My biggest advice: remember that you can learn and get ideas or inspiration from anywhere!!!
Most areas have dance classes in the summer that are for teens or adults. Google search your area and see what you find. Oftentimes, studios offer the first class for free!!! Don't just stick with a style you are comfortable with, try new things too. I was trained in ballet and modern, but LOVED taking hip-hop in the summers because the music was fun and the class was always energetic. I've also ventured out to take Irish dance, flamenco, and ballroom styles. Anything goes!
One summer, I actually required my fall guard to take 2 dance classes (not 2 sessions, just two classes). They could be ANY style, and they just had to let me know what they took, when and where. One of my students took a hula class while on vacation in Hawaii!!
Go to performances
Find all the local venues that have performances of all types. Don't limit yourself to dance (though those are great!); seek out musical theater, plays, and acrobatic shows like Shen Yen. Also don't forget to check all the local dance studios for their performances, or local universities. They have much cheaper tickets and some really passionate actors/dancers/performers. Every performance you watch, good or bad, has something you can take away as a nugget of an idea or an inspiration.
If a Drum Corps show is coming your way, be sure to check it out! There are two circuits of drum corps: Drum Corps International (DCI) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA). Most people think of DCI, but DCA has some great shows, too!
Watch videos
Check out WGIZone for videos of color guards. But you probably already watch tons of guard videos. Try branching out to other art forms! Perhaps head over to YouTube and check out these options:
- Kate Jablonski (contemporary style)
- Anaheim Ballet
- Petatonix (A Capella)
- Broadway
- Baton Twirling
- Traditional Florentine Flags
Go to a camp/clinic
Multiple companies and organizations now offer summer spin clinics or camps. Three organizations that run formal multi-day camps (some commuter, some overnight) are run by:
- Vivace Productions (my personal favorite since I taught at that camp a number of summers)
- Fred J Miller (many of my friends were instructors and this was the camp I went to in high school)
- Marching Auxiliaries
More recently, individual color guard programs have started offering 1- or 2-day clinics. My team, Stonewall Independent, does one every summer, usually on a Saturday or Sunday. Here is a listing of Facebook pages to follow so you can find out about various clinics, but also check any local teams that may not be included here! You can also check with your local circuit.
- Stonewall Independent (Northern, VA)
- Onyx (Dayton, OH)
- Emanon (New Jersey)
- Paramount (Georgia)
- James Madison University (Virginia)
- Allegoria (Ohio)
- University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
Practice with your team!
At a minimum, ask your director if you can have regular practice time over the summer with your team! While I was in high school we practiced one afternoon a week, starting about 2 weeks after school ended, all the way up until band camp started. We worked on equipment technique and learned parts for the show. One of my friend's teams used to start rehearsal a week or two after winter guard ended (so in April!!) and would have a once a week dance class for a couple hours. It's also a great time for the director to bring in some guest instructors to learn new equipment styles or try some new dance moves. It's also the time of year to let everyone learn weapon, even if they may not make the weapon line for the fall.
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