Are you interested in an immersive dance experience? At Lawrence Arts Center, we provide any dancer the opportunity to live the world of dance.
Since 2016, the Lawrence Dance Intensive has connected regional dancers with sought-after instructors and guest artists to enrich your skills and artistry.
Based on a diverse and well-balanced curriculum, the Lawrence Dance Intensive strives to develop the artists of tomorrow.
Our Facilities
We’re committed to providing dance intensive students with facilities that provides every resource needed. This includes special flooring, barres, performance theatres and more.
You don’t have to undergo any pre-screening or audition to attend one of our dance intensives. Dancers must meet the age requirement by the start of the intensive and be dancing at an intermediate/advanced level.
Senior Intensives may include a level assessment on the first day of the program.
Lawrence Dance Intensive Insights
Scholarship Auditions
Dancers can perform in-person scholarship auditions or submit video audition submissions for scholarship consideration. More information at the bottom of this page.
Junior Intensives
Students ages 10 and up dancing at the intermediate level can participate in junior dance intensives.
Session I: Ballet
Prerequisites: Ages 11-15, dancing at an intermediate level (equivalent to Arts Center Ballet level IV-Va).
Enroll by June 1.
6/3-6/7, MO-FR; 9:00 AM-11:45 AM,
Session II: Ballet & Contemporary
Cynthia Crews, Donna Jo Harkrider
Prerequisites: Ages 10-15, dancing at an intermediate level (equivalent to Arts Center Ballet level III-Va).
Enroll by June 22.
6/24-6/28, MO-FR; 9:00 AM-11:45 AM
Senior Intensives
Senior dance intensives cover a variety of dance styles at the intermediate/advanced levels.
Includes ballet, pointe, partnering, variations, wellness/enrichment, contemporary, improv, creative process, hip hop, repertory, choreography sessions and showing on the final day.
Prerequisites: Ages 12-21, dancing at intermediate/advanced level (equivalent to Arts Center Ballet level Vb-VII).
Enroll by May 30.
6/3-6/14, MO-FR 9:00 AM-3:30 PM
Subject to Change
Session I & II: Junior Ballet Intensives
Session I & II: Junior Ballet Intensives
Session I: Senior Ballet Intensive
Session II: Senior Contemporary Intensive
In 2018, the Lawrence Dance Intensive launched its community educator program. The mission? Enrich the Midwest with no-cost dance education. Apply to join the participating studios, schools, and more than 250 students who have hosted LDI master classes at their studios and schools.
Studios and schools selected for the 2024 LDI Educator Program will:
Application due February 9, 2024.
Questions? Contact the Lawrence Arts Center School of Dance.
Participating Schools & Studios
Thank you to our partner studios for their continued support of dance education!
The School of Dance strives to provide access to dance classes and performances through various financial aid and scholarship opportunities. We offer scholarships, income-based financial aid, the option to “Try Before You Buy” and a bundle dance discount for students taking three or more classes.
Auditions take place annually in late March. Audition opportunities will populate below when available.
2024 LDI Senior Dance Faculty:
Interested in learning more about dance intensives in Lawrence? We have financial aid available to those who need it to ensure classes are accessible to everyone.
Art is for Everyone
Lawrence Arts Center is here to ensure anyone—of any age and any background—can connect with a supportive community and flex their creative muscles. With contemporary exhibitions, performances, and an array of music education classes for adults and kids, everyone will find something that’s right for them.
Our primary state-of-the-art facility at 940 New Hampshire St. features classrooms, studios, theatres, and more. To further support the community, we have a nearby preschool location at 946 New Hampshire St., our we also have a satellite space for classes at 10th & Mass Studios and a preschool location at 946 New Hampshire!
When you sign up for the Lawrence Dance Intensive, you’re getting a lot more than an opportunity to dive deep into your craft. Alongside other passionate dancers, you’ll learn techniques of different dance forms and various aspects of performing dance to grow in your skills.
Our dance intensive programs typically start in the morning and include technique practice as well as dance enrichment that focuses on the creative process, music, and knowledge. At the end of the intensive, students will participate in a demonstration of their learned skills.
We aim to make our dance intensives in Lawrence accessible to anyone who wants to expand their experiences with dance. To that end, we offer financial aid to assist and make all courses and programs accessible to all.
A community that embraces the arts as part of everyone’s daily life will lead to a more inclusive and connected Lawrence, and what could be better than that? Engaging in dance classes gives you the opportunity to be a lifelong learner and grow friendships while you’re at it. Not to mention the fact that dance is unquestionably good for your whole person.
The Lawrence dance intensive also offers students an opportunity to connect and engaging with others in the dance world, including teachers, choreographers, and students.
There’s the obvious benefit that comes with moving your body. Dancing is one of the most fun exercises you can do, plus it engages your full body and gets your blood pumping! Creative outlets like dance relieve stress and enhance your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which is a pretty great benefit coming from something that is also enjoyable and accessible to everyone.
Are you ready to connect with a community and engage in unique experiences you can’t find anywhere else? The team at Lawrence Arts Center is here for you! Through our extensive selection of youth dance classes and our financial aid availability, everyone has the opportunity to find their inner dancer.
