Summer is a time for workshops, intensives, conservatories and similar programs for young people who want to hone their skills in the performing arts, just like other kids go to summer camps to learn archery and canoeing. Or even math, these days. Acting and ballet aim for the same thing–to entertain and inspire–but there are a lot of differences. Both require a lot of dedication (and repetition) to become good at and both need mentors to head participants in the right direction, but, in general, ballet requires more physical discipline and the storytelling is done only with gesture and facial expression while acting is vocal and more direct. These photos from State Street Ballet’s Summer Intensive and Ensemble Theatre Company’s Young Actors Conservatory give a good idea of the difference in the feel of the two programs and artforms. Actress Kate Burton (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal) spent an hour with the YAC group talking about her experiences as an actress on stage and screen, from auditions to the politics of the business to the lifelong friendships forged with fellow actors and other co-workers. The SSB Intensive shots are posed and more formal (like ballet) with some really interesting shapes and patterns courtesy of SSB’s Denise Grimm. Notice that there are a lot of smiles in both sets of photos.
