PDI—Welcome

Arrival & Check-In: Sunday, July 14

Participants check-in 10:00 AM–12:00 PM on Sunday, July 14. Check-in will be held at Gilbert Addoms, located at 1368 Campus Drive, Durham, NC, on Duke University’s East Campus. At check-in, participants receive their check-in packet, dorm housing assignment, ADF/Duke ID card, prepaid ADF T-shirt (paid by June 1) and final schedule.

Participants unable to arrive by 12:00 PM on July 14 need to inform ADF as soon as possible so other arrangements for check-in can be made.

On July 14, participants will attend the ADF Footprints performance at 3:00 PM at Reynolds Industries Theater, located in the Bryan University Center on Duke University’s West Campus. Parents/Legal Guardians and family are welcome to attend this show and may purchase tickets for 25% off with the code PREPRO.

Departure: Saturday, July 27

The PDI Final Showing is on Saturday, July 27, at 12PM, followed by a final gathering with light food provided, from 2:00-3:00 PM. Both are free for family and friends to attend. An online RSVP will be sent out during the intensive to family to collect expected attendance. Check-out will take place after the post-showing gathering, and participants staying in dorms will check-out of their rooms in the afternoon (no later than 4:30PM). A detailed final day schedule will be provided.

COMMUTERS
Local residents choosing to live off-campus and commute to the program will have scheduled daily arrival and pick-up times. Commuters always arrive and depart at Rubenstein Arts Center between 8:30am-8:45am Monday-Friday. Commuters can arrive at Alspaugh dormitory at 9am on Saturday and 10am on Sunday to have breakfast with the dorm residents and counselors. Commuters that must arrive outside of these times on any given day are required to inform program staff immediately.

Commuters typically depart after classes at 5:45 PM on weekdays, or after evening activities or performances at 9:00 PM (or later). Weekend departure times will vary each week. Commuters may opt out of some evening activities but are highly encouraged to attend all performances. When staying for performances, commuters must have cash or credit/debit to purchase dinner at East Union Marketplace on Duke’s East Campus.

Participants traveling alone to or from the program will be escorted by program staff between ADF and the airport, bus, or train station—please complete the travel itinerary form in the participants’ online application and staff will follow-up with parents/legal guardians to coordinate pick-up and drop-off plans. Participants traveling with a parent/legal guardian to or from the program will need to provide their own transportation to or from ADF.

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

Travel Options

• Car: The student dorm is located at Alspaugh Residence Hall on Duke University’s East Campus: 1344 Campus Drive, Durham, NC, 27705. 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.
• Shuttle Service: Charlene Safe Ride (Brier Creek Taxi & Car Service) is a trusted and economical company that provides a shuttle service to/from the airport and around Durham.

Duke University On-Campus Housing:
Alspaugh Residence Hall
1344 Campus Dr, Durham, NC 27705

Residential participants share a dorm room with a roommate from the program. The dorm includes:

• Centralized heating and air conditioning
• Each room contains: Desk, bookshelf, desk chair, dresser, metal bed frame (42″ high off ground), mattress 36″x 80″ (extra-long), closet, large window with screen and mini blind. Bathrooms are shared on each floor.
• Dorm Hall amenities: common room, laundry room, vending area, study rooms, and shared kitchen with traditional size refrigerator/freezer combo, microwave, traditional stove/oven, sink, table and chairs, and cabinet space.
• Laundry facilities accept coins, credit card, and money uploaded to your ADF/Duke card.

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

Dining On-Campus: Meal Plans
All participants must purchase one of the below ADF meal plan options. Participants must attend all meals during the designated times:

• Dorm Residents = $1,190 (includes double dorm room & 3 meals/day)
• Commuters = $198 (lunch only, 7 days per week)

Marketplace in the East Campus Union
Duke University Dining Services in the East Union Marketplace will provide on-campus food service for program participants and is conveniently located near Randolph Residence Hall. East Union Marketplace/Trinity Cafe on East Campus

There are dining points/cash loaded to each students’ ADF/Duke ID card that is living in a dorm. This covers dinner on the date of arrival, breakfast on the date of departure, and 3 meals/day for all other days. Each meal swipe will reduce the total cash balance on the student’s card. To track the remaining balance at any time, ask any dining vendor for a receipt. Please note, unused funds are nonrefundable.

Allergies

• Duke Dining identifies foods containing the eight major food allergens (wheat, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts,​ peanuts, and soy, plus sesame) as well gluten containing foods in all of our dining locations.
• “Ask Me” allergen program is setup to there is always a member of the restaurant staff available to assist guests with allergen related menu questions.
• Peanut oil is not used in any dining facility.

Commuters
Participants commuting from home must purchase the lunch meal plan, which covers lunches seven days per week for the two weeks, except for the first and last day of the intensive. For dinners on performance or other mandatory nights, commuters eat 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 cards). Per Duke University policies, participants bringing a packed lunch will not be allowed to eat in the Marketplace with the other participants.

Pay-per-meal
All participants and visitors may eat in the East Campus Union Marketplace on a pay-per-meal basis.

• Breakfast: $12.85*
• Lunch: $15.85*
• Dinner: $19.10*

Credit/debit cards and cash accepted. There is an ATM in the building.
*All meals purchased using cash or credit card 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.

All accepted students sign a commitment statement affirming that they will adhere to community rules that guarantee a safe, healthy, and happy environment for PDI participants.

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 were 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. We will send out an email prior to the start of the program introducing you to them!

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. 

Cell phones and internet-enabled devices must remain turned off and/or on silent and kept in the students dorm room, or a commuter’s dance bag, except during designated times. Students may only use their devices during regular “phone home” times, to support a classroom learning experience or project, or as needed for emergency use. 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.

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.

All-Gender Bathrooms in ADF-Relevant Spaces

ADF believes in inclusion and fairness, which includes the right for each individual to access public facilities according to their gender as opposed to their biological sex. All-gender bathrooms exist in some, but not all classrooms and performance spaces. Wherever male/female facilities are the only options available, ADF honors the right for students, faculty, and staff to choose the facility that makes them most comfortable. We acknowledge that this is an imperfect situation and hope that the campuses that ADF occupies will prioritize updating their facilities to be fully inclusive.

Schedules

2024 PDI Schedule (PDF)

Additional Resources

2024 PDI Handbook (PDF)