: Yoga
- 10am-11:30am: Ballet
- 11:30am-12:30pm: Contemporary Modern
- 12:30pm-1:30pm: LUNCH
- 1:30pm-3:00pm: African
- 3:00pm-5:00pm: Repertory
Tuesday, June 3
- 9am-10am: Body Conditioning
- 10am-11:30am: Contemporary Modern
- 11:30am-12:30pm: Jazz
- 12:30pm-1:30pm: LUNCH
- 1:30pm-3:00pm: Stage Combat
- 3:00pm-4:00pm: Hip-Hop
- 4:00pm-5:00pm: Repertory
Wednesday, June 4
- 9am-10am: Yoga
- 10am-11:30am: Ballet
- 11:30am-12:30pm: Contemporary Modern
- 12:30pm-1:30pm: LUNCH
- 1:30pm-3:00pm: African
- 3:00pm-5:00pm: Repertory
Thursday, June 5
- 9am-10am: Body Conditioning
- 10am-11:30am: Contemporary Modern
- 11:30am-12:30pm: Jazz
- 12:30pm-1:30pm: LUNCH
- 1:30pm-3:00pm: Stage Combat
- 3:00pm-4:00pm: Hip-Hop
- 4:00pm-5:00pm: Repertory
Friday, June 6
- 9am-10am: Yoga
- 10am-11:30am: Ballet
- 11:30am-12:30pm: Contemporary Modern
- 12:30pm-1:30pm: LUNCH
- 1:30pm-3:00pm: Hip-Hop
- 3:00pm-5:00pm: Final Showing
Resident Assistants
Two UK dance majors will be serving as resident assistants and helpers during the intensive. They will accompany all groups with minors during the intensive.
Holmes Hall - Creative Arts Living Learning Program
111 Avenue of Champions, Lexington, KY 40508
Sunday, June 1
- 4:00-6:00pm | Check-in
- 6:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 7:00-8:30pm | Welcome Dance Class | Dance Studio Fine Arts Building
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Monday, June 2
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Dance classes | Fine Arts Building
- 5:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 6:00-7:00pm | Rest | Student’s room
- 7:00-8:30pm | Health and Wellness Lecture/discussion | Writing room, Holmes Hall
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Tuesday, June 3
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Dance classes | Fine Arts Building
- 4:45-5:15pm | Campus Tour | Campus locations
- 6:00-7:00pm | Rest | Student’s room
- 5:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 7:00-8:30pm | Hip Hop | Dance Studio Fine Arts Building
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Wednesday, June 4
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Dance classes | Fine Arts Building
- 6:00-7:00pm | Rest | Student’s room
- 5:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 7:00-8:30pm | Creativity and Crafts | Art Studio, Holmes Hall
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Thursday, June 5
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Dance classes | Fine Arts Building
- 6:00-7:00pm | Rest | Student’s room
- 5:00pm | Dinner | Champions Kitchen
- 7:00-8:30pm | Movie Night
- 9:00pm | Building Curfew
- 10:00pm | Bed Checks
Friday, June 6
- 8:00am | Breakfast | Champions Kitchen
- 9:00am-5:00pm | Dance classes and Final Performance | Fine Arts Building
- 5:00-6:30 | Check-out
Susie Thiel
Theresa Bautista
Danielle Dunmire
Hannah is the Assistant Director of Dance at Kelley Puckett Dance Academy. She earned her B.A. in Theatre with a focus in Dance from Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky in 2013. She continued her studies at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina in both Dance and Arts and Administration. Since December of 2014 she has been a leader, advocate, and a former sitting National Vice President for Delta Chi Xi Honorary Dance Fraternity Inc. She continues to pursue her career in Dance Education in the Central, Kentucky area.
Participants (with Parents/Guardians where applicable) are required to separately submit a filled and signed Emergency Contact, CFA Photo/Video Waiver, and Participation Consent forms. Please submit these forms to Susie Thiel as soon as possible after registering. Registration is not complete without signed and submitted legal forms. If any changes occur, The College of Fine Arts will communicate to all summer program participants before arriving to campus. Students must be at least 13 years of age and a high school freshman by Fall 2025 to participate.
Intensive Tuition is $625 for 2025 including a non-refundable summer operating fee. Limit 35 students. Optional Housing is 5 nights, Sunday-Thursday, $47 per night with linens provided, and $37 per night if you bring your own linens. Students can buy meals in the cafeteria and/or in the student center. Students staying in the dorm will have dinner provided on Sunday night. A discount is available for UK Theatre and Dance current students and alumni to bring tuition costs down to $325, please contact Susie Thiel for your discount code before you register.
Registration Deadline: May 1, 2025
If capacity for the 2025 intensive has been reached, please contact Susie Thiel to be put on the waitlist.