Many kids (and/or their parents) today feel the need to get a jump on a possible career by taking part in summer “camps” designed to give them intensive, immersive training in various performing arts, math, writing or just about anything. Not quite the same as the arts and crafts mixed with outdoor activities that were on offer in the middle of the last century when I went to summer camp in Maine. Even dressing up as Native Americans was considered cool back then, complete with drafty loincloths… In part a strategy to gain an advantage when you finally get into a very competitive job market, the most successful programs today blend fun with the hard work, and ballet requires a LOT of hard work, mostly physical, mixed with with a fair amount of mental gymnastics too. It’s a sign of how well State Street Ballet’s Summer Intensive does with the fun quotient, that each year when I photograph them, the kids are always happy and excited, beyond just the reprieve of a photo shoot. SSB is doing something right.
