The Dance Program at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is designed to challenge young dancers, enhancing their current level of training through a diverse curriculum. Dance Majors receive five hours of daily instruction that includes courses in ballet technique, contemporary/modern technique, pointe or pre-pointe, partnering, and exploration of a range of dance styles and genres. The program also provides opportunities to learn original repertoire that challenges a dancer’s movement vocabulary and ability to quickly learn choreography. Workshops in injury prevention, conditioning, choreography, improvisation, and dance history help to provide a well-rounded summer dance experience.
Students can complete their instructional day by choosing a Minor, allowing them to experience another area of interest while at camp. Students also have the opportunity to attend Summer Arts Festival performances, as well as participate in recreation, camp activities, and attend arts-focused educational events in the evening.
A list of previous Blue Lake Dance Faculty can be found here.
Scholarships and Placements
All abilities are welcome in Blue Lake’s dance program. Students wishing to audition for a scholarship to aid with camp tuition may complete the Merit Scholarship Application and attend a master class at a Dance Scholarship Audition location, or submit a video audition.
During the camp session, faculty members place dancers in ensembles and classes in order to accommodate each student’s level of training and proficiency. Evaluation takes place on opening day. While all dancers work together for morning conditioning classes, workshop classes, and final performances, students remain within their assigned class levels throughout the instructional day.
Rachel Miller
Dance Department, Co-Director
Rachel Miller (she/her) has been teaching at Blue Lake since 2016. She danced professionally for over 20 years in modern/contemporary companies in New York, South Bend, and Kalamazoo until retiring from performing in 2019. Miller attended The Ohio State University as a Dance Major, holds a BA in Creative Writing through Western Michigan University, and an MFA in Dance through…
Hollins University in partnership with the former Forsythe Company of Frankfurt, Germany. She teaches in the Grand Valley State University Dance Department, is the curator for the internationally recognized Midwest Region Alternative Dance Festival (RAD Fest), and is the CEO of Happendance, INC. She has performed all over the country, and her live choreography and screendance works have been presented in the Midwest RAD Fest in Kalamazoo, Big River Dance Festival in Huntington, South Bend, Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York, Fringe Festival Praha (Prague), Indianapolis, Germany, and she has had a piece of choreography commissioned as a work of study for the Lincoln Center Institute for Aesthetic Education. She has also sat on the adjudication panels for Screen. Dance. Now, the Maggie Allesee New Choreography Award, Big River Dance Festival, and the American Screendance curatorial panel for JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Festival in South Africa. She currently sits on the adjudication panel for Screendance International.
