Dance Workshop
-- July 22-25, 2026 --
Train in classical ballet, contemporary, and modern dance while working with the members of the Joffrey Concert Group.
Hosted in Gunnison, Colorado on the campus of Western Colorado University.
Limited spots available - International students welcome!
Our Vision
The Joffrey Concert Group and Imagine212 Summer Workshop share a unified vision:
To cultivate a dynamic artistic ecosystem where rigorous training, professional performance, and interdisciplinary collaboration converge to prepare the next generation of dance artists for a global stage.
We envision a community-driven environment in which dancers, choreographers, musicians, and singers work in active dialogue—collaborating across disciplines to generate work that is musically informed, theatrically compelling, and culturally resonant. Through the integration of live music and vocal artistry, we seek to deepen the interpretive intelligence of our dancers and foster a holistic understanding of performance as a shared, collaborative act.
Rooted in the Joffrey legacy yet forward-facing in aesthetic scope, the Concert Group provides a professional company model that bridges education and career. Imagine212 expands this vision in Colorado each summer, creating an immersive laboratory where artists from diverse geographic and cultural backgrounds converge, exchange ideas, and build lasting creative networks.
Together, these initiatives champion innovation, community engagement, and global exposure—empowering artists to create boldly, collaborate authentically, and contribute meaningfully to the evolving international dance landscape.
Program Information
Discover all details about our programs, including application dates, fees, schedules, and session options. We provide a comprehensive overview to help you make informed decisions.
Program Details
All information subject to change.
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Program Cost: $300/Student
Each Session Includes:
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Housing, breakfast, dinner, and clean linens for the nights of July 22-24, with checkout on the 25th.
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Housing will be in the dorm facilities at Western Colorado University.
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Final showcase performances.
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Master classes with guest artists.
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International faculty with Metropolitan Opera and Joffrey credentials.
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The opportunity to earn a scholarship to attend a Joffrey Ballet School program.
Audition Information
Audition Information:
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Video Auditions only - we will contact you if additional in-person audition material is required.
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In-Person Locations: New York City, and Denver. (Only if asked for by selection committee)
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Applications open January 1, 2026
The button below will redirect to the audition page on January 1, 2026.
Application Details
Audition Video Requirements
Imagine212 and the Joffrey Concert Group seeks versatile artists with a strong technical foundation, a dynamic contemporary sensibility, and a curiosity for creative and cultural exploration. We value dancers who move fluidly between classical structure and contemporary expression, and who demonstrate musical responsiveness, individuality, and range.
General Video Guidelines
• Submit a 3–4 minute solo in a contemporary, modern, or hybrid movement style that best represents you as an artist.
• The solo should highlight:
• Movement quality and dynamic range
• Technical clarity
• Musicality and phrasing
• Creative voice and interpretive depth
• Exploration of modern and contemporary aesthetics, improvisation, or culturally informed movement languages is strongly encouraged.
• The entire body must remain in frame for the duration of the video.
• Wear form-fitting dance attire that allows faculty to clearly assess alignment and articulation.
Please note: Dancers are not expected to demonstrate complete mastery of every technical element listed below. The materials are designed to provide a broad framework through which faculty can assess foundational training, adaptability, artistry, and potential.
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Technical Foundation Submission
Applicants should demonstrate a strong ballet-based technical foundation alongside contemporary versatility. Classical vocabulary may be interpreted with contemporary nuance and musical individuality.
Barre (facing the camera)
• Pliés
• Tendu and Dégagé (front, side, back)
• Fondu and Développé (front, side, back)
• Grand Battements (front, side, back)
Center Work (facing the camera)
• An adagio phrase emphasizing control, extension, and line- can be a contemporary or modern adagio.
• Pirouettes (en dehors and en dedans)
• A petit allegro combination incorporating steps such as assemblé, jeté, sissonne, glissade, or related vocabulary
• A traveling phrase across the floor including large jumps (e.g., grand jeté or similar expansive movement) and turns
Additional Technical Options
For dancers who train en pointe (if applicable):
• A brief échappé or relevé-based combination
• A turning sequence
• Fouettés (up to 16 if comfortably within your training)
• Piqué or traveling turns
For dancers wishing to demonstrate advanced elevation and virtuosity (if applicable):
• Beats such as entrechat
• Single or double tour en l’air
• Grand pirouettes à la seconde
• A dynamic jump combination incorporating batterie
These elements may be adapted to reflect your training background. We welcome dancers whose technical foundation supports work in ballet, contemporary, modern, and culturally diverse movement practices.
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Application Countdown
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Apps Open: January 1, 2026
Message from the Director - Bradley Shelver
Dear Artists,
Welcome to the 212 Arts and Music Summer Dance Workshop. It is a pleasure to gather with you for this thrilling three-day exploration of contemporary, modern, and ballet practice.
Over the course of the festival, you will engage in rigorous technique classes, creative exchange, and the embodied investigation that fuels artistic growth. This experience is designed not only to challenge and refine your physical abilities, but to invite curiosity, risk-taking, and deeper connection to your artistry.
A special highlight of the festival is the opportunity to learn repertory—stepping inside existing works and experiencing how movement, musicality, and intention live within a choreographic voice. Through this process, you’ll gain insight into performance, interpretation, and the collaborative nature of dance-making.
I encourage you to arrive open, present, and ready to work. May these three days energize your practice, expand your perspective, and strengthen the community we build together.
Welcome to the workshop—I’m excited to dance with you.
Warmly,
Bradley Shelver
Artistic Director
212 Arts and Music Summer Dance Workshop
About the Joffrey Concert Group
The Joffrey Concert Group was founded in the early 1970s and incorporated as a not-for-profit in 1981, and is currently led by Artistic Director Bradley Shelver. As the resident dance company of the Joffrey Ballet School, this pre-professional performing ensemble provides young artists from the School's year-round Trainee Program the opportunity to experience life as a professional dancer
In the years since its inception, Concert Group dancers have toured domestically and internationally, performing some of the most celebrated classical and contemporary repertoire. This includes the works of Gerald Arpino (Birthday Variations, Light Rain), Robert Battle (Battlefield), George Balanchine (Serenade), August Bournonville (La Ventana), Dwight Rhoden (New Work), Africa Guzman (The Stolen Path), Bradley Shelver, Eric Trope, Lindsay Grimes, Vernard J. Gilmore, Eryn Renee Young, Thang Da, Tsai Hsi Hung, Omar Ramon de Jesus, and Ken Ossola.
Concert Group dancers have gone on to perform in premiere companies including Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, the Forsythe Company, the Martha Graham Dance Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Joffrey Ballet.