WELCOME TO SUMMER CAMP
Ballet Des Moines' Summer Camp offers youth, ages 7 and up, the opportunity to experience up to three different weeks of movement-based curriculum at the BDM Lauridsen Campus for Arts & Education in downtown Des Moines.
If you're interested in summer camp but require financial assistance, please email Beau Kenyon, Director of Outreach & Education: beau@balletdesmoines.org
JULY 6-10
INTO THE WILD: A DANCE ADVENTURE
FULL-DAY CAMP, 9AM TO 4PM
Step into the rainforest and let your imagination run wild! In Into the Wild: A Dance Adventure, campers will journey through lush rainforest ecosystems, discovering the fascinating flora and fauna that call them home. From slithering snakes and soaring birds to towering trees and hidden insects, students will explore how animals move, survive, and interact with their environment—then bring those discoveries to life through dance.
Throughout the week, dancers will participate in age-appropriate creative movement, choreography, storytelling, and improvisation, using music, props, and guided exploration to build their own movement vocabulary inspired by nature. Campers will learn about different rainforest layers and ecosystems while working together to create a short end-of-week performance that showcases everything they’ve learned and created.
This camp is perfect for curious movers who love animals, adventure, and using their imagination. No prior dance experience is required—just a sense of wonder and a willingness to explore!
Camp Highlights:
Movement inspired by Rainforest Plants and Animals
Creative exploration and choreography
Introduction to basic dance concepts through storytelling
Learning through play, imagination and discovery
Informal performance for family and friends at the end of the week
JULY 13-17
DANCING THROUGH THE DECADES
FULL-DAY CAMP, 9AM TO 4PM
Travel through time and dance your way through history! In Dancing Through the Decades, campers will explore popular dance styles and music from the 1950s to today, discovering how movement reflects culture, fashion, and social change. Each day focuses on a new decade, introducing students to iconic rhythms, styles, and movement qualities—from the upbeat energy of early rock ’n’ roll to the expressive and diverse styles of the present day.
Campers will learn age-appropriate choreography, experiment with creative movement, and explore how music, costumes, and historical moments influence the way people dance. Through guided discussion and movement exploration, students will build connections between history, rhythm, pattern, and self-expression, developing both artistic and critical-thinking skills.
Throughout the week, dancers will collaborate to create an end-of-week performance that highlights the evolution of dance across the decades. This camp is perfect for curious movers who love music, storytelling, and trying new styles—no prior dance experience required.
Camp Highlights:
Exploration of Dance styles from the 1950s to today
Creative Movement and choreography based on the decade
Connections between dance, history, music, fashion, and culture
Collaboration and performance skills
Informal end of week performance for family and friends
JULY 20-24
A BALLET IN FIVE DAYS
FULL-DAY CAMP, 9AM TO 4PM
What does it take to bring a ballet to life? In A Ballet in Five Days, dancers step into the world of professional ballet creation—both onstage and behind the scenes. Over the course of five days, participants will work collaboratively to create and perform a junior ballet adaptation of Cinderella, learning how choreography, storytelling, music, costumes, and stagecraft come together to create a complete production.
Each day focuses on a different aspect of the ballet-making process, including technique class, rehearsal and choreography, character development, and production elements such as sets, props, and spacing for the stage. Campers will gain hands-on experience in teamwork, creative problem-solving, and artistic decision-making while deepening their understanding of ballet as both an art form and a collaborative process.
The week culminates in an end-of-week performance where dancers share their mini production of Cinderella with family and friends—celebrating not only the final performance, but the process of building a ballet from the ground up. This camp is ideal for students who love ballet, storytelling, and working as part of an ensemble.
Camp Highlights:
Ballet technique and age appropriate choreography
Behind the scenes insight into how a ballet is created
Storytelling and character development through movement
Introduction to stagecraft, spacing and performance etiquette
Collaborative creation of a junior ballet