Madeleine shares her experience at CFB's Summer Intensive

CFB Academy student, Madeleine Hall (age 15), has participated in Central Florida Ballet's Summer Intensive for three years. She recently shared why she has enjoyed the program, enjoy our chat below!

Pictured: Academy Student, Madeleine Hall

Describe a typical summer intensive day:
The day starts off with a ballet technique class followed by pointe, variations, or partnering depending on the day and level that you’re in. After that there’s about an hour break for lunch and then more classes. Usually the second part of the day isn’t just ballet. There are other classes including modern, character, tap, contemporary, jazz, acting, and pilates/yoga. In a few of those classes, each level begins working on a repertory piece to perform at the end of the intensive. Each level always performs a ballet piece and a few other different styles from what they’ve been working on in class.

How is CFB's Summer Intensive different from the full year program?
During the intensive you spend more time each day dancing. We have 6 hours of classes each day, which is different than the full year program which is about 3 1/2 hours each day. The training is more intense but the level of focus and commitment is definitely the same as during the year.

Madeleine (front) at CFB Studios

What benefits do you gain through the program?
Since you’re dancing all day long, you have more time to work on your technique and grow as a dancer in a shorter period of time. Summer intensives help you gain more strength, versatility, and confidence.

CFB offers new classes during the Intensive not available during the year long program. What have been your favorite new classes? 
I really like that they have a Nutrition Seminar because it’s important to know and understand how to keep your body healthy. As dancers, food is very important to us because it gives us the energy to keep dancing. I also like that there’s an Acting Seminar because when we dance it’s not enough for us to only do the steps, we also have to convey emotions which we do with acting. Learning more about these two topics can be super helpful for us to know so we can apply it.

Madeleine receives extra inspiration on acting 

during a weekend excursion to a nearby theme park: Walt Disney World

What do you enjoy most about the intensive? 
One of the best parts about the intensive, aside from the dancing, is meeting new people and making friends with those who share the same love of dance as you do. It’s kind of a way to put yourself in the dance community and make connections with people that you wouldn’t have known before.

For information on CFB's Summer Intensive, visit www.centralfloridaballet.com or call 407-849-9948 ext 10.