Summer Intensive Programs

What is a typical day at Milwaukee Ballet’s Summer Intensive Program?
Below is a sample schedule for the program. Actual times may vary by 30-60 minutes depending on specific class schedules for each level. The content and basic outline of the schedule is accurate. Each level takes morning classes taught by the same teacher Monday-Friday. The next week a different instructor will teach the series of morning classes. You will receive your specific schedule for the first week of class with your confirmation letter.

How do I know my placement level?
Based on your audition, you were placed in either the 3-week Intermediate Intensive program or the 6-week Pre-Professional program. Your initial class placement is listed in your acceptance letter. This placement is subject to review by Milwaukee Ballet Faculty during the first 2 days of the program.

Is there a dress code?
Milwaukee Ballet strictly enforces the dress code and will require each student to adhere to the guidelines.

• Ballet: Women must wear a black leotard, pink tights and pink ballet shoes, and pointe shoes. Men wear black tights or unitards, black or white ballet shoes, and white T-shirt. NO SWEAT OR PLASTIC PANTS OR T-SHIRTS (other than regulation white for men) ARE ALLOWED IN BALLET CLASS.
• Variations/Partnering: Women may wear a short Chiffon or Georgette wrap or pull on skirt over required ballet attire.
• Jazz: Black jazz shoes, black jazz pants, and solid color leotard in color of choice.
• Modern: Same as jazz clothing, except with bare feet.
• Performance: Women must bring a black camisole (spaghetti-strap) leotard. Men should be prepared to wear ballet class attire for the performance.

What are the performance opportunities?
All students in the summer program will be cast into a performance piece for EMERGENCE 2011 to be presented at the end of the program.  Performance details will be included with acceptance packets and confirmation packets and will also be posted on this site in early 2011.

 Are DVD’s available of EMERGENCE 2011?
One professionally produced DVD of EMERGENCE 2011 will be mailed to each student’s billing address, free of charge. Additional DVDs are available for $40 each. An order form for additional DVDs will be included with your confirmation packet. Video taping and flash photography will not be allowed at the performance.

Are photos of the program available for purchase?                                                                                                                                                       A photographer is present throughout the program and posts photos on a secure, password protected website.  Prints of the images can be ordered through the website with proceeds benefiting the Milwaukee Ballet School's production fund.  This fund allows for the purchase and maintenance of sets and costumes for Milwaukee Ballet School performances.  These images make for great keepsakes of the program and can be useful to a dance resume.  View a sample of these images from Milwaukee Ballet's 2009 Summer Intensive Program here.  Photos from 2010 will be available soon.

Are scholarships or financial aid available?
Merit-based scholarships are awarded during the audition tour for students who excel at an audition. These scholarships are generally awarded to students eligible for Milwaukee Ballet II in the next few years although younger students may also be awarded merit-based scholarships. In addition, a need-based financial aid application may be requested upon acceptance to the program. If you would like to request a financial aid application, please email Renee Griswold at rgriswold@milwaukeeballet.org upon your acceptance to the program.

When do we arrive and depart the program?
Students arrive the Sunday prior to the first class date and depart the Saturday following the Emergence performance. Transportation from the airport to the dormitory is each individual’s responsibility. Taxi and discount shuttle service is available from the airport to the dorms. A representative from the Milwaukee Ballet School will be available to greet students at baggage claim area #4 on Sunday, June 19 from 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. with a Milwaukee Ballet sign. The representative can help coordinate ride sharing. Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport is located south of downtown Milwaukee and is approximately 15 miles south of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Sandburg Halls. Mitchell Airport is neither large nor complicated and can be easily navigated by the most novice travelers. The chaperone staff will assist students in coordinating rides to the airport on Saturday, July 30. Elm Grove Travel Service is proud to be the Milwaukee Ballet School’s Summer Program travel agency. The lowest airfare discounts are available by calling the toll free number 1-800-782-7073. Identify yourself as a Milwaukee Ballet School summer student or family member.

Is there an orientation to the program?
Milwaukee Ballet Chaperones will be waiting to welcome students staying at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Sandburg Halls upon their arrival to the dormitory. They can answer questions and help direct students. There will be a welcome meeting for all Summer Program students (Dorm and Non-Dorm) at 6:00 p.m. on the Sunday of arrival. Introductions of key personnel, rules and regulations, and an orientation tour will be part of the welcome meeting agenda. Parents are welcome to attend.

How do I get to class?
Chartered school buses will be provided from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the Milwaukee Ballet studios. The bus schedule for the first week will be sent with the class schedule in your confirmation packet. Then a bus schedule will be posted each week. Students who are not staying in the dormitory are welcome to take these buses if they are able to get transportation to University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Please notify the School Office one week in advance if you are a non-dorm student and would like to ride the bus. Also note, in most cases the schedule remains the same Monday-Friday but does change from week to week.

What do students do on the evenings and weekends?
Optional ballet class is offered on Saturday mornings for all students. Dorm and non-dorm students are welcome to participate in all extracurricular activities planned by Milwaukee Ballet School. During the week, the chaperone staff will plan activities at or near the dorms that will include things like walks to the beach, movies, volleyball, etc. for students after they return from class. Each Saturday more extensive excursions will be planned such as theme parks/water parks, museums, sporting events, etc. Specific cost and schedule information for the excursions will be available in late spring.

What are the behavior expectations for students?
Students are expected to conduct themselves in the highest standards at the dormitory, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, studios, bus shuttle, and throughout the city. Inappropriate actions or language will NOT be tolerated. Students are also expected to attend ALL classes and rehearsals unless illness or injury prevents them from doing so. Violation of Milwaukee Ballet rules or rules of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University Housing or any laws of the State of Wisconsin may result in immediate dismissal from the program with no tuition or housing refund. Underage drinking, smoking or the use of illegal substances will not be tolerated at any time or in any place.

Is medial care offered?
Milwaukee Ballet's Pre-Professional program involves up to 7 hours of dancing each day. We strongly recommend that when you arrive to the program your body is ready to work. To prevent injury, we discourage you from taking too much time off before arriving to the program. Once the program begins, if a student feels that he/she cannot attend class, he/she must notify the Office before his/her first class of the day begins. Students are expected to observe class if they are injured but still feeling well enough to go out. Physicians and physical therapists from the Froedert Sports Medicine Center and the Medical College of Wisconsin will be available on Fridays at the Milwaukee Ballet studios for a free consultation for the summer students. A sign up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board at the studios. Students who require immediate medical attention will be taken to the Froedert center by a member of the Milwaukee Ballet staff or to an emergency room by ambulance, if required. If the student is under 18 years of age, parents will be contacted in advance. If such action is taken, your medical insurance will be used. Students who become too injured or ill to complete the program will be sent home with a refund for the remainder of the program.

What housing options are available?
Housing may be secured though Milwaukee Ballet at University-of Wisconsin, Sandburg Halls. Though a majority of out-of-town students will stay at Sandburg Halls, this is not required of anyone who is participating in Milwaukee Ballet’s Summer Intensive Program. If you have other local housing options available to you or you live within commuting distance, you are welcome to participate in the program without registering for housing.

Supervised housing is available at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Sandburg Halls. A full meal plan is included in the cost of housing. Milwaukee Ballet employs live-in and part-time chaperones to supervise all students under age 18. Students age 18 and older are housed near the chaperoned students but are not required to follow the check-in/out procedure, curfew or bed-check policies. Students may register for a single or double room within the suite-style living at Sandburg Halls. Roommates will be assigned based on common answers to questions on the housing paperwork.

Upon arrival, all dorm students will receive an ID. The UWM Identification Card is required for identification purposes. ID cards must be scanned for entrance to the housing towers. Guests must be registered and accompanied at all times according to the guest policy described in your confirmation packet.

What are the University housing rules?

Behavior
Students are expected to conduct themselves in the highest standards at the dormitory, UWM Campus, studios, bus shuttle, and throughout the city. Inappropriate actions or language will NOT be tolerated. Students are also expected to attend ALL classes and rehearsals unless illness or injury prevents them from doing so. Violation of Milwaukee Ballet rules or rules of UWM-University Housing or any laws of the State of Wisconsin may result in immediate dismissal from the program with no tuition or housing refund. Underage drinking, smoking or the use of illegal substances will not be tolerated at any time or in any place.

Communication
Constant communication is very important between the dorm staff and the students residing in the Dorm. If a student has a problem, first discuss the problem with the Dorm Manager, if he/she cannot help you, then speak with the School General Manager.Milwaukee Ballet maintains an open door policy. Please come to the Office anytime with a question or problem concerning the classes, dormitory, injury or illness.

Check-In/Out
Students must sign out EVERY time they leave the Milwaukee Ballet floors. This includes, but is not limited to, class, meals, Lobby-phone, mailboxes, vending machines, Main Desk, shopping, any planned activities, Green Room, volleyball courts, etc. Students who are 11-14 years of age may be checked out for a maximum of 3 hours at time. Students who are 15-17 years of age may be checked out for a maximum of 4 hours at a time. This limit will be waived during group weekend excursions. The chaperone will determine appropriate meeting times for students during the excursions.

Students must be checked-in for the night and in the house by their designated curfew time. All students must abide by the established curfew of the Milwaukee Ballet. Students should consider traveling time when planning their return – late buses, long walk, etc. are not valid excuses. LATE IS LATE whether it is 2 minutes or 2 hours.

Violations of any of these time lines will result in the following:

Bed Check
The on-duty chaperone unlocks each room, enters the suite quietly announcing bed check, SEES EACH STUDENT, and checks them off the list. Students must be IN BED and ready to sleep and/or reading quietly by the time bed-check starts. There is to be no socializing, phone calls, showers, etc. during/after bed check. Bed checks are not limited to these times. Chaperones will perform ‘surprise’ bed checks as needed.

Violations of any of these time lines will result in the following:

Parental Permission Slip Requirements
Any chaperoned student leaving the dorms for the weekend or overnight with family relatives (other than parent/guardian) or close friends or with an unchaperoned student for a daily activity must have a parent/guardian permission slip submitted to the Dorm Manager at least one week in advance of student departure. The Dorm Manager will phone the parents to verify information. Students are not allowed to depart for the weekend or overnight until a staff member has made contact with the parents/guardians. Before leaving (during checkout process), the students should introduce the person(s) who will be accompanying them for the activity or weekend to the On-Duty Chaperone. The chaperones need a visual contact with the person who will be accompanying the student for the overnight/weekend excursion.

What are the amenities included at Sandburg Halls?

Room
Each room is part of a larger suite. Within each suite there are 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. The bedrooms are either configured as 2 single rooms and 1 double room or 1 single room and 2 double rooms. This means either 4 or 5 students will share the bathroom in the suite. The bathroom has a shower stall, toilet stall, and 2 sinks.

The student is responsible for the condition of his/her room and suite. Each student’s room will be provided with: twin bed, mattress pad and pillow, sheets, pillowcase, blanket, two towels, desk and armchair, built-in dresser, bookcase, draperies, carpet, wastebasket, and mini-refrigerator.

Cleaning
Cleaning staff will clean lounge areas daily but they are not there to pick up clutter. Students are responsible for picking up after themselves. Beds should be made and students must maintain a clean and orderly room on a daily basis.

Laundry
Laundry facilities are located in Sandburg Halls. Students will receive a in-house debt card on which money can be deposited to use in the machines.

Phone Service
There are no phones in the rooms or suites. There are pay phones in the main lobby of Sandburg Halls for use with a calling card. Students are encouraged to bring cell phones. Cell phone use is not allowed during class or rehearsal time.

Mail Service
Each student will be assigned a mail box to receive letters and packages.  When addressing mail to your student you will need to include his/her box number.  The full mailing address is:  (Dancer Name), 3400 N. Maryland Ave, Box #, Milwaukee, WI  53211.

Internet Service
Internet service is available if students choose to bring a computer. Specific computer requirements will be included in your confirmation packet.

Cable Television
University Housing currently has Direct TV as the provider of cable television. All channels are available free of charge on the televisions in the house lounge. University Housing also has access channels for announcements and in-house movies for your information and enjoyment.

Parking
The Residence Hall agreement does not assure a parking space on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus. Spaces are available in the Sandburg Parking underground structure. If interested in a parking permit for the six-week program, contact University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Parking office at 414-229-4000.

Do you have a question not answered here?
Please contact Renee Griswold, Milwaukee Ballet School General Manager at 414.902.2118 or rgriswold@milwaukeeballet.org (please indicate Summer Intensive in the subject line).