What Should You Take To Your Dance Summer Intensive? The Ultimate Packing List

For dancers, going to a summer intensive is super exciting! Summer intensives are a great way to learn from different instructors, build your resume, network with other dancers, and get exposure to dance companies. 

You want to show up to your summer intensive as prepared as possible! The more prepared you are, the less stressful the process will be. 

In the dance shop, we help so many dancers get all of the dance supplies they need for their summer intensive. Some summer intensive programs provide a detailed, thorough supply list…others just give a list of shoes and the color leotard you need to bring.

If you’re not sure if you’re taking enough supplies to your summer intensive, check out this list for all the dance supplies you may need!

Shoes:

Pointe Shoes:

If you’re going to a ballet summer intensive, you’ll want to bring PLENTY of pointe shoes. There’s no worse feeling than having a week left and all the shoes you brought are dead. We always recommend taking AT LEAST 4-5 pairs (or more.) This way, you can alternate pairs of pointe shoes everyday to give each pair adequate time to dry out which will help your shoes last until the end!

If you bring too many pointe shoes, the worst case is you’ll have extra shoes to wear into your fall dance classes.

If you don’t bring enough shoes, you’ll either have to find a nearby store to get a new pair (which may not be the pair you are currently dancing in), dance on dead shoes (which is dangerous), or you’ll have to have your parent overnight a pair (which is EXPENSIVE!) So PLEASE take enough shoes!

***We even have bulk pointe shoe discounts! So there is no reason to not take enough shoes.

Pointe Shoe Accessories:

Make sure you bring extra pointe shoe accessories! You should take at least 2 pairs of toe pads. Your toe pads won’t wear out like pointe shoes, but they do get sweaty, so you’ll want to alternate your toe pads. If you wear spacers, tape your toes, etc., bring extra in case you lose any!

Also, don’t forget a Stitch Kit! You never know when you’ll need to reinforce your ribbons & elastic.

Ballet Flat Shoes:

You’ll probably want to bring a few pairs of flat ballet shoes. If you are dancing everyday, you may wear a hole in your shoes faster and if you are sweaty, you’ll want your ballet shoes to dry out before wearing them again. Take at least 2 pairs of ballet flat shoes.

Jazz Shoes, Tap Shoes, Character Shoes, Half Soles:

If you’re going to a summer intensive that is not ballet focused, you may need jazz shoes, tap shoes, character shoes, or even half soles. Jazz, Tap, and Character shoes are more durable than ballet shoes, so you’ll probably only need one pair. If you need to take half soles, I recommend taking 2 pairs as they are similar to a ballet shoe and you don’t want to wear shoes with holes!

Clothing:

Tights:

You’ll want to bring enough tights for a week of dancing if you anticipate doing laundry every week. You may want to take an extra few pairs just in case you get a run in your tights. So if you’re dancing 5 days in a week, you’ll want to take a minimum of 7 pairs of tights.

Leotards:

Take enough leotards to wear one a day for the week unless you plan on doing laundry throughout the week. So if you’re dancing 5 days a week, take 5 leotards!

Shorts, Warm-Up’s, Skirts:

If you are allowed to wear anything over your leotard like warm-ups, pack it! Some lists may have a skirt so if a skirt is required, take at least 2 (to avoid so much laundry.)

Accessories & More:

Hair Nets, Hair Pins, and Hair Ties:

Bring plenty of hair accessories. I would take 3 packs of hair nets, 2 tubes of hair pins, and a pack of hair ties. Invisible hair nets rip easily, hair pins & hair ties are always disappearing, so make sure you have enough! If you have too much, it’s not like you won’t use them in the future anyways!

Hair Brush, Hairspray, Hair Gel:

Do NOT forget your hair brush, hair spray, and hair gel for a nice sleek bun! You don’t want to show up to a professional setting with flyaways…

First Aid Supplies:

I’m sure they’ll have a place to go if you need more than the basics, but for your dance bag, make sure you at least have some bandaids, antibiotic ointment, and hand sanitizer. 

Deodorant, Lotion, Perfume:

Make sure you stay smelling alright! At a minimum, make sure you have deodorant in your dance bag. If you like a little something extra, take a roll on perfume (in a light scent so you don’t suffocate your fellow dancers), and lotion if you like to stay moisturized!

Stainless Steel Water Bottle:

You’ll want a water bottle that you can refill, and the great thing about stainless steel is it keeps your water cold AND it doesn’t contain plastic chemicals. 

Healthy, Mess Free Snacks:

Bring plenty of healthy snacks, but don’t take anything too messy! Some great snack ideas that will give you energy, keep you full, and don’t make a big mess are…

-Beef Jerky

-Apple Sauce Pouches

-RX Bars

-Lara Bars

-Bananas

Did we leave anything off the list? Help your dance friends out and leave your summer intensive essentials in the comments below!