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ANNOUNCING: The 2023 Adult Summer Ballet Retreat

Huntington Beach, CA
July 3-7th and July 10-14th

A summer ballet retreat designed for adults (18+) who are passionate about ballet, making friends, and having fun! This Retreat is as focused on community building as it is providing our attendees with high-quality ballet education from some of our favorite teachers and industry leaders.

Take a quick look at the video from last year — we get excited just watching it!

Please note that tickets for The Summer Ballet Retreat are non-refundable, so make sure to read the details thoroughly (and double-check your session selection) before purchasing.

About KM & Friends:

If you only remember one thing about us, it should be that we're incredibly passionate about bringing joy to ballet. But we also:

Value you for who you are, rather than your level of proficiency or aspirations.

Believe adult dancers deserve communities made for them.

Create space where you can ask any question without being made to feel like a burden.

Provide high-quality ballet education without the stuffy, elitist atmosphere.

Celebrate movement, and explore what ballet can bring to your life outside of a professional career.

Believe that ballet is for everyone.

About The Retreat!

2023 Retreat Dates:

Session 1 is July 3-7th
Session 2 is July 10-14th

Session 1 will offer three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. We recommend attending this session if you're a true beginner, as it will be a slightly slower pace than our advanced beginner level in Session 2.

Session 2 will offer two levels: advanced beginner, and intermediate/advanced.

For help selecting your level, scroll down to the Self Assessment section!

Session 1, July 3-7th

$1700

Ticket price includes:

  • Choice of three levels
  • Five days of classes and seminars with our favorite teachers (Kathryn included!) and industry leaders
  • Individual photo session with Katie Ging; your choice of beach or studio setting
  • Lunches each day designed by Rachel Fine, founder of To The Pointe Nutrition
  • The Healthy Dancer Survival Guide ebook
  • 5 Minute Core Warm Up from Allie Christensen
  • 40% off an hour long session with Allie Christensen (reg. $150) BEFORE the Retreat
  • Welcome / Swag Bag
  • Private Shop Night at Dance Threadz
  • Movie Night
  • Beach Day
  • Celebratory Dinner
  • Option to add bus ticket (additional cost)
  • Option to add July 2nd Pointe Screening Day ticket (additional cost)
  • Non-refundable 50% deposit
Book Session 1!

Session 2, July 10-14th - SOLD OUT

$1700

Ticket price includes:

  • Choice of two levels
  • Five days of classes and seminars with our favorite teachers (Kathryn included!) and industry leaders
  • Individual photo session with Katie Ging; your choice of beach or studio setting
  • Lunches each day designed by Rachel Fine, founder of To The Pointe Nutrition
  • The Healthy Dancer Survival Guide ebook
  • 5 Minute Core Warm Up from Allie Christensen
  • 40% off an hour long session with Allie Christensen (reg. $150) BEFORE the Retreat
  • Welcome / Swag Bag
  • Private Shop Night at Dance Threadz
  • Movie Night
  • Beach Day
  • Celebratory Dinner
  • Option to add bus ticket (additional cost)
  • Option to add July 2nd Pointe Screening Day ticket (additional cost)
  • Non-refundable 50% deposit
Sign Up For The Waitlist

Other details:

Your ticket includes lunch each day! We're partnering with Rachel Fine, Registered Dietician Nutritionist and founder of To The Pointe Nutrition, to craft lunches that are nutritious, fueling, and [most importantly] delicious. Rachel will also be presenting her Nurturing The Healthy Dancer workshop, and all Retreat attendees will receive her ebook, The Healthy Dancer Survival Guide.

Your ticket includes an individual photo session with Katie Ging, and you'll choose between an in-studio session OR a beachside session. In-studio sessions will be scheduled Monday and Tuesday from 4-6pm, and beach sessions will happen during Wednesday's beach outing.

We are offering a bus ticket this year. There are 30 tickets available, at $200 each. The bus will take you from the host hotel to and from the studios each day, as well as to additional activities (with the exception of Monday's shop night). To get the bus ticket, check the option to add it when you get to the final check-out page.

We are partnering with DanseMedica and The Pointe Shop to offer a Pointe Screening Day on the Sundays before each session (July 2nd and July 9th)! There are 25 spots available, and if you're new to pointe (within your first few years), looking to go on pointe, or just want to learn more about dancing on pointe and pointe shoes in general we HIGHLY recommend snagging a ticket! The event will include a warm-up, one-on-one dance physical therapy consultations, a fitting with ThePointeShop professional fitters, a pointe shoe sewing class, and a pointe shoe Q&A with Josephine Lee. The Pointe Screening Day will show up as an upsell after you click the checkout button, so if you'd like to add that ticket, do so then.

You'll love the Retreat if:

✔️ You're interested in focusing on progress over perfection (maybe you're learning to enjoy the process more than the finished product)!

✔️ You're ready to take your technique to the next level, and have fun while doing it!

✔️ You're interested in building community as much as you're interested in building up to that double (or triple!) pirouette.

You may not love the Retreat if:

❌ You're looking for drop-in classes. This is a full-day schedule, with evening events.

❌ You're an absolute beginner — we recommend having 6 months to one year of experience in a full class, in a studio, before attending the Retreat.

❌ You're just interested in dancing without all the "extras," or who are looking for an intense pre-professional style intensive.

Sample Schedule

This will be the same for each level, every day

Common Questions + Concerns

Unsure? Hear from last year's students:

 "I was never stressed out this week, which was great and really allowed my mind to take in information and process it. It's amazing to feel that all the instructors want to be there and you are seen."

"It helped me to feel more comfortable and confident in my body. I felt at ease learning in this environment."

"This was one of the only places I've felt taken seriously or been challenged to do better as an adult. I personally came to this with a goal of being less self-critical, and to focus on relaxing into it and dancing to feed my soul. The environment definitely supported that!"

"It was absolutely wonderful. You all absolutely embody providing a JOYFUL place to practice ballet. The intensive was very approachable — not intimidating, but also perfectly challenging."

"I learned so much about myself this week! Everyone was so positive and encouraging, but I was being so mean to myself. So this week made me reflect on why, and try to find ways to change that internal monologue. This week was so invaluable to me, it's hard to put into words but I can say that it exceeded my expectations and felt way worth the money I spent."

"I loved how intentional the intensive felt. My old studio disregarded dancers who didn't want to be professionals, so it was amazing to have classes built for non-traditional dancers in mind."

"I've never been in such a positive environment in regards to ballet — this was such a refreshing change. I very much appreciate the space you have carved out for adult dancers to feel important and valued. Thank you for such an amazing week! What a special experience; it was truly unforgettable."

"Dancing Monday-Friday my technique grew and I learned so much. I loved learning from different guests who got me out of my comfort zone, and encouraged me to trust my body."

"Everything about this week has blown me away. Every instructor has been so supportive, and I have learned so much. I have taken some of the best classes of my life this week, and I hope I can come back when the new studio opens. I will travel here again for the next intensive, and hopefully some weekend workshops. On top of everything, I can't believe how kind and supportive all of the attendees were. Thank you for this amazing experience!"

 

Choose Your Session!

Session 1, July 3-7th

$1700

Ticket price includes:

  • Choice of three levels
  • Five days of classes and seminars with our favorite teachers (Kathryn included!) and industry leaders
  • Individual photo session with Katie Ging; your choice of beach or studio setting
  • Lunches each day designed by Rachel Fine, founder of To The Pointe Nutrition
  • The Healthy Dancer Survival Guide ebook
  • 5 Minute Core Warm Up from Allie Christensen
  • 40% off an hour long session with Allie Christensen (reg. $150) BEFORE the Retreat
  • Welcome / Swag Bag
  • Private Shop Night at Dance Threadz
  • Movie Night
  • Beach Day
  • Celebratory Dinner
  • Option to add bus ticket (additional cost)
  • Option to add July 2nd Pointe Screening Day ticket (additional cost)
  • Non-refundable 50% deposit
Book Session 1!

Session 2, July 10-14th - SOLD OUT

$1700

Ticket price includes:

  • Choice of two levels
  • Five days of classes and seminars with our favorite teachers (Kathryn included!) and industry leaders
  • Individual photo session with Katie Ging; your choice of beach or studio setting
  • Lunches each day designed by Rachel Fine, founder of To The Pointe Nutrition
  • The Healthy Dancer Survival Guide ebook
  • 5 Minute Core Warm Up from Allie Christensen
  • 40% off an hour long session with Allie Christensen (reg. $150) BEFORE the Retreat
  • Welcome / Swag Bag
  • Private Shop Night at Dance Threadz
  • Movie Night
  • Beach Day
  • Celebratory Dinner
  • Option to add bus ticket (additional cost)
  • Option to add July 2nd Pointe Screening Day ticket (additional cost)
  • Non-refundable 50% deposit
Sign Up For The Waitlist

Self-Assessment

The playlist to the right contains example classes to help you decide which level will be right for you during our Summer Retreat.

To view all the videos, click the "hamburger menu" icon in the upper-right corner (three lines with a tiny right arrow) and the videos in the playlist will pop out. Scroll until you find the level you're looking for, and give it a try!

If you're still left with questions, reach out to [email protected] — we're happy to help advise you.

Please note: we take our adult students seriously, and want our space to be one for you to explore, push boundaries, and take chances. As most Retreat attendees are not our regular students, we're not in a place to tell an adult dancer what they can or can't do with their training, and we do our best to help attendees decide their level with this self-assessment. If you want to push yourself and your technique, we encourage you to go for it! If we sense that your safety may be compromised by the level you've chosen, we may suggest an adjustment, but making the change is always up to you!

FAQs

See you this summer! 💖