Month: February 2024

New Opportunities Await at Pulse This March!

Posted on by Max
Group of students sitting in a semi circle while being read a story

March is almost here, and we are excited to share updates about our Tuition Assistance program!

We are so proud to announce our new partnership with the Wonderfund! The Wonderfund is a nonprofit serving foster children and families engaged with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Families can present their Wonderfund Access Card in-person at Pulse’s Front Desk and fill out a short form to receive an 100% discount on Performing Arts Program Enrollments, Community Classes, and Pulse Summer programs!

LEARN MORE ABOUT TUITION ASSISTANCE

New Family Class Passes! These special family passes can be shared by anyone age 13+ living in one household!

SEE OUR CLASS PASSES
Three children sitting at a table doing arts and crafts

Dance Making/Art Making

with Sara Kiesel

This 6-week workshop is designed for students who love to dance and do ART. We will explore how art and dance intersect by dancing and “drawing dance” with different mediums – from simple crayon sketches to more involved projects using paper, collage, and shadow play. Students will sharpen their visual skills, learn to let go of how something is “supposed ” to look, and gain confidence in diving into art while exploring basic elements of dance.

Ages 6-9

 📆Saturdays March 9th – April 13th

 🕘9:00am – 10:00am

All art making materials will be provided!

Residences at Berkshire Pulse

We are so excited to announce our newest residency taking place right now in our studios! Sayer Mansfield and Sydney McManus will be starting their initial research and creation for a contemporary dance theater work. This will be their second creation together, their first work “Jane & Fiona” was created in residence at Berkshire Pulse summer 2022 and has since been performed at The Foundry and Jacobs Pillow.

Want to learn more about residencies at Berkshire Pulse? Artists-in-residence at Pulse have the opportunity to join our community and use the studios on an exchange basis. Pending studio availability and application approval, artists can receive studio time at a discounted rate (or free of charge) in exchange for teaching classes, conducting workshops, presenting in-studio performances or Q&A, or other types of studio work. Artists can also request additional dancers or other Pulse resources, as available. We welcome projects in any stage and wish to support artists who are working towards a performance and artists who have an emphasis on process and experimentation. We always look forward to having new work created and shared in our space!

Spend your Summer Dancing!

Posted on by Max

Berkshire Pulse is excited to have summer dance intensives for ages 4 to 18 running June through August, alongside community classes for dancers of all ages!

Our offerings range in style and genre, from contemporary and choreography, to musical theater, hip hop, and more. Scroll to see all our intensives or check out our website.

Pre-registration is open! Save your spot and start your dream summer today!

PRE-REGISTER HERE!

Summer Intensives

🔎Dance Discovery (Ages 8-13)

📅 Monday to Friday, June 24 – 28

🕘 9am – 3pm; 9am – 12pm (half day)

This intensive has a half-day option for dancers ages 8-9.

An exciting journey into the engaging and rewarding world of dance, this one-week program provides an introduction to dance forms including ballet, modern, African, and more. Dancers will also have a chance to practice dance-making of their own!

🎶Berkshire Pulse Intensive (Ages 11+)

📅 Monday to Friday, July 8 – 20

🕘 9am – 4pm

Second week, Monday to Saturday, 9am – 4pm 

This two-week program allows dancers ages 11+ to develop excellence in technique, as well as versatility and collaboration in the creative process. Daily classes will include ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, swing, salsa, and flamenco. Dancers will explore dance-making through partnering and improvisation. Plus, field trips to local partnering organizations. For students with at least two years of prior dance training.  

🚀Dance Adventure (Ages 4-7)

📅 Monday to Friday, July 22 – 26 

🕘 9am – 12pm (half day)

This program for our youngest dancers invites them on an expedition into the exciting, engaging, and rewarding world of dance. Classes will include creative dance, tumbling, drumming, and more! 

👟Hip Hop and Street Style (Ages 10+)

📅 Monday to Friday, July 29 – August 2  

🕘 9am – 3:30pm

In this week-long program, dancers will learn foundational movements and techniques of hip-hop and street style dance, alongside discussions about the cultural meaning and significance of these dance forms. The program will create an encouraging space to try out what you learn and most importantly show off your unique style and personality while freestyling in daily cyphers.

🎭Musical Theater (Ages 10+)

📅 Monday to Saturday, August 5 – 10 

🕘 9am – 3pm

This week-long program gives students the opportunity to jump right into the world of musical theater with classes in broadway jazz, voice, acting, and improvisation. Students will learn healthy warm-up practices for the voice and body, and work on character development, expression, participating in an ensemble, and more. The program directors will work with students to produce an informal performance for the final day of the program. 

💃🏾Movement Lab: A Workshop in Professional Practice w/ Joe Poulson and Isadora Wolfe (Ages 17+)

📅 Monday to Saturday, August 12 – 16 

🕙10am – 3pm

Advanced teens and undergrad students 17+, adults with advanced contemporary experience

In this week long intensive, student artists will be immersed in the experience of a dance company: challenging morning class imparting new skills, honing technique, and full-bodied dancing. Followed by an afternoon of process: Joe and Isadora will guide and direct the “company” through various tasks involving dynamic phrases, improvisation and mini-modules using contemporary, contact and physical theater practices. The emphasis is on the process, and sharing the information that Joe and Isadora have acquired through their years of experience inside companies and as makers in their own right. Expect to end each day sweaty, spent, inspired and filled up. 

Starting in 2024, Berkshire Pulse is implementing a $20 non-refundable registration fee for our summer intensives. This charge covers administrative needs and is only charged once per student. If you register for multiple intensives, you will only pay one registration fee per student.

Berkshire Pulse