For dancers, the name Juilliard carries the same weight as Harvard or Yale. Synonymous with excellence and prestige, a Juilliard dancer is on a fast track to major dance companies like New York City Ballet. Similar to the Ivies, the Juilliard School’s dance program is highly selective and rigorous, with an acceptance rate of 5%. Each year, Juilliard hosts a Summer Dance Intensive that is nearly as selective, accepting only 45 out of about 400 applicants. For the past two summers, junior Katie Shinn has been one of the 45 students to earn a spot.
Katie began dancing at the age of two, but moved to competitive dance at Next Step Dance Performing Arts Center when she was 10. Much like the well-rounded training at Juilliard, Shinn trained in many styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, hip hop and ballroom. To apply to the intensive, Shinn implemented elements from all parts of her training, recording videos in four different styles: ballet, modern, contemporary and improv. After submitting her videos for consideration in December, Shinn anxiously waited a month, refreshing her inbox daily, until the results arrived.
“I started crying because I was just so happy that I got in,” Shinn said. “I was shocked, too, because they only take, like 40, or something students.”
After her adrenaline settled, Shinn returned to training for the intensive and preparing for nationals with her studio. In July, she arrived in New York for the intensive and was mesmerized by the city and people around her.
“It was just so surreal,” Shinn said. “I couldn’t believe I was there.”
The feeling of awe was mutual among all the dancers and grew as the intensive went on.
“It was absolutely incredible,” Camille Dowling, Shinn’s teammate and fellow intensive member, said. “The faculty is so kind and supportive, but they also have so much knowledge and really want to see you succeed.”
In an environment full of talented dancers, competitiveness seems natural, yet at the intensive, camaraderie and connection came first.
“We all got along really well,” Shinn said. “We’re all from different places and backgrounds, and most of us are competitive dancers, so we bonded over that, and it was really easy to make friends.”
The intensive’s goal is to give dancers a taste of professional dancing, with students dancing from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, leaving only one rest day. After a couple weeks, this schedule of a professional dancer took a toll on Shinn.
“That was the hardest part,” Shinn said. “Just dealing with tiredness every day.”
This past summer was Shinn’s second year at the intensive, and her previous experience altered her outlook on the intensive and the relationships she made.
“I noticed a difference between the community of dancers between the first and second year I attended the intensive,” Shinn said. “My first year I was one of the youngest dancers accepted, so I felt super inspired that I could dance alongside older dancers who were also my role models. My second year, I had more of a camaraderie with the dancers my age and grade level, so I felt inspired, but in a different way that felt more comfortable.”
Many dancers use the intensive to gauge whether they want to pursue dance beyond high school. For Dowling, the experience not only moved Juilliard to the top of her college list, but also gave her a clearer understanding of the dedication required.
“Before going into the summer intensive, I wasn’t completely sure that Juilliard was where I wanted to go for college, but the summer intensive experience just solidified that I wanted to work harder and make it into the wonderful program there,” Dowling said.
For Shinn, the intensive provided similar clarity.
“When I first applied, I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to pursue a BFA in dance, but now, after experiencing it, that’s what I really want to do for college,” Shinn said.
The intensive also transformed how Shinn approached movement and creativity.
“I became a lot more open-minded towards learning new styles and new ways to move,” Shinn said. “We had a bunch of improv classes that really clicked a switch in my brain, seeing that you can move in different ways.”
Ultimately, Shinn’s journey reveals how the intensive sparks artistic growth and an appreciation for the community and art of dance.
“I think the growth you experience in the short time you’re there is second to none,” Dowling said. “I have never felt more inspired, and you really just grow to love everyone and everything around you.”
