There is no formal dress requirement for any of our Berklee Summer Programs day-to-day activities. However, we highly recommend dressing in clothes that would allow you to be comfortable and/or move as your program demands. All registered students should plan to bring footwear that allows for comfort while walking—due to the urban nature of our campus, students will be walking from class to class, from their residence halls to other locations on campus, and possibly around Boston as they explore the city.
Many of our dance and theater programs have suggested clothing items to pack or wear during the program. Below are a few suggestions of what to plan to pack, pulled from some of our sample packing lists, as well as previous years' suggested dress for final performances.
Commercial Dance Intensive and Summer Dance Intensive
Please plan to bring the following items:
Dance Wear:
- Leotards
- Tights (pink and black)
- Unitards
- Dance shorts
- Ballet shoes
- Heels
- Tap shoes (optional)
- Dance underwear
Final Performance Attire:
- Black dance shorts
- Solid-colored tank top or leotard
- Solid-colored t-shirt or tank top
- White pants/tights
- White long- or short-sleeved shirt
Musical Theater Acting Intensive
Please plan to bring the following items:
Everyday Wear:
- Audition outfits for mock auditions
- One or two outfits appropriate to wear to a theater or concert event
- Clothing that is easy to move in (yoga pants, leggings, t-shirts, sweatpants, athletic clothes, etc.)
- Sneakers
- Tap shoes (optional)
- Jazz shoes (optional)
- Ballet shoes (optional)
- Character shoes (optional)
Performance Wear:
- Black clothing appropriate for a concert (nice black pants and a nice black shirt, black dress, etc.)
- Black shoes or black character/dance shoes
Vocal/Choral Intensive
Please plan to bring the following items:
Everyday Wear:
- Clothing that is comfortable and modest. You're likely to be lying on the floor, hanging upside down, and moving around at any given time of the day.
Performance Attire:
- Two nice outfits to perform in for the solo recitals, as well as "festive black and white" for the final performance; any combination of black and white, solids, or prints will be great.
- Performance-appropriate and comfortable shoes
Musical Theater Dance Intensive
Please plan to bring the following items:
Dance Wear:
- Leotards
- Tights
- Unitards
- Dance shorts
- Leggings
- Dance underwear
- Ballet shoes
- Character shoes
- Character heels
- Tap shoes
- Jazz Shoes
- Sneakers
Performance Attire:
- Solid-colored dress, appropriate for dancing
- Solid-colored shirt with black pants or black leggings, appropriate for dancing
Musical Theater Workshop
Please plan to bring the following items:
- For classes: Please wear dance or active wear with socks. Bring tennis shoes, jazz shoes, or any dance shoes—including character heels—that you already own. If you are choosing a tap elective, you must also bring tap shoes. Pack any hair accessories needed to keep your hair secure and away from your face. Consider a towel and deodorant. You will also need a refillable water bottle, notebook, pencil, black Sharpie, highlighter, and tape recorder or phone recording app.
- For performances: Bring a variety of black clothing and black socks, tights, and shoes.
- For a practice audition: Pack clothes without rips, holes, or visible logos. Your outfit could be as dressed down as jeans and a nicely fitting t-shirt with sneakers or boots, or more dressed up with a button-down shirt, dress shoes, or heels. Select two pieces of music demonstrating your ability to act and sing. We ask that you have clearly marked sheet music ready to supply an accompanist, typically 16 bars, but no longer than 32 bars in length. If you are inexperienced in preparing vocal selections, we recommend “Happy Birthday” as a great solution in a pinch. Headshots and résumés are welcome, but not required.
Youth Musical Theater Summer Program
Please plan to wear or bring the following items:
Everyday Wear:
- Water bottle
- Clothing that is comfortable to move in
- Dance supplies, if you have them
Performance Attire:
- Clothing that is comfortable to move in
- Performance-appropriate and comfortable shoes