I found the following post about what to pack for a summer dance intensive, and it’s written by a fellow Examiner.com (I’m the San Jose Jewish Examiner.com), so I thought I’d post it. Some people might find it helpful.
http://www.examiner.com/x-12987-Dallas-Dancing-Examiner~y2009m6d8-How-to-pack-for-a-summer-intensive
Julian was given a list of things to bring from American Ballet Theatre, including yoga mats and straps, journals and notebooks, and lots of ballet clothes and shoes. We are miffed at the fact that the list did not include any dance shorts. They can’t wear shorts even for hip hop. (I wish I could be a fly on the wall watching all those ballet kids doing hip hop in jazz pants and footless ballet pants.) As for me, my suitcase is still overflowing. I have to tackle it tomorrow.
If you want to read my Examiner.com column, which sometimes is inspirational and sometimes just offers useful local info, here’s the link: http://www.examiner.com/x-7363-San-Jose-Jewish-Examiner
My son’s school doesn’t allow dance shorts, either, except for the youngest group of boys, and then the eldest boys, who are college aged. Not sure exactly why that is, but it annoys my son, too. There is no hip hop at his school, but my son was used to wearing shorts and a tank top during the summers when he was dancing at home.
I’d add a few things to that list, but the first thing that came to mind as essential was a sewing kit with thread matched to the color of your son’s shoes and tights. Make sure he knows how to sew the elastics into his slippers before leaving home, as well as how to mend a seam in his tights, should it come undone. You’d be surprised how many boy dancers can’t do these things themselves and are at the mercy of the girls to help them out! My son says he is the only boy in his class who knows how to do this simple sort of sewing, and the other boys just beg the girls to help them whenever they need shoes or tights sewn up. š