Life At ADF (PDI)

Arrival

Sunday, July 14, 2024

Arrive for check-in at the student dorm on Duke’s East Campus. An orientation for students and parents follows check-in. Afternoon and evening will feature events for students and dorm counselors. Regularly scheduled classes begin on Monday, July 15.

Departure

Saturday, July 27

On the last day of the intensive, a student performance & gathering for family and friends will be held. The performance is for family, friends and ADF community members, with a goodbye reception hosted by ADF following the performance. Students check out of the dorms by 4pm.

All Pre-Professional students traveling alone will be picked up from the airport, bus station, or train station by an ADF representative and driven to campus.

Interactive Map of Duke University’s campus and important ADF locations including studios and performance spaces.

Travel Options

• Car: The ADF summer office is located in the Gilbert-Addoms Residence Hall on Duke University’s East Campus:
  1368 Campus Dr, Durham, NC 27708 Driving directions
• Air: The closest airport is the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). It is approximately 18 miles from Duke University.
• Bus: Greyhound and Megabus buses arrive and depart from the downtown Durham station at 515 W Pettigrew St.
• Train: The Amtrak station is located in downtown Durham at 601 W Main St.
• Car Service: Lyft and Uber provide easy transportation to and from the airport and around Durham.

Dorm Resident or Commuter

Pre-Professional Dance Intensive students may choose to live on-campus in a dorm or, if they live locally, be a commuter to the program.

Dorms

Students that live on-campus will be in double (shared) rooms in an air-conditioned dormitory on Duke’s East Campus. ADF Dorm counselors also live in the dorms and maintain supervision of students. All dorm residents share bathrooms, kitchens, and common rooms with other PDI participants.

Important: Students living in the dorms must provide their own bedding and linens (pillows, sheets, blankets, towels, etc)

More information regarding 2024 housing coming soon.

Duke Facilities

Students have access to purchase items at stores on-campus with cash or card. Vending machines and laundry facilities require cash/coins.

Dorm Residents

Duke University requires all students with on-campus housing to purchase a meal plan, which is included in the cost of Housing & Meals.

Duke University Dining Services in the East Union Marketplace provides on-campus food service to the PDI program. Dorm residents receive 3 meals per day through their meal plan. The cafeteria features an open-style buffet that focuses on healthy options including a full salad bar, grill items, and rotating international entrees. Students with allergies or food restrictions have adequate meal options. The East Campus Union also features the Trinity Cafe, open for select hours during the summer and serving coffee shop-style food and beverage items.

Commuters

Students commuting from home are required to purchase the lunch meal plan, which covers lunch for every day of the PDI program, including weekends. On performance nights, commuters eat dinner in the East Campus Union Marketplace on a pay-per-meal basis and will need to bring additional money for these meals (cash or credit/debit). 

Pay-per-meal dining at East Campus Union Marketplace

2023 rates
Breakfast: $12.25
Lunch: $15.25
Dinner: $18.50

Credit/debit cards and cash accepted. There is an ATM in the building. All meals at the Duke University Marketplace are taxed at the 7.5% current local rate. 

The Pre-Professional Dance Intensive is a life-changing experience designed to create thoughtful dancers who exhibit personal integrity and community-mindedness. In addition to rigorous technical and creative training in the dance studio, this intensive prioritizes community building, tolerance, and responsibility both inside the classroom and in daily life. Students are expected to contribute to an environment where individual actions uplift the integrity of the community. Intimidation, harassment, and bullying will not be tolerated.

Integrating into a new community and being away from home, especially for the first time, may cause homesickness for some students. It is important to discuss homesickness as a family and prepare your student for welcoming new experiences in different environments. We strongly encourage parents/guardians to refer to this helpful article for ideas on how to prepare their student for staying at a camp for an extended period of time.

Dorm counselors supervise students at all times and accompany them for meals, classes, performances, and activities, including travel to and from all locations. They are a key part of the community and offer support and mentorship to students inside and outside the classroom. 

Dorm counselors are selected via an application process and are subjected to a background check. All have previous experience as counselors/teachers in summer camps or dance intensives, or as college residence assistants. Most are pursuing degrees in the dance field, recently completed a degree in the dance field, and/or are actively working in the dance field. Counselors undergo training at ADF that prepares them to create a supportive community for PDI students.

The purpose of attending a dance intensive is to focus on your training, creativity, and building relationships. To further support this environment, we have a Cell Phone & Device Policy in place to reduce screen time and increase time and presence with others within the ADF community.The technology break allows students to be more present in the learning environment and enables them to form strong and lasting relationships within the ADF community.

Phone home time is established by the dorm counselors and students as a group and boundaries are set and everyone is responsible for holding each other accountable for cell phone and device use as a community.

If use of a cell phone or other device is used inappropriately or to bully other students, ADF has the right to collect any devices and will discuss the issue with the parent/legal guardian. ADF is not liable for loss or damage to devices brought to the program.

Duke University Student Health Center

For basic health needs, Duke University allows ADF students the option to pay a Student Health Center Fee and take advantage of the campus outpatient services. Clinic service examples:

• medical care for illnesses and minor injuries
• medication dispensed by the Center’s pharmacy for short-term treatment of acute problems
• basic laboratory services

This fee does NOT COVER emergency room or hospital visits. Please refer to Duke University’s Student Health Center to see all services covered and not covered. It’s important to reference these pages before pursuing services at the center.
Purchasing the Student Health Center Fee DOES NOT take the place of health insurance.

Physical Therapy

ADF students have access to a Duke University physical therapy walk-in clinic for the duration of the festival and is offered free of charge.