Summer Dance at BAA

Celebrate Boston’s Ultimate Summer Dance Experience!

July 10-21, 2017

The Summer at BAA application is now open. Click here to apply!

“Summer at BAA was an awesome experience providing training in a variety of dance styles. The staff was encouraging, supportive, challenging and their teaching styles were adaptive.” – Summer at BAA Parent

Young Dancer Program Session 1: July 10-14, 2017 Session 2: July 17-21, 2017 Full Session: July 10-21, 2017

Pre-Professional Teen Program Session 1: July 10-14, 2017 Session 2: July 17-21, 2017 Full Session: July 10-21, 2017

The Summer at BAA Dance Program offers a professional training experience designed for students ages 12-18. Founded by Boston Arts Academy’s Dance Department  Co-Chair and Artistic Director William McLaughlin, the program provides students with a rigorous, nurturing and artistically challenging experience. This program emphasizes a holistic approach to training young dancers, focusing on both the technical aspects, as well as expressive qualities of dance.  The Summer at BAA Dance Program 2017 offers two separate tracks for aspiring dancers: Young Dancers Program and Pre-Professional Teen Program.

Young Dancers Program

Our Young Dancers Program offers training to students with varying levels of experience in a unique community setting.  No previous experience in dance is required for this program. Students will experience a full day of dance intensive and an eclectic range of dance styles.  They can choose either to participate in just the first week, just the second week, or the full-two weeks of the program. All students who choose to participate in the full two-weeks will be a part of a final showcase of their work, presented at a professional venue and performed with our resident professional dance companies. Past companies and guest artists include Impact Dance Company, Lorraine Chapman The Company, and numerous BAA faculty.  All experience levels are encouraged to apply, and no experience is required for this program.

Pre-Professional Teen Program

Our Pre-Professional Teen Program offers professional training for dancers looking for rigorous summer study to push them to the next level. This audition-based program provides high-quality instruction in a supportive environment that focuses on fostering a climate of professionalism, creativity and discovery. Students receive a rigorous foundation in ballet and modern while taking other exciting styles classes such as jazz, hip hop, cultural dance, and improvisation.

Our dedicated faculty, drawn from highly respected professionals, is committed to offering each student a supportive, personalized experience that challenges both technical abilities and interpretive skills. All students who participate in the full two week program will perform repertory pieces choreographed by our faculty and will perform alongside our resident professional companies in a professional setting.

Audition Requirements:

• All applicants are required to attend the Summer at BAA Pre-Professional Dance Program Audition on March 4, 2017 or submit a 1 minute dance solo via online link.
• All dance videos must be submitted through the Summer at BAA application by June 15, 2017. For questions about auditioning or video submission, please contact Program Manager Adriane Brayton, abrayton@bostonartsacademy.org.
• If an applicant has previously attended the Summer at BAA Dance Program, they are not required to submit an audition video.
• All applicants for the Pre-Professional Program are required to submit a teacher recommendation form. Please click here for our Teacher Recommendation Form.

The Summer at BAA Dance Program encourages students to grow as artists in a community setting. Located just one-minute from Storrow Drive (next to Fenway Park) and convenient from both bus and T stops, this affordable program offers the highest caliber of instruction at Boston’s only public arts high school. A mandatory placement class and repertory audition will be held the first day of both programs and students will be assigned a level, according to faculty recommendation. Some students will have the opportunity to perform with our resident pre-professional company directed by choreographer and Artistic Director William McLaughlin.

It is our goal to provide an experience that will further inspire young dancers to develop as dance artists, through both rigorous and creative training.

All levels are welcome for our Young Dances Program. Students must audition for our Pre-Professional Teen Program. All students will be assigned to a level on the first day of the program. Some students will also be chosen to work with the resident pre-professional company run by Artistic Director William McLaughlin. Please click here for application instructions.  

Parent/Student Reactions:

“Summer at BAA was a wonderful experience for my daughter which expanded her dancing experience immensely. She worked really hard but had more fun than she’s had at any other camp.” – Summer at BAA Parent

“I loved the challenging long days, loved my instructors and encouraging environment.” – Summer at BAA Student

“It was very organized. I knew what to expect and my child knew what to expect. That made the process easy and stress free. I really appreciated the teachers as well. My daughter talked about how much she liked the personalities and the way that they worked with her. She felt challenged in a good way and really felt like they paid attention to her abilities as a dancer.” – Summer at BAA Parent

“Very professional staff.” – Summer at BAA Parent

“I wanted to thank you for the opportunity. My student had a ball! She truly loved the experience and came home with good things to say about it each and every day. The work that you all are doing there is amazing.” – Summer at BAA Parent

“My student loved it and didn’t want it to end from day 1. She loved observing other kid’s and teachers styles and was exposed to different dance styles she’d never heard about. She loved the feeling of inclusiveness and being recognized as an individual while working hard as a group.” – Summer at BAA Parent

*Additional supervised hours are available before and after the program.