Summer Is What You Make It ☀️
Every year around this time, I hear the same question from families:
“Should my dancer take summer classes, try something different, or just take a break?”
And honestly? There isn’t a wrong answer.
One of the things I love most about summer is that it gives families the freedom to do what works best for them. For some dancers, summer is the perfect opportunity to jump into something new. For others, it’s a chance to keep training and working toward goals. And for some, it’s exactly what they need—a little breathing room to rest, recharge, and enjoy being a kid.
The truth is, there are benefits to all of those paths.
Summer Classes Are a Great Way to Get Started
If you’ve been curious about dance but aren’t quite ready to commit to a full season, summer is the perfect time to give it a try.
The atmosphere tends to be a little more relaxed, classes are shorter, and dancers can explore different styles without the pressure of performances, costumes, or a packed schedule.
For current dancers, summer classes are a great way to stay active, maintain strength and flexibility, and continue building skills. Sometimes dancers even discover a new style they fall in love with that they never would have tried during the regular season.
It’s Okay to Take a Break
As much as I love dance, I also believe kids need balance.
After a long school year filled with academics, sports, activities, homework, performances, and everything else life throws at families, sometimes a break is exactly what the mind and body need.
Taking a few months away doesn’t mean a dancer is quitting or falling behind. In fact, many dancers come back in the fall refreshed, motivated, and excited to be back in the studio.
There is value in rest.
There is value in family time.
There is value in slowing down for a season.
Other Activities Have Value Too
Dance will always have my heart, but I never want families to feel like dance is the only worthwhile activity.
Summer is a wonderful time to explore other interests. Sports, swimming, camps, hiking, horseback riding, music, volunteering, travel, and simply spending time outdoors all help children grow.
Every experience teaches something.
Confidence. Teamwork. Responsibility. Problem-solving. Independence.
Those lessons don’t disappear when a child walks into the dance studio—they come with them.
Many of the strongest dancers are well-rounded individuals because they’ve had opportunities to experience different things and learn from different environments.
For Those Who Want to Keep Working
Then there are the dancers who simply love being in the studio and want to keep growing.
Summer can be an incredible opportunity to focus on technique, strength, flexibility, conditioning, and personal goals. Without the pressure of performances and weekly rehearsals, dancers often have more time to really focus on improving the little things that make a big difference.
Growth doesn’t always happen during the big moments. Sometimes it happens in the quiet work nobody sees.
There Is No Wrong Choice
At Soul 2 Sole, our goal has never been to have every child take every class or spend every minute in the studio.
Our goal is to help young people grow into healthy, confident, kind individuals.
Whether your child spends their summer dancing, playing another sport, attending camp, helping on the family farm, traveling, swimming, reading books, or simply enjoying a slower pace, there is value in those experiences.
Summer should fill your cup.
It should give your family time to connect, explore, learn, grow, and make memories together.
So whatever your summer looks like this year, embrace it.
Keep moving. Keep learning. Keep growing.
And when fall arrives, we’ll be here ready to continue the journey together.
From our Soul 2 Sole family to yours, we hope you have a summer full of fun, adventure, growth, and memories that will last a lifetime. 💜🩵🩷
