Time for Tutu Camp! Get Ready for Summer Ballet Adventures

Have a Storybook Summer

Summertime is finally here, which means you’re probably looking for ways to keep your little one occupied over the next two and a half months. While a Tutu School class is always a great idea for a weekly to-do – or even daily, thanks to our unlimited classes all summer long – our Tutu Camp is the perfect way for dancers aged 3 to 8 to spend their summer days. Campers do not need to have prior ballet experience to participate, but they should be prepared for a lot of leaping, twirling, and imaginative adventures! Even if your child isn’t currently enrolled in a Tutu School class, they can experience the joy of dance all summer long.

Imagine spending fun-filled camp days exploring the enchanting and enriching world of ballet! On any given day at Tutu Camp, a child might take a ballet class, decorate ballet crafts, learn the story of a famous ballet, or even take part in a production of their own creation. Each of our camp sessions focuses on a different ballet story from the classical repertoire. Tutu Camp provides an immersive experience for children who want to be enveloped by the magic of dance and dive into Storybook Adventures in Ballet. Whether you’re joining us for your favorite ballet or want to experience the magic of several weeks of Tutu Camp, get ready for your dancer’s twirling adventure.

Camp offerings vary by location, so be sure to contact us to learn more about your local Tutu School’s camp offerings!

What is Tutu Camp?

Let’s dive right into the glittering heart of what Tutu Camp is: a perfect fit for your little one’s summer adventures! Tutu Camp is a place where fun-filled days are dedicated to exploring the truly enchanting and enriching world of ballet, and our day camps are designed specifically for dancers aged 3 to 8. On any given day, your child might pirouette through a ballet class and let their creativity sparkle while decorating special crafts related to the week’s theme. They’ll also get swept away learning the story of a famous classical ballet, taking from our enriching Ballet Storytime curriculum. And we can’t forget: the week builds towards something truly special – campers get to take part in a special production of their very own creation at the end of the week, performing that week’s ballet story for campmates, caregivers, family, and friends!

Each week may unveil a different Storybook Adventure in Ballet, focusing on beloved tales from the classical ballet repertoire. Little dancers are never too young to experience the magic of Swan Lake or The Firebird, and can experience familiar favorites like Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella in a whole new light. Camps tend to run Monday through Friday, and offerings may include full-day camps or a short and sweet Petite Camp (half-day). Beyond the structure, Tutu Camp is designed to be an immersive experience for campers, allowing little ones to be completely enveloped by the magic of dance and truly dive into our Storybook Adventures. 

Social & Developmental Benefits of Camp

Tutu Camp is more than just a summer activity; it’s a thoughtfully designed experience that supports key areas of early childhood development, much like our carefully crafted class curriculum. For children aged 3 to 8, day camps provide a unique setting to build social-emotional skills, physical coordination, and cognitive growth through creative, play-based learning.

Social and Emotional Growth

At Tutu Camp, children have daily opportunities to connect, collaborate, and communicate with their peers. These interactions help build empathy, teamwork, and emotional regulation. According to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, positive early social experiences help develop the brain’s “executive function” skills, like problem-solving, attention, and self-control.

Being part of a small group outside of home or school also fosters independence. The American Academy of Pediatrics highlights the importance of play and exploration in helping young children build confidence, adaptability, and resilience.

Physical Development Through Dance

Ballet and movement-based activities are ideal for developing gross motor skills, balance, and spatial awareness. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) emphasizes that movement and music support physical health and early brain development. At Tutu Camp, leaping like a swan or twirling like Cinderella doesn’t just feel magical, it’s also building coordination and strength in age-appropriate ways.

Cognitive Growth Through Imagination

Each camp session invites children to explore a classical ballet through storytelling, role-play, and performance. This kind of imaginative play has been shown to improve memory, language development, and narrative thinking. Research from the American Journal of Play supports make-believe play as a powerful tool for cognitive development and early executive function.

In short, Tutu Camp helps children grow socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively—all while having fun. Through twirls, tales, and teamwork, your little one is developing more than just dance skills—they’re building a foundation for lifelong learning.

What might Tutu Camp look like?

Curious about what your dancer is going to do each day at Tutu Camp? While camp offerings vary from location to location, or even week to week, we have a sample of what a day at Tutu Camp might look like at your local Tutu School. While camp days depend on the theme, location, week, and what camp leaders have in store, this sample is a great way to see how Tutu Camp may differ from other summer programs. 

Camper Arrival & Check-In

You’ll drop your little one off in the morning and check in with the Tutu Camp leaders. Tutu School always makes sure campers have an emergency contact and designated pick-up person on file, so you can feel secure about your child’s time at Tutu School.

Tutu School Ballet Class

It wouldn’t be Tutu Camp without a ballet class! Campers have the opportunity to experience a Tutu School class. If your child is a regular Tutu Schooler, they’ll get to experience what they already love, and if they’re new to Tutu School, this is a perfect, bite-sized taste of a typical class snuggled into a day of camp.

Morning Snack

After a class, dancers have likely worked up an appetite! We have a brief break for snacks in the morning. All campers must have their own snacks on hand, and Tutu Camp is nut-free. It’s also important that there is always a CPR-certified Tutu Camp leader on staff, so you can feel secure in the fact that your little one will have a safe camp experience.

Ballet Book Time!

If you didn’t already guess it from our magical storybook adventures, Tutu School is big on books! We just had to make time for storytime during camp, too. Campers will get to enjoy an array of different ballet books – and these are always available in the lobby at Tutu School, too, in case your dancer wants to revisit after class, during each day of camp. They might even get a sneak peek at some of our Ballet Book Club books, our monthly book club of hand-selected dance books!

Ballet Story Hour

Each camp week has a different theme to coincide with our thoughtfully constructed Ballet Storytime curriculum. This curriculum is what makes Tutu School, as is our commitment to a rich early arts education and an emphasis on art, music, and movement. We currently have thirteen ballets in our Ballet Storytime repertoire, showcasing some fixtures of the ballet world from the sounds of Tchaikovsky to the graceful choreography of Balanchine. Iconic characters and costumes are featured in brightly colored illustrations that will keep little dancers engaged and excited for every turn of the page. 

In a typical Tutu School class, Tutu Teachers spend 5-10 minutes showcasing a portion of a ballet through illustrations and music, discussing the plot and themes, and reinforcing that dancers are storytellers. Tutu School’s Ballet Storytime curriculum has been specially crafted to highlight both classical ballets and their scores and to promote positive messaging and values for our students. At Tutu Camp, Ballet Storytime is an expanded, week-long event, and little ones get to dive deeper into these worlds of wonder and whimsy.

We are committed not only to providing our dancers with a rich early arts education but also to making sure we are impacting our students in a thoughtful, responsible way through the stories we tell them and the themes we choose to celebrate. At Tutu Camp, dancers get to fully engage with these stories and their messages as they partake in imaginative play.

Rehearsal for End-of-Week Performance

Dancers will get to perform the stories that they learn at Tutu Camp at the end of the week. All the hard work they spent learning their choreography and taking in the story all leads up to their big moment! The end-of-week performance is much more relaxed than our biyearly Bravo Bash, but it is still such a proud moment for campers. They’ve had so much fun throughout the week learning all about a ballet story and what makes that ballet special, and they are always so excited to show their caregivers, family, and friends, alongside new camp friends. It’s a moment you won’t want to miss!

Lunch Time

It’s time for dancers to re-energize again with a healthy, nut-free lunch (provided by caregivers and able to sit without refrigeration). Dancers may also have outside time with leader supervision, so make sure dancers have sunscreen and water for those hot summer days!

Crafts

It’s not a ballet story without a themed craft! All of our ballet stories have special crafts to represent different scenes, and the best part about these crafts is that they will be used in the end-of-week performance. Each craft actually serves as a prop, making the end-of-week performance extra special.

Creative Movement Games

Another central part of Tutu School is creative movement games. Creative movement games are a great way to wind down after a very structured day of camp, and allow little dancers to explore something fun and unique every day while exploring a ballet-based activity.

Cool Down + Coloring

Each ballet story has its own set of coloring sheets, of course! As a way to transition to camp pick-up, dancers will color these special, themed coloring sheets and get ready to go home.

Friday of each week of camp will be a performance of the week’s Ballet Story, complete with props the dancers made throughout the week. It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Get ready to see all the camps show off their dance skills and sweet prop crafts at the end of the week. You’re in for a treat.

Whether dancers are leaping through The Nutcracker or twirling through Swan Lake, Tutu Camp is the perfect place to spend the summer. Tutu Camp provides an immersive experience for children who want to be enveloped by the magic of dance and dive into Storybook Adventures in Ballet, and we can think of no better way to do just that.

As a reminder, campers do not need to have prior ballet experience to participate, so the magic is open to anyone between the ages of 3 and 8. Camp offerings vary by location, so be sure to visit our camp page for more information on themes and pricing. What ballet story are you most excited to dance through?