What level do I need to be at in order to participate? Does the program require an audition?

We welcome all high school and university-aged dance students (up to and including 30 years of age) who have undergone at least 2 years of training in ballet and modern/contemporary dance. No formal or video audition is required to attend the program as we offer five different levels from more elementary/intermediate levels/classes to more advanced and pre-professional levels/classes designed for both high school dance students and B.A. and B.F.A. (university-level) dance students as well.

The Kibbutz Summer Intensive dance program is geared to help young and aspiring dancers engage in professional and personal development while studying ballet, modern and contemporary dance, company repertoire, and more at our company’s International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton, Israel with some of the world’s best professional dancers, dance teachers, and choreographers and do so together with other dance students from across the world.

Dancers should be ready for an action-packed schedule which includes 4 classes a day. All the students participating in the program will be evaluated and placed in a level which best suits their needs. Do not worry about your current level at this point. Rest assured that you’ll be placed in a level/class that suits you best. Our professional staff is always on campus (on the Kibbutz) during programming hours and are readily available to assist you, should you feel a need to be placed in a different level/class.

Is there a deadline to register for the Summer Intensive?

** The Kibbutz Summer Intensive is in extremely high demand and space is limited.  If you are seriously considering attending and joining us this coming summer, we advise that you secure your spot immediately by completing the registration form and processing the registration fee.  Only then will your spot be guaranteed.

Our Summer Intensive is based on ‘Rolling Admission ‘ which means that it’s on a first come, first serve basis.  So there is no official deadline to register for the program.  However, we advise that interested dancers and dance students register in the fall/autum in order to guarantee that they have a spot reserved for themselves in the upcoming Kibbutz Summer Intensive.

In order to do so, go to the registration page here, complete the registration form and proceed to make the registration payment.  Once that is complete, you will secure your place in the upcoming program.

What is the difference between the 2-week, 4-week, and 6-week program?

Since participants are welcome to register for either our 2-week, 4-week, or 6-week Summer Intensive, those staying for the longer 4-week or 6-week program will have the opportunity to further immerse themselves and gain a deeper understanding into the company’s movement language, learn additional company repertoire, and experience and learn from more dance teachers and choreographers.

The longer programs will develop the student’s physique and broaden their experience, bringing them to a more advanced level.  Those who choose to register for the 4-week or 6-week program will also have a chance to see more of Israel as our field trips on alternate Fridays include visits to the ancient city of Akko (Acre), the seaside grottoes of Rosh Hanikra, the Sea of Galilee, and/or other exciting highlights of the historic Galilee region of northern Israel and occasional tours to the Dead Sea, Masada, and Jerusalem.

What will I be studying over the 2-week, 4-week, or 6-week period?

You can view the sample daily schedule further down this page to get a picture of the structure of each weekday. Daily programming begins a warm-up class as our main company does. Throughout the program, participants study with a number of different leading choreographers and dance teachers along with company dancers.

We do focus on KCDC’s repertoire and movement language, but you will have an opportunity to immerse yourself in additional exciting repertoire, technique, and approaches. Other than ballet, contemporary and modern dance, you will be studying, hip-hop, movement improvisation, and much more. Each summer, we host a number of established and accomplished Israeli and international choreographers and dance teachers with whom you’ll be studying and working.

This provides our Summer Intensive participants with a broad, diverse and eclectic experience which we believe will develop them even further on each student’s journey as a dancer.

I'm currently enrolled in a dance academy or university dance program. Can I receive course credits for courses taken at the Summer Intensive?

Yes you can.  You can put us directly in contact with your academic institution (university or dance academy’s) Study Abroad office or personnel and our office will be in contact with them directly and provide them with the necessary documentation so that you may receive course credits for classes taken at our Summer Intensive.

What type of certificate will I receive at the end of KCDC's Summer Intensive?

All participants completing our 2-week, 4-week, and 6-week Summer Intensive will receive an official certificate from Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC) stating that he or she has completed and participated in our program. This certificate can be used (and has been used by past participants) to admit to dance academies, university dance programs and other academic institutions when seeking admission to programs.

It can also be used when applying for scholarships and grants for other dance programs and projects. The certificate will be signed by KCDC’s Artisitc Director and the Director of our Summer Intensive.

Are there scholarships available for the Summer Intensive?

We are always working on finding new places where Summer Intensive participants can find scholarship opportunities for their participation in the program.  We have listed a number of scholarship opportunities here.

From our experience, we assure you that there are plenty of scholarship and grants available to help you finance and cover the cost of the program. Its just a matter of doing the ‘leg work’, doing your own research, and filling our applications.  There are hundreds, if not thousands of scholarships, grants, and foundations who’s mission is to help a dancer or dance student like yourself seeking to further enrich and develop themselves in the performing arts and education.

We encourage you to start the process of seeking out scholarships, grants and financial support for your participation in the Summer Intensive Really the earlier you begin this process, the better.  You can simply begin with a simple Google search.

We also suggest that you contact your country’s Ministry of Culture and/or Cultural Council to express to them that you’re seeking a Summer Intensive abroad and looking for scholarships and ways to cover the cost of the program and travel.  They might very well be able to assist you directly.

I'm also interested in attending KCDC's 5-month preprofessional international 'Dance Journey' study abroad program. Which one should I choose?

Clearly, our 5-month pre-professional ‘Dance Journey’ program is more lengthy than the duration of our Summer Intensive and therefore our Summer Intensive provides young and aspiring dancers the opportunity for continued dance education during their summer vacation from school while doing so with one of the top professional dance company. This gives participants an opportunity to introduce themselves of KCDC’s movement language while living the life similar to that of a professional company dancer.

The Summer Intensive does not require an audition whereas our ‘Dance Journey’ program does. Dancers who participate in the Summer Intensive will have the opportunity to audition for the Dance Journey program.

The Summer Intensive provides a perfect opportunity to receive a firsthand and in-depth experience into the world of Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company’s renowned movement language and technique.

What is the cost of the program?

The program cost appears on main Summer Intensive page at www.kcdc.co.il/en/summer-intensive-dance-program. Participants may choose whichever program length they’d like to attend (2-weeks, 4-week, or 6-weeks).  The program fee includes room (accommodation), board (all meals), health insurance, all classes, registration fee, and field trips throughout the country.

This does not include the flight cost or transportation to/from Kibbutz Ga’aton (**see below for more information regarding transportation to Kibbutz Ga’aton). The tuition fee includes the registration fee which guarantees your spot in the session you chose and then we ask for the remaining tuition fee to be paid in one installment no later than the date indicated on the program payment page of the Kibbutz Summer Intensive.

Who are the participants? What is the general level of dance and what is the participants' dance background?

Our Summer Intensive is an international 2-week, 4-week, and 6-week dance program which attracts dance students of high school and university age from all over the world as well as Israel.

All participants generally have at least basic dance training. Naturally, participants at the Summer Intensive are of varied technical levels and therefore they range from more beginning/intermediate levels to more advanced/pre-professional levels, meaning that there is a spectrum of levels.

There are participants who are in high school and study dance in after school type programs while there are others who attend a performing arts academy or high school of performing arts and study dance much more intensively throughout the year. The Summer Intensive also hosts older and more experienced dancers and dance students who are currently studying full-time in university full-time in a B.A. of B.F.A. type of dance program. Therefore, there’s a spectrum of levels and everyone is placed in an appropriate group that is fitting to him or her and will make it appropriately challenging as well for them to continue to develop significantly during the summer months.

On the very first day of the program, once everyone is settled in their accommodations, we gather for a placement session where all participants are seen by our professional staff and placed in appropriate groups/class levels for the duration of the program.

Is medical insurance included in the program fee?

Yes.  Full medical insurance is included in the program’s tuition which will be effective for the duration of the program.  Should you want to arrive in Israel before the program begins or stay in Israel after the program concludes, we ask that you make sure to purchase your own international traveler’s insurance.

When was KCDC's Summer Intensive established?

KCDC’s Summer Intensive has been offered to dancers since 2008 and has hosted nearly 4,000 participants.  A year later, we launched our 5-month and 10-month international dance study program known as Dance Journey which is opened to dancers ages 18 years and up from all over the world, offering them an opportunity to spend a semester or full academic year living and studying with us.  The Dance Journey program begins in September and February of every year.  To learn more about this special opportunity, visit www.kcdc.co.il/en/dancejourney

I don’t speak Hebrew. Will I be able to understand what the teacher is saying?

Yes. The program is geared and caters to both international and Israeli dance students. Both English and Hebrew will be spoken by the staff in order to ensure that you get the most out of this experience though we make sure that English is the dominant language of all classes so that all participants feel at home.

Since our Summer Intensive takes place at our company’s home base at the International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton, Israel, being exposed to a bit of a new language (in our case Hebrew), will only enhance your cultural immersion and international experience.

If I'm flying to Israel, what airport should I fly into and when can I or should I arrive to the International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga'aton? Are there accommodation options before the program begins?

Please be sure to book your international flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.  The airport code is: TLV

Participants should arrive at the International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton, Israel between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. for registration and to drop off their belongings in their accommodation on Sunday morning of the first day of the respective Kibbutz Summer Intensive session.

We recommend that participants coming from abroad, arrive in Israel at least a day before the program’s start date so that they can have a good night rest before the start of the program.

Should you choose to arrive in Israel a day or two before the start of your Summer Intensive program and would like to stay at the International Dance Village before the program begins, then you can arrive on either Friday or Saturday and we’ll be able to provide accommodation and meals for a fee of 200 ILS (approximately 65 USD) per night to be paid in cash upon arrival.  Please be in touch with the Kibbutz Summer Intensive team at [email protected] to coordinate with us your plan on arriving at the International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton a day or two prior to the program’s start date.  Should you like us to provide you with travel from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport to the International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton, we’d be happy to assist arranging that for you.  This costs approximately 200 ILS for a shared shuttle or bus and should you like us to help arrange a private taxi, this costs roughly 700 ILS.  Please be in touch with us at [email protected] if you’d like us to help coordinate this.

Should you choose to arrive in Israel earlier and stay in Israel and travel for a few weeks after the program, that’s also an option.  There are host families in Kibbutz Ga’aton who rent out a room or an apartment on the Kibbutz and there are plenty of hostels and hotels in Tel Aviv or in the vicinity of Kibbutz Ga’aton such as in the nearby seaside city of Nahariya.  There are plenty of budget accommodations as well.

There are also a few private B&B type options in Kibbutz Ga’aton that might very well be available for you a day or two before the program begins.

Yair Ron
Tel/Whatsapp: +972-50-467-5777
[email protected]
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/20865947

Ofira
Tel/Whatsapp: +972-52-8307650
https://abnb.me/RZj52eDra3

Marina Rozner
Tel/Whatsapp: +972-50-407-6238

Lior Azulai
Tel/Whatsapp: +972-52-301-0092

Itamar
+972-52-659-5588
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/40916932
New apartment in Ein Ya’akov (5-min by car from Ga’aton)

You can also browse through www.zimmeril.com or www.booking.com and search for accommodations in the Western Galilee region or in the city or vicinity of Nahariya.

How to arrive at KCDC's International Dance Village from Tel Aviv or Ben Gurion International Airport?

Best that you take the train from either Ben Gurion International Airport or Tel Aviv to the northernmost city of Nahariya.  Once you arrive in Nahariya, we will have special shuttles picking and staff members on hand to pick you up at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and bring you to Kibbutz Ga’aton the morning of the first day of the Summer Intensive.  But we ask that you be sure to confirm with our office at [email protected] your arrival schedule.

We will also provide a shuttle back to Nahariya on the last day of each 2-week program which will leave Kibbutz Ga’aton at 15:00.  For train times and rates, please visit Israel Railways at: www.rail.co.il/EN  Should you have a flight back on Thursday night of the last day of your Summer Intensive program, we recommend that you book the flight from 10:30 p.m. or later so that you have sufficient time to arrive at the airport from Nahariya by train or private airport transfer.

Should you like to arrange a private airport pickup to Kibbutz Ga’aton and/or return to the airport, we can arrange that for you.  The approximate cost per direction is 700 ILS.  Please contact Ms. Iris Tesler at [email protected] or via WhatsApp here to schedule a private transfer.

** Note that from Friday afternoon till Saturday evening trains and buses in Israel do not run due to the Sabbath.  However, you can still arrive in Kibbutz Ga’aton during this time by taking a yellow van called a ’sherut’ from Tel Aviv to Haifa and then another from Haifa to Nahariya.  Though we do recommend that you schedule a private taxi pickup.

What type of accommodations do Summer Intensive participants live in?

Participants share a 3 to 4-person dormitory-style room with dancers who will be around their age.  All accommodations are at the International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton, Israel and are all approximately a two-minute walk from the dance studios and include:

● Small Kitchen ● Bookcase
● Shower ● Air Conditioner & Heater
● Toilet ● 2 Garbage Cans
● 3-4 Single Beds ● Table and 2 Chairs

N.B. Each bed will have a bathing towel, pillow, pillow case, fitted sheet, blanket, blanket cover.

What is the daily schedule of the Summer Intensive?

The first day of the Summer Intensive will consist of a warm up which then will be followed by an placement session so that we may place dancers in beginner, intermediate, advanced, and/or pre-professional group levels for the duration of the program.

The daily schedule from Sunday thru Thursday (which is the workweek in Israel) consists of the following:

8:00AM Breakfast
9:00AM-10:30AM Warm-Up Class
10:30AM-10:45AM Short break of snacks and fruit
10:45AM-12:15PM Class
12:15PM-1:15PM Lunch
1:15PM-2:45PM Class
3:00PM-4:30PM Class
5:00PM Rest Time, Free Time, Swimming Pool Access
7:00PM Dinner. Followed by evening and social activities.

On Fridays in the middle of each two-week program, we depart on a field trip to different regions of the Galilee and can include visits to the Grottoes on the Mediterranean Sea at Rosh Hanikrah, the Old City of Akko, and in the past we’ve also taken dancers to the Old City of Jerusalem and to the Dead Sea which is the lowest place on earth where you can float on the high-saline body of water and rub yourself with the mineral-rich, world famous mud.

Saturday consists of a rest day to rest your mind and body, hang out with friends, spend time at the pool on the kibbutz and host visitors if you have family or friends in Israel.

What types of meals are served?

All meals are vegetarian-friendly and kosher. For lunch, we generally offer pastas, breads, a selection of spreads and salads and carb-filled and healthy options. For dinner, we offer a meat option as well as a vegetarian option.

Here is the daily menu at the Summer Intensive:

8:00-8:45 BREAKFAST
Fresh bread rolls and sliced bread
Salads, sliced vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.)
Assortment of Cheeses
Assortment of cereals
Coffee, Tea, Chocolate Milk

10:30 MID-MORNING SNACK

12:00-13:00 LUNCH
4 Types of Salads (Green, Tuna, Potato, etc.)
Hummus & Tehini Spread
Sliced Vegetables (Raw & Cooked)
Breads
Warm Meal (Pastas, Borekas, Quiches, Pizza, etc.)
Cold Drinks
Fruit, Cake

16:30 AFTERNOON SNACK
Fruit, Energy Bars, Cold Drinks

19:00-20:00 DINNER
Warm Meal (Meat, Chicken, etc.)
Vegetarian Meal Option (Vegetarian cutlets, etc.)
Rice, Potatoes, etc.
Cooked Vegetables
Assortments of Salads (Hummus, Cabbage, etc.)
Cold Drinks
Dessert

21:00 LATE NIGHT SNACK
Drinks, Cookies, Fruit

What activities are offered to participants during the weekend in the middle of each two-week Summer Intensive?

As weekends here in Israel are on Friday and Saturday, on Friday mornings in the middle of each 2-week program, we depart the International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton for a tour of the Western Galilee. This trip might include visits to the seaside Grottoes at Rosh Hanikra and/or the Ancient City of Akko. Saturday is a perfect time to rest and spend time with new friends from all over the world in the kibbutz and by the pool. We’ll have organized activities on the kibbutz during the weekend as well.

Will there be a physical therapist available during the program?

A physical therapist, chiropractor and/or a massage therapist will be available at the Dance Village upon available and are by appointment only.  In the event that a participant is in need of a treatment, an appointment can be set up according to their availability. The cost of each treatment is 80 ILS and participants are responsible to make the payment directly to the therapist.

What type of security measure is taken during the Summer Intensive?

The International Dance Village in Kibbutz Ga’aton, Israel is a gated and secured community with a guard on duty from evening hours till morning.  From morning till evening (from meals, to classes to free time), all participants are surrounded by our professional staff and in the evenings and nighttime, our residential counselors reside on campus and are readily accessible for any needs right near the participants’ accommodation.

We take all the necessary security measures running such an international program (both during the summer and with our other programs year round).  The Galilee region in northern Israel where the International Dance Village is situated is a rather serene and quite area of the country.  If you have any concerns and would like to discuss them with our staff please write to [email protected]

Can I audition for the international Dance Journey study abroad program while I'll be attending the Kibbutz Summer Intensive?

Yes you can!  Please inform your counselor at the beginning of the Summer Intensive so that he or she can speak with the Director of our Dance Journey program so that she may come and see you during your morning ballet classes and again during a repertoire class and consider you for our international Dance Journey study abroad program.

Recommended Packing List. What Should I bring with me?

● Passport/s ● Comfortable Walking/Hiking Shoes
● Invitation Letter (Printed Out) ● Sunscreen
 No need to bring Pointe Shoes ● Hat & Sunglasses
● Few sets of leotards (any color) ● Personal refillable water bottle
● Comfortable tight clothes for other classes ● We provide bedding, pillow, and towels
● Comfortable loose clothes for jazz/hip hop ● Flip Flops
● Bathing Suit ● Camera
● Underwear ● Backpack For Weekend Trips
● Socks  Electrical Converter (220V in Israel)
● Shirts ● Toiletries
● Shorts ● Imodium, Pepto Bismol, etc.
● Pants ● Pain Reliever/Cold Medicine
● Jazz shoes (optional) ● Batteries, Battery Charger (If Needed)
● Ballet shoes (mandatory) ● Washing Machines are available

Will we have access to a washing machine?

Yes, you’ll have access to wash your cloths once a week using the washing machine and dryer near your accommodation free of charge.  You will only have to buy your own laundry detergent at the mini-market on the kibbutz.


For additional information and any questions, please contact:

Yoni Avital
International Director
Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company
E-mail [email protected]
Mobile +31-6-8006-8709
Whatsapp Call | Chat
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Facebook Chat

WhatsAppLive Chat

During the Kibbutz Summer Intensive (July/August),
for all logistical, payment, and transportation matters, please contact:

Iris Tesler
Kibbutz Summer Intensive
Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company
E-mail. [email protected]
Mobile: +972-50-224-3028
Whatsapp: Call | Chat

WhatsAppLive Chat

  • More Information

    For any further assistance, more information and/or questions, please contact:
    Yoni Avital
    International Director
    Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Phone: +31-6-8006-8709
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