2026 Summer Dance Workshop
Dance in Columbus, GA this summer!
July 12-17, 2026
The Columbus State University Summer Dance Workshop is an immersive week of focused training for dancers ready to grow in technique, artistry, and creative confidence—all within a collegiate arts environment.
Who It's For:
Rising 9-12 grade dancers
Classes Offered:
- Ballet
- Jazz
- Modern
- Dance Composition
Options Available:
Commuter (Day Camp) and Residential (Overnight)
About the Workshop
The CSU Summer Dance Workshop provides rising high school dancers with high-quality instruction in both technical and creative practices. Participants will take daily technique classes while also engaging in dance composition, encouraging artistic exploration alongside strong foundational training.
This workshop is designed for dancers with prior experience who are interested in deepening their skills and experiencing life on a university arts campus.
Classes Offered
Dancers will study:
- Ballet
- Jazz
- Modern
- Dance Composition
Classes emphasize technical clarity, musicality, performance quality, and creative development.
Faculty
Tara Shepard Myers
Dance Educator | Choreographer | Performer
MFA, Florida State University | BA, University of Alabama
Tara Shepard Myers is a dance educator, choreographer, and performer with extensive experience in collegiate dance training. She is currently a Teaching Specialist in Dance at Emory University, where she teaches modern and all levels of jazz. She also serves as faculty coordinator for the Emory Student Dance Network and as faculty liaison for several independent student dance ensembles.
In addition to her work at Emory, Myers teaches jazz, dance history, and anatomy for dancers at Columbus State University, where she assists the Dean of the College of the Arts in marketing the dance minor.
Her choreographic work has been produced by Sankofa Dance Theater, selected for the Pan African Dance Festival, and performed at the Joyce Theater in New York. She has served as artist-in-residence at Agnes Scott College, Coker College, Johnson C. Smith College, and Spelman College, with works presented in mainstage concerts.
Myers' choreography has also been featured at Emory University, Columbus State University, Chattanooga Dance Theatre, The Dance Foundry, Georgia Academy of Dance, and the Callanwolde Performance Ensemble. Her performance career includes international teaching and performing in France and Poland with Danz Studie Tanka, as well as work with Duende Dance Theater, IndieMove, and as a founding member of staibdance (2001-2010). Additional performance credits include repertory by Shapiro and Smith, Doris Humphrey, and a five-year tenure as a company member of Sankofa Dance Theater.
Wanda Ebright
Professor of Dance | Dean, College of the Arts
PhD, Texas Woman's University | MFA, Florida State University
Wanda Ebright is Professor of Dance and Dean of the College of the Arts at Columbus State University, as well as Artistic Director of The Wanda Project, a ballet-based dance company. A former President and Festival Coordinator for the South Carolina Dance Association, she is an active guest teacher, choreographer, grant reviewer, and speaker.
Dr. Ebright is the author of Dance on the Historically Black College Campus: The Familiar and the Foreign (2019, Palgrave Macmillan) and a contributing author to Inspired to Climb Higher: The Challenges, Questions, Struggles, and Joy of Earning Your Doctoral Degree (2024, Rowman & Littlefield). Her work reflects a deep commitment to dance education, scholarship, and leadership in higher education and the arts.
Commuter & Residential Options
Commuter (Day Camp):
Ideal for local families. Dancers commute to campus daily for classes and activities
and return home each evening.
Tuition: $425
Residential (Overnight):
The residential option offers a supervised and supportive campus experience for out-of-town
dancers. Residential participants will stay and take classes at Rankin Hall, located
on Columbus State University's Arts Campus, allowing dancers to live and train in
the same facility.
Students will be supervised by trained Resident Assistants (RAs) who stay on campus with participants throughout the week. This option provides a structured, safe environment while giving dancers the opportunity to build independence, community, and focus during the workshop.
Tuition: $525
Dates & Location
Dates: July 12-17, 2026
Location: Columbus State University - RiverPark Campus
Columbus, Georgia
Registration
Registration coming soon.
Full program details and registration information will be available shortly.
Join the Interest List
Families and dancers who would like to receive registration updates are encouraged to join the interest list.
Email myers_tara@columbusstate.edu with the subject line: "CSU Summer Dance Workshop Interest"