The Morlaix Ballet Camp was an amazing experience. We had the unique opportunity to learn and perform a historic ballet in the beautiful town of Morlaix, France. The instructors were knowledgeable and very supportive. The camp was well organized and included housing and meal plan options for the dancers. Overall, it was such a memorable experience. I am grateful for the friendships I made there. I highly recommend it!
Claire, USA, 2022
The Morlaix adult ballet camp is an intense and fun 1-week program to immerse adult dancers like me to what life looks like being a professional dancer in a company. Each day starts promptly with a “company class” at 9am and followed by rehearsal and more rehearsals for our performance of Bournonville’s Napoli until 6pm. We make new friends from all over the world from all kinds of backgrounds in all age groups. The love of dance bonds us together. We eat together, dance together, compare our muscle pains and work hard together to put on a full length show in 7 days. A major sense of accomplishment when the camp and performance is over. I have learned so much and deepen my respect for this art form. I strongly recommend the camp to my fellow adult dancers. This is the most exciting and worthwhile use of my vacation days from work.
Ming, New York City (USA), 2022
It’s pretty challenging to learn a whole ballet and memorize all the steps, especially when you only have one week to do it! It really made me appreciate so much more what professional ballet dancers do all the time. Moreover, it’s great brain training, because you need to not only learn the steps, but also everyone’s locations, the story, the emotions and the music. Such a cool experience!
You also see here that we’re rehearsing in the theatre, which was so helpful because we learnt the spacing of the piece straight away in the right context, and also did not have mirrors to get too obsessed with our own appearance.
It was quite nerve-wrecking to do a full performance after having rehearsed it only for a week, but somehow magically I made it through without major mistakes. At times I had to pinch myself that I was there: for the first time of my life learning an actual ballet from the classical repertoire, surrounded by dancers, wearing a tutu and pointe shoes! I was quite nervous, but also so excited to dance this happy ballet with my new ballet friends. Although this vacation was clearly not stressfree, it feels so good having done it and created this beautiful piece of work together!
Marieke, The Netherlands, 2022
I’m writing these comments quite some time after living through the unique experience of this summer intensive, since it takes time for such a unique experience to sink in. To say it was “immersive” is an understatement, and truly, it’s a whole that’s much greater than the sum of its parts.
First of all, the human experience with my colleagues was breathtaking. I met some of the most amazing and diverse people I’ve had the opportunity to make an acquaintance of, and the conditions of living together through an intense and completely new experience created a bond with them that’s engraved in my heart and I’m sure will last….It was also astonishing to see the length to which the organizers went out of their way to give us the best conditions, including getting smoothly to all places, amongst all the hardships of a first time intensive that was delayed repeatedly due to COVID and not in the easiest of economic times….
The places, as well, are magical, starting with the castle where many of us stayed with its gardens and morning mist out of legend, the walks through the historical harbour, the studios where we practiced and the theatre. Dancing a real ballet is a dream that I didn’t really think possible to come true in any shape, and here we had the opportunity of seeing the pieces of the puzzle come together into a coherent and expressive story, guided by the amazing work of our teachers, that were able not only to cram the material into our heads in the short space of a week, but also to edit, cut and adjust everything and still get to the final performance and have it look like a faithful adaptation. I think the only thing they sacrificed was their sleep, and I’m deeply thankful to them
Working with professionals on the same set was an amazing experience and we had the good luck to have as our 2 stars, not only 2 wonderful dancers, but also wonderful persons that acted towards us as true colleagues and were a huge support to all of us
To conclude, I can only say that the only way to get to know the experience is to live it and I definitely recommend it with all my heart to all ballet lovers
Leon, Israel 2022
Full review by
Tracey, USA 2022
I feel so lucky that I could participate in the Morlaix dance camp this summer! It was the first time that I learned a full length ballet, and a very long time since I’d been on stage. I had forgotten how much I enjoy that part of ballet too, so while I had signed up for the dancing, I got back so much more from the camp! We were immersed in the magical story of “A Folktale” and got to dance and play different characters, including elves, trolls, and peasants. With each practice round, these characters seemed to evolve and become more alive. It also helped that we started taking classes and practicing on stage early on, so that we got familiar and comfortable with the scene. Participating in the camp was also a very warm and welcoming experience. It was wonderful to get to know so many others who are crazy for ballet, make new friends to take classes with when traveling, and get lots of inspiration from others for next year’s training, to prepare for another beautiful experience in Morlaix
Marieke K. The Netherlands/Norway 2023
An Ongoing Miracle.
If I’m to summarize the 2023 MORLAIX INTERNATIONAL ADULT BALLET CAMP, this is what comes up to my mind. In fact that was, what came up to my mind, and continuously blissed me through the whole one week period.
Continues miracle happening!!!
Frankly, when I first signed up for this camp, I did not do any deep research. Been somehow, notified that this camp exists, been already practicing ballet for a few years. A classical ballet event, amateur, that actually accepts me was enough for me to roll up. And so I came.
The opening, very simple, welcome event, was enough for me to conceive the magic of this event, under which effect I’ve been for the whole week. Oh what a bliss, for a whole week….
Being focused in Classical Ballet, practice daily, full class, held professionally, and conducted by a his mastery, yet so human, ERIC VIUDES. So elevating. So inspiring.
In one week time, erecting a full scale ballet show, being directed by the her mastery, yet so down to earth, DINNA BJORN, who actually transformed me in 7 days into a stage performer, full of confidence, and even signs of self esteem.
A week of healthy vegan food, connection to the body…
Concluding every day, with stretches and muscular relaxing with JULIE DUPAS.
I can continue this review for ever. So I’ll try to come to an end. Ahh, but not before 2 more points I cannot keep out. The homy feeling. Yes, it was not a donation, it is a paid event. But there was no commercial feeling or attitude in or behind. Not a second I felt money talks here. And last – the energy created by the so determent and motivated participants, who’s love for this doing is immense. Again touched me deeply and inspired me for life time as it looks now.
David, Israel 2023
Morlaix international adult ballet camp 