BWW Blog: Andrea D'Annunzio - To Be, or Not to Be... an RA

Ever since I was thirteen I have been attending summer intensives. As a ballet dancer it's just "what you do" to continue your training and prevent your technique and strength from slipping backward. But after high school things got tricky. Despite the continued importance of summer training for dancers no matter what their age, most summer intensives do not accept students over eighteen. After researching and finding a few that did extend their age bracket I took advantage of them when I could. What I eventually realized, however, is that once you pass that wonderful age of eighteen, becoming an RA, or Residence Assistant," is just "what you do."

After finishing my first year as a trainee with American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School I was asked to be an RA for the School's Summer Intensive. It was also my first year out of college, so the prospect of dancing intensely while having all of the costs paid for by this position was thrilling. I decided that if nothing else comes out of this experience, I would have the opportunity to improve my technique and artistry, and do a little work on the side. What actually came of it was more then I anticipated, and more then I could have hoped for.

The first pleasant surprise was being privy to the business side of a dance school and the running of a summer intensive program. From the very first day on the job, RAs have organization, planning and scheduling duties. We are the intermediaries of the program. We assist the summer intensive director and coordinator with paperwork and the planning of activities, as well as enforcing rules and keeping dorm life fun and running smoothly. Learning about all of the work that goes on behind the scenes before the students even arrive was eye opening. I realized how important and invaluable it is for dancers to have at least a basic knowledge of administrative processes and to appreciate the people who keep a company and school running.

It was only after the Intensive ended last year that I realized how drastically I grew as a young, maturing adult. I had developed life skills without realizing it. Things that a fairly prescribed and safe college setting can't teach, such as four RAs being responsible for fifty underage dancers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for five weeks. It forced me to be more organized and responsible at all times, to solve issues that arose and not back down from a conflict or disagreement. These are traits I've always associated with adults, a label I only gave myself when "acting" like an adult was convenient. But for five weeks I had to be the adult, and being an RA gave me the skills I needed to do it.

The last aspect is extremely important to me. When I agreed to be an RA that was only one of the titles I carried during the Intensive, the other was that of a second-year Trainee. The RA title comes with responsibility and respect from the dormitory students I'm in charge of, but the Trainee title brings its own sense of respect in the dance world and a responsibility to inspire and set an example for the younger dancers in the program. When I was young and attending summer programs, my peers and I were thrilled when RAs or even company members would pop into our morning technique class. It was awesome to see professionals up close, with their flawless and effortless technique. Those rare occasions were what kept me working hard and pushing myself to be better, to be "the best." It is such an honor for me to now be in a position to give that back to younger dancers. It was humbling and I was surprised to find that I was still pushing myself to do better, not because I wanted to be "the best" anymore, but because I was afraid that I would disappoint the younger dancers, and that I wouldn't be able to give them the inspiration that was given to me.

All of the growth and knowledge that I gained from my first year as an RA were crucial to my personal development as well as my technical and artistic development as a dancer. I truly believe that without that experience I would not have been able to realize my dream of becoming a professional dancer and now company member with American Repertory Ballet. It is for this reason that I eagerly agreed to be an RA for Princeton Ballet School's Summer Intensive again this year, and what drives me to give back. I never expected that simply being an RA for a summer intensive could change me, so much, for the better. So if you've ever thought about being an RA, and you're weighting the positives and the negatives, my experience is that the positives out weight the negatives, and therefore you should decided to be an RA.

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