The School organizes trips to see dance performances throughout the city in the evenings. These trips include performances by American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet accompanied by backstage tours with company dancers. In addition to performances, we offer excursions to see renowned landmarks and cultural sights in New York such as Coney Island, Central Park, and the Statue of Liberty. Classes will be scheduled so that they do not interfere with extracurricular activities, and all students will have the opportunity to attend.
Below is a list of the activities that will be offered at the New York Summer Intensive 2010. Information packets, including registration forms and an activities calendar will be sent to accepted students after registering. Please direct all questions regarding 2010 summer activities to Beth Berenbaum by e-mail at
Please note: Tickets are only available for students who are enrolled in the 2010 New York Summer Intensive, and only during the weeks they are attending.
American Ballet Theater’s Sleeping Beauty Thursday, June 17, 2010 7:30 PM Principal Dancers: Paloma Herrera & David Hallberg
The timeless fairy tale of the beautiful Princess Aurora, the evil sorceress Carabosse, over a century of sleep and the awakening kiss of a handsome prince comes to life in this splendid production. Set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed after Marius Petipa, with additional choreography and staging by Kevin McKenzie, Gelsey Kirkland and Michael Chernov., brings together all of the appeal of classical ballet in one remarkable work, with a wealth of dazzling dance.
Tickets: Balcony $36.00 Family Circle $20.00
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater By Popular Demand with Artist Talk after performance Saturday, June 19, 2010 2:00 PM
The program “By Popular Demand” presents favorite selections from the Company’s diverse repertory, abounding with the Ailey magic that keeps audiences dancing in their seats at every performance, and culminating with the beloved masterpiece Revelations. Post-show: Artist Talk with the dancers of The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Join the dancers of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as they discuss and answer audience questions about their program “By Popular Demand,” a collection of repertory favorites featured during the company’s BAM 2010 Spring Season performances.
Tickets: Balcony $26.00 Mezzanine $50.00
The Bronx Zoo Sunday, June 20, 2010 OR Sunday, July 25, 2010
As the nation's largest metropolitan wildlife preserve, this world famous zoo boasts more than 4,000 animals on its sprawling 265 acres of land—much of which has been transformed into unique habitats for zebras and other unique creatures. Highlights include daily penguin feedings and bee-eating birds catch their prey in mid-flight. You can get a bird's-eye view yourself with the Skyfari, a two-mile-long span of cable cars that soar high above the menagerie.
Tickets: Child (6-12) $13.80 Adult (13+) $17.00
Top of the Rock Sunday, June 20, 2010 (Afternoon) OR Saturday, July 10, 2010 (Evening)
The Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center presents an incomparable place from which to understand and celebrate New York City. The observation deck includes three lower levels and three upper levels housed in the 70-story architectural heart of Rockefeller Center, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where it was first opened to the public in 1933. At Top of the Rock, you’ve got the world’s best view of the world’s greatest city, right before your eyes. And while there’s a lot of exciting stuff to see in New York, there’s even more exciting stuff to learn about it. You’ll race towards the skyline in a 67-story high-speed vertical shuttle (i.e. elevator!). You’ll get to see and touch the latest interactive technology in the Target breezeway and walk our virtual beam too. When you get to the Top, you’ll see New York in a completely new way: from 850 feet up with nothing separating you from the city. Students will be given a sheet listing several well-known NYC landmarks that they can try to locate from the Top of the Rock!
American Ballet Theater’s Swan Lake Tuesday, June 22, 2010 7:30 PM Principal Dancers: Diana Vishneva & David Hallberg
Tchaikovsky’s first ballet, a romantic tale of love and forgiveness, Swan Lake is considered by many to be one of the greatest classical ballets of all time. Its romance and beauty has allowed the classic ballet to mesmorize audiences for more than 100 years. ABT’s production is choreographed by Kevin McKenzie after Marius Petipa and features scenery and costumes by Zack Brown and lighting by Duane Schuler. The Wall Street Journal says ABT’s production “glides to the forefront of stagings all over the world. The fabled lake of swans has risen into view, inspiring awe for its mystery and magic.”
Tickets: Balcony $36.00 Family Circle $20.00
New York City Ballet Saturday, June 26, 2010 2:00 PM
Prodigal Son The story of Prodigal Son comes from the parable in the Gospel According to St. Luke. The ballet emphasize the themes of sin and redemption, ending with the prodigal's return.
New Martins Ballet A fervent contemporary music enthusiast, Peter Martins has choreographed to scores by more than 60 different composers over the last 30 years. He embarks on his latest creation to an Esa-Pekka Salonen score, co-commissioned with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. As one of the world's most acclaimed conductors and composers, the Finnish-born Salonen created Violin Concerto for renowned Canadian violinist Leila Josefowicz. Both artists make their NYCB-debuts, respectively conducting and performing the full run of the new work.
Western Symphony Set on a rugged Old West street populated by cowboys and dance hall girls, Western Symphony nevertheless is very much a classical work. The steps Balanchine uses from the traditional ballet vocabulary allude to the steps, formations, and gestures of American folk dancing. The ballet is a striking example of Balanchine's fascination with American themes. The lively and familiar score consists of classic American folk songs.
Tickets: 4th Ring - Center $29.00 4th Ring - Side $19.00
Times Square Block Party & Dinner at John’s Pizzeria Sunday, June 27, 2010 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
A recent “top ten” ranking compiled by ForbesTraveler.com declared New York City’s famed Times Square the nation’s most visited tourist destination. We will walk, browse, shop, and just enjoy the Times Square Block Party, which is a street fair-type of event, limited to West 46th Street from Broadway to Eighth Avenue. At 3:45 we will head to the famous John’s Pizzeria for a late lunch/early dinner buffet-style meal (includes Garlic Bread, salad, variety of brick oven pizzas and calzones, pitchers of soda). The largest pizzeria in the country, John’s originally opened its doors in the late 1920s. Customers eat their pizza under a five-story stained glass cupola of what was once the Gospel Tabernacle Church, which was built in 1888. The stained glass in the dome is the original stained glass of the magnificent church.
Cost: Block Party $20 spending money suggested John’s $30
Come Fly Away Tuesday, June 29, 2010 7:00 PM
The new Twyla Tharp dance musical set to the tunes of Frank Sinatra, Come Fly Away follows four couples as they fall in and out of love during one song and dance filled evening at a crowded nightclub. The show blends the legendary vocals of Sinatra with a live onstage 19-piece big band and 15 dancers, including Matthew Dibble (formerly of Royal Ballet) and John Selya (of Movin’ Out).
Tickets: Rear Mezzanine $47.00
American BalletTheater Premieres & Meet the Dancers Thursday, July 1, 2010 Meet the Dancers – 6:00 PM Curtain – 7:30 PM
Prior to the ballet, the students will meet with an ABT corps dancer (one dancer per every 30 students) This program features three ABT commissions spanning the Company’s early days in the 1940’s to the present.
The Brahms-Haydn Variations Choreography by Twyla Tharp Music by Jahannes Brahms
Fancy Free Choreography by Jerome Robbins Music by Leonard Bernstein
On the Dnieper Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky Music by Sergei Prokofiev
Tickets: Balcony $43.00 Family Circle $30.00
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Saturday, July 3, 2010
The Statue of Liberty National Monument is comprised of a 12 acre island, Liberty Island (where the Statue is located) and Ellis Island, the historical federal immigration processing center. We will board the ferry at Battery Park, and sail into New York Harbor to Liberty Island, where we will explore the Statue of Liberty monument and pedestal. We will then board another ferry for the short trip to Ellis Island, where we will explore the museum in the building that welcomed countless immigrants to New York City, the Immigration Museum. Please be advised that all visitors to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island must pass through security screening (similar to airport security procedures) before boarding the ferry system and entering the monument.
Tickets: Child (4-12) $10.00 Students $17.00
Bodies Exhibit Sunday, July 4, 2010 OR Sunday, July 18, 2010 11:00 AM
Celebrate the wonder of the human form at BODIES... The Exhibition, a phenomenal exhibition about the amazing and complex machine we call the human body. This Exhibition--which features actual human specimens--allows people of all ages access to sights and knowledge normally reserved only for medical professionals. Take the opportunity to peer inside yourself, to better understand how your elaborate and fascinating body works, and how you can become a more informed participant in your own health care.
Tickets: $27.00
American Ballet Theater’s Romeo and Juliet Wednesday, July 7, 2010 7:30 PM Principal Dancers: Xiomara Reyes & Herman Cornejo
Sir Kenneth MacMillan's masterful interpretation of Shakespeare's enduring romantic tragedy has become one of ABT’s signature productions. Against a sumptuous setting in Renaissance Italy, MacMillan weaves a dance tapestry rich in character nuance and sensuality. Sergei Prokofiev’s music underscores the lyric beauty and passion of this beloved ballet’s star-crossed lovers.
Tickets: Balcony $36.00 Family Circle $20.00
Mary Poppins Friday, July 9, 2010 8:00 PM
Mary Poppins is the story of the Banks family who live in a big house in London on Cherry Lane. Things are not going well for the family, the children, Jane and Michael, are out of control and are in need of a new nanny. Jane and Michael have their own ideas about what sort of caretaker they should have, while their parents—and in particular Mr. Banks—are insistent on someone strict for the job. When a mysterious young woman named Mary Poppins appears at their doorstep, the family finds that she’s the answer to their prayers, but in the most peculiar way. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren’t the only ones she has a profound effect upon. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that “anything can happen if you let it.”
Tickets: Rear Mezzanine $48.50
American Museum of Natural History Saturday, July 10, 2010 OR Sunday, July 25, 2010 2:00 PM
Experience the natural world at your fingertips. See amazing dinosaurs, learn about the solar system and different cultures, and see how much you would weigh on the moon!
Space Show at Hayden Planetarium - Journey to the Stars, featuring extraordinary images from telescopes on the ground and in space and stunning, never-before-seen visualizations of physics-based simulations, the dazzling new Journey to the Stars launches visitors through space and time to experience the life and death of the stars in our night sky, including our own nurturing Sun. Tour familiar stellar formations, explore new celestial mysteries, and discover the fascinating, unfolding story that connects us all to the stars. Those who come along for the journey may never see the night sky in the same way again.
Tickets*: Child (2-12) $19.00 Student (with ID) $23.00 Adult (18+) $29.00 * Ticket price includes admission to the Museum and Rose Center for Earth and Space plus the Hayden Planetarium Space Show. While museum only admission is by “suggested donation” ($12-$16, dependent on age), they must be purchased at the museum on the day of visit. Space Show (Hayden Planetarium) tickets are separate, and the cost above any donation is only slightly less than the group rate we got for both.
Emerald Audition Workshop Wicked, Behind the Emerald Curtain Sunday, July 11, 2010
Presented by Wicked cast members Sean McCourt (Wicked, Mary Poppins, Titanic, Bat Boy) and Anthony Galde (Wicked, Tommy, Starlight Express), this on-your feet audition-type workshop stresses professionalism and confidence. In addition to learning how to present themselves in a professional situation, students will learn a dance combination from Wicked . We stress how these audition techniques are applicable to everything from job interviews to oral reports. This will be held at the Joffrey studios.
Cost of Participation: $25.00
Billy Elliot Wednesday, July 14, 2010 8:00 PM
“Extraordinarily Uplifting,” by Time Out, New York and “Intoxicating,” by the New York Times, Billy Elliot is a joyous, exciting and feel-good celebration of one boy following his heart and making his dreams come true. Reuniting the award-winning team behind the moving 2000 film and featuring the musical mastery of Sir Elton John, Billy Elliot shares the inspiring story of a poor, working-class boy who discovers his passion for dance as his family grapples with adversity. Billy Elliot is the story of its namesake star, a young boy in a depressed working-class mining town in the North of England. Set during the history-making 1984 miner’s strike, the show follows Billy, the youngest child of a blue-collar family that has recently lost its Mum, as he discovers his unlikely and extraordinary gift for ballet. While Billy’s father and brother take to the picket lines of the violent and life-changing strike, Billy secretly begins to study the art of dance with the help of a hard-drinking, chain-smoking local dance teacher. But as Billy blossoms and thrives, the world and lives around him continues to wither—and his only escape may be the prestigious Royal Ballet School, a place no working-class boy has ever gone, or been allowed to go to, before.
Tickets: Rear Mezzanine $46.50
Latin Choreographers’ Festival Saturday, July 17, 2010 7:30 PM or Sunday, July 18, 2010 3:00 PM
The Latin Choreographers Festival presents and showcases the work of talented and innovative Latin choreographers, as well as one guest (non-Latin) choreographer or Company per year. Through concert dance and the styles of Contemporary Ballet, Modern Dance and Contemporary Dance, talented and innovative established, new and rising choreographers from New York City and abroad show their work. The audience will benefit from the opportunity to experience and appreciate different kinds of work and points of view from artists of different Latin backgrounds. This up-and-coming dance festival is in its third year. Past participants included choreographers from Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Costa Rica, and Ecuador.
Tickets: $25.00
West Side Story Friday, July 23, 2010 8:00 PM
Pulled directly from the pages of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the musical takes place on New York's West Side in the mid-1950s amidst widespread racial and social tension. The show begins as a war is building between two rival gangs fighting over the same piece of turf: born and bred New York boys, The Jets, and Puerto Rican immigrants The Sharks. In the midst of the battlefield are two young romantics, good-boy Tony, a Jet ready to leave the gang life behind, and wide-eyed Maria, the sister of Sharks leader, Bernardo. When Tony and Maria unexpectedly meet and fall for one another, tension between the rival groups only escalates, leading to a bloody and senseless rumble that costs both sides young lives. In spite of the violence, the true story at the core of the show is two lovers trying to find a way to be together—and whether either can survive when hate and ignorance are unwilling to yield. Considered a great groundbreaking musical, West Side Story has remained a poignant, provocative and emotionally devastating piece of theater for over half a century.
Tickets: Balcony $47.00
Washington Square Summer Fair (Bleeker Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue) Saturday, July 24, 2010 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Street fairs are a New York City summer tradition. In New York, every warm-weather weekend brings multiple street fairs and with them come chances to sample greasy food, find bargains, and get chair massages. Some fairs even feature live entertainment.
There is no cost for the fair, but $20 spending money is suggested.
Staten Island Yankees Saturday, July 24, 2010 7:00 PM The Staten Island Yankees are the farm team of the World Champion New York Yankees. They have a beautiful stadium in Staten Island, which is right on the water and looks towards Lower Manhattan. We will be taking the Staten Island Ferry to the ballpark, where we will see the Staten Island Yankees play the Brooklyn Cyclones, the New York Mets’ farm team. Tickets also provide all-you-can-eat hot dogs, hamburgers/cheeseburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, soda and water, as well as an official Staten Island Yankees baseball cap. Students and chaperones will return to Manhattan via the Staten Island Ferry.
Tickets: $25.00
The Addams Family Wednesday, July 28, 2010 8:00 PM
Based on the bizarre and beloved characters created by Charles Addams, this original story finds the famously macabre Addams Family put to the test when outsiders come to dinner, hurling Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Fester, Grandmama and Lurch headlong into a night that will change the familyforever.
Tickets: Rear Mezzanine $51.50
Memphis Tuesday, August 3, 2010 8:00 PM
Set in the turbulent south in the 1950s,Memphis is the story of Huey Calhoun, a white radio DJ whose love of good music transcends race lines and airwaves. Thanks in part to his passionate persistence, "race" music reaches the center of the radio dial, quickly exploding throughout mainstream America. But when Huey falls for a beautiful black singer he has set on the path to stardom, whether the world is really ready for this music, and their love, is put to the test.
Download the Summer 2010 Extracurricular Activities Registration Form