4 Standout Themes for Your Summer Dance Camps

Have you started planning for summer dance programs yet? Normally, I’d start this process in January, but since 2020 (and 2021) are years unlike any other, my summer planning has gotten pushed down a bit on my priority list. Maybe you’re in the same boat.

But I have to be honest - I’m not actually worried about it. Because I have 4 standout themes I’ve relied on again and again for my summer programs. They’re unique, effective, and impactful. My students look forward to them, and parents specifically enroll their kids in these programs because they’re unlike any other.

So what are these magical 4 themes? Well, they’re not Disney, anything to do with princesses, fairies, or Jojo Siwa (although I have done summer dance camps with all those themes and they were all fun and enjoyable).

Nope. For years now, I’ve been focusing my summer programs on wellness topics that include things like body kindness, nutrition, mindfulness, mindset, and gratitude.

Unconventional? Maybe. But I pride myself on my studio having a uniquely positive, inclusive and holistic culture, and I know for a fact that my dancers reap the benefits.

Now I’m not saying there should never be another Disney-princess-fairy-Jojo Siwa dance camp ever again. Personally, I love a good princess dance camp and all that comes with it. (Sign me up for fancy tutus, wands, crown crafts and Freeze Dance set to Disney tunes any day!) But I think that these wellness topics deserve just as much a seat at your dance camp tables as Jojo Siwa does.

Whether you’re planning summer programs for kids who are 6 or 16, these are topics that they will have to deal with - inside the dance studio and outside of it. So why not give them tools now, so they can navigate negative self talk and body image? So they don’t develop disordered eating habits? So they can bring a resilient mindset to their classes, auditions, and performances?

I created the Wellness Workshop Series exactly for this purpose! Each webinar focuses on a different element of dancer wellness, and shows you exactly what exercises, activities, and conversations to have with your dancers, so you can easily and simple integrate things like nutrition, mindfulness and body kindness with your dance classes.

Click above to check out the Wellness Workshop Series! Choose one topic to start with, or multiple, and use them at your convenience - now and in the future! The materials are evergreen, so they’ll still be useful and relevant 6, 12, or 24 months from now.

Each Workshop includes a training video (plus audio option for listening on the go), and a materials bundle (with worksheets, lesson plans, games and activities). Think of it as a bite sized, super user friendly dip into dancer wellness; full of information and tips from industry experts, and the perfect introduction for you, and your students to dancer wellness.

Your dancers need these mental, and emotional skills now, more than ever. It’s time we started treating emotional health just as important as technique. And summer dance camps are the perfect time to start! Don’t delay! Check the series out and get planning for the best summer dance programs ever!