Author: Maia Welbel

Today marks seven weeks of my marathon of dance intensives this summer; I spent three weeks at the American Ballet Theatre in New York and next week I will finish my fifth week at Foster Dance Studio in Chicago. ABT’s curriculum was heavily focused on ballet technique; we rarely ventured out of the bun-head realm. But at Foster, our classes include jazz, modern, and contemp...

Coming from Claremont almost directly to New York City made for some serious culture shock. In contrast to the peaceful and spacious isles of Trader Joes on Foothill Boulevard, the Whole Foods in Union square where I do most of my grocery shopping is nothing short of a traumatic experience. The first time I entered the store I stood in the corner wide-eyed for a good five m...

Jumping in to full days of dancing while acclimating to the bustle of NYC really makes a week fly by. I’m trying to savor every moment. My first week at the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive began with placement classes and orientation. We were lectured by a dietician about the importance of hydration and eating enough (but not too much) protein. The speaker stressed...

It’s the first week of summer and I am finding myself with the nagging feeling that I should be doing something productive. Going from the intensity of finals week to the ease of early summer days isn’t as simple as it sounds. But each day I wake up feeling a little more relaxed and increasingly excited about the sunny months ahead. Next week I will be travelling from my home i...