Summer Intensives Fuel every class, rehearsal, and long summer day
Summer intensives are where dancers grow the most, and where schedules get the most demanding. This guide covers how to prepare, what to pack, and how to fuel through weeks of class, rehearsal, and performance so you get the most from your intensive.
Where are you on the road to your intensive?
Slide to where you are right now to see what your body needs most.
Build your base
Keep regular meals and snacks around the classes you already take, and notice which foods leave you feeling steady through a long day.
Your entire intensive, chapter by chapter
The summer intensive nutrition guide for dancers, from the weeks before you leave to your final performance.
- 1
Nourishment guidance
How to fuel a schedule packed with technique, rehearsal, and performance.
- 2
Mealtime balance
Building balanced plates in dining halls and dorm kitchens.
- 3
Nutrition for recovery
Helping your body bounce back from long days in the studio.
- 4
Hydration help
Staying hydrated through hot studios and back-to-back classes.
- 5
Mindset support
Goal-setting and knowing what to expect before you arrive.
- 6
Snack box
Portable snack staples to keep in your dance bag.
- 7
Recipe builders
Mix-and-match recipes that work with what’s available to you.
- 8
Packing guides
Checklists so food, water, and essentials make the trip.
In their own words
“…I found that each workshop gave me a tool to take to class the next day. Especially in a high stress environment like a summer intensive, constantly being filled with body positive messages and reminded that dancers do need to eat helped me to stay confident and positive in the studio.”Violet B.Summer Intensive participant
“I enjoyed every minute of the healthy dancer summer intensive, I learned and grew so much after every nutrition session, masterclass and guest class.”Tatiana G.Summer Intensive participant
“…I loved all of the workshops, nutrition sessions, and masterclasses. We had the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback.”Alana N.Summer Intensive participant
Hi, I'm Rachel
I'm a former professional dancer turned Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and I've spent my career helping dancers heal from dancer diet culture, those confusing messages about which foods are "good" and which are "bad" for performance.
Summer intensives are where dancers grow the most, and where schedules get the most demanding. This guide is how I help dancers fuel for all of it.
Rachel Fine, MS, RD, CSSD, CEDS-C
More Survival Guides
A guide for each of the seasons that ask the most of a dancer's body.
