The Experiment is a highly intensive Balboa workshop built around the model of small, select groups of students spending a week together with top Balboa dancers of our generation in an extraordinary live/work/play environment.
In 2009 we launched a single week with 24 students in a multi–million–dollar beach house. For 2010 we are expanding to two separate weeks—in an even larger beach house—with two different sets of 24 students (one for each week), doubling the total number of students that can participate to 48.
Each day at The Experiment features a combination of special workshop sessions, unstructured free time, and social dancing every night. Sessions are built on a revolutionary format in which the staff serve primarily as moderators and coaches, while centered around self–motivated individuals & couples, group collaboration and friendly rivalry. Other activities including formal nights and contests are spread throughout the week.
The Experiment is co–hosted by Nick Williams and David Rehm, and this year features special guests Kate Hedin, Laura Keat & Jeremy Otth.
After considering several options, we finally settled on using an application process which worked very well the first year. Successful small groups require participants at about the same level with similar interests and the right kind of attitude, especially in such close quarters; the application process gives us a pool of candidates—who have actively expressed interest in paying to attend—with specific information about them to help us try to achieve such groups.
We take applications as individuals so you do not need a partner, just like a regular workshop. We encourage standard rotation of partners during sessions.
Competition to get into the first year was extremely high, with us receiving over 100 applications from top dancers all over the world, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, the UK, and throughout the United States. The final 24 students accepted came from over half of those countries (with over half of them from outside the US) at a level best described as 'International Masters'.
With the addition of a second week this year, the new week (which will actually come first) should enable us to accommodate a wider range of 'Advanced/Advanced–plus' dancers in addition to 'Masters', while the (now) second week should be comparable to the level of the first year.
Applicants should not only be excellent students but also have begun to find their own direction and have something to contribute to the group. (This last part is critical for the unique kind of sessions we use.)
Submit an application(!)—even if you don't think you'll be accepted this year—and convince others at a similar level to do the same. We will use such applications to help us determine the demand for additional weeks and a wider range of levels.
The first week ("Advanced–Plus/Masters") starts the evening of Saturday, April 17th (2010) and runs through the morning of the following Saturday, the 24th. The second week ("International Masters") starts in the evening that same Saturday, April 24th, and goes through the morning of Saturday, May 1st.
Applications for 2010 are due by December 4th, 2009. Everyone who applies will receive notification (acceptance or otherwise) by the end of December.
In order to be more accessible to European participants, The Experiment takes place on the east coast of the United States. This year will be located in Topsail Island, North Carolina, accessible by Wilmington International Airport (ILM). (Note that this is a very tiny airport so applicants should be prepared to book their flights as soon as receiving confirmation.)
With our new venue we will now be able to house everyone under one roof! (The first year we relied on an auxiliary house to provide additional accommodations.) The new beach house has 7 King Suites and 3 shared/bunk rooms for the 24 students (not including an additional room for staff). King Suites are private rooms with a single King bed and are intended for couples.
Shared/bunk rooms will house 4 (perhaps one with 5) people and can accommodate both individuals and couples with a mix of single– and double/'full'– sized mattresses. (Some of these rooms are setup to hold even more but we will stick to the above limit.) Couples who choose this option are guaranteed to not have anyone in a bunk above or below them.
Meals will be provided by an on–site chef and are included in the price of accommodations. Be sure to indicate any and all dietary restrictions in the appropriate section on the application form.
There will be one or two head DJs who will coordinate along with students who wish to volunteer to DJ.
Alcohol is strongly discouraged with the exception that participants may bring wine for dinner.
Tuition is US$395 plus the price of accommodations (including meals) which range from US$450-550. This is competitive with other major week–long camps after you include the cost of lodging & meals. The base tuition price of US$395 will be due within a few weeks of receiving acceptance letters, by mid–January 2010, with the remainder due by the end of February.
With such a small number of students, the budget has been designed requiring 24 fully paying students for the entire week.
Please direct further questions to: info@thebalboaexperiment.com.