2026 Residential Counselors: Summer Dance Program & Junior Summer Intensive

Description

Boston Ballet School (BBS) seeks a team of 40 Residential Counselors (RCs) to support the residential component of two 2026 summer programs:

Summer Dance Program (SDP):

• A four-week intensive for students ages 12-18.
• The residential component is housed at Boston University (BU).
• Dates for staff are Thursday, June 18, through the afternoon of Sunday, July 26.

Junior Summer Intensive (JSI):

• A two-week program for students ages 9-12.
• Both the training and the residential component are housed at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA.
• There are three two-week sessions of JSI.
• Dates for staff are Monday, June 15, through Saturday, August 1.

As part of the application process, candidates will be given the option to choose whether they would like to be considered for one program specifically or are open to being considered for either program.

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For both programs, RCs are first and foremost responsible for creating an exciting, safe, and nurturing environment by:

• Acting as role models / resources for students.
• Helping students navigate roommate conflicts, homesickness, etc.
• Hosting regular social/recreational programs, either for small or large student groups.
• Hosting weekly floor meetings for their cohort.
• Reporting concerns about individual students' safety and wellbeing to program leadership

Please see below for additional details specific to each program:

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SUMMER DANCE PROGRAM

Dates and Compensation:

This is a five-and-a-half-week position. RCs will spend the first few days with remote training before being in Boston for the following five weeks.

• Virtual/Remote training: Thursday, June 18 through Friday, June 19
• Staff move-in day: Monday, June 22
• In-person training/prep: Monday, June 22 through Friday, June 26
• Students on campus: Saturday, June 27 through Sunday, July 26
• Staff will be finished the evening of Sunday, July 26, but may stay at BU until Monday, July 27

In addition to a $2,400 stipend, room and board at Boston University is provided for all staff.

Expectations:

Full-time, live-in Residential Counselors will work (in pairs or trios) to directly oversee cohorts of 20-30 students. The residential student body as a whole is made up of approximately 500 students.

In addition to evening duty shifts six nights per week, RCs will rotate through a variety of support shifts:

• Residential Office (three to four occurrences all summer):
  • Responding to incoming phone calls and emails from parents
  • Overseeing students coming and going from the dorms
  • Being available to on-site student needs
• BBS Studios (~ six to seven occurrences all summer):
  • Ensuring students are supervised in transit between BU and BBS
  • Helping Administrative staff monitor students coming and going from the studios
  • Supervising students on short trips during their breaks (coffee runs, lunch trips, etc.)
• Medical Appointment Chaperone (two to three occurrences all summer):
  • Chaperoning students to off-site appointments scheduled by program medical staff
• On-call Floater (two to three occurrences all summer):
  • Acting as an extra office/studio/medical chaperone shift
  • Running errands (for supplies, etc.)
• * Weekend Chaperone (all weekends):
  • Chaperoning students on off-campus field trips (planned by BBS)
  • Being available to support and run programs for the students not on weekend field trips

* With a shortened class schedule on Saturdays, and no dance programming at all on Sundays, weekends are "all hands on deck" for the entire residential staff. Staff host/chaperone both off-campus field trips and on-campus programming.

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JUNIOR SUMMER INTENSIVE

Dates and Compensation:

This is a seven-week, in-person position in Natick, MA.

• Staff move-in day: Monday, June 15
• In-person training/prep: Tuesday, June 16 through Friday, June 19
• Students on campus for Session 1: Sunday, June 21 through Friday, July 3
• Students on campus for Session 2: Sunday, July 5 through Friday, July 17
• Students on campus for Session 3: Sunday, July 19 through Friday, July 31
• Staff will be finished the evening of Friday, July 31, but may stay at Walnut Hill until Saturday, August 1

In addition to a $3,200 stipend, room and board at Walnut Hill School for the Arts is provided for all staff.

Expectations:

Full-time, live-in Residential Counselors will work as a team to oversee approximately 40 residential students per session.

In addition to preparing for and hosting programs on and around campus in the evenings and over the weekend, RCs will oversee the residential component of the program in the following ways:

• Overseeing students during transitions between classes, meals, etc.
• Supervising meals in the Walnut Hill Dining Hall (breakfast / lunch / dinner)
• Being available to student needs at the dance studios during the class day
• Responding to incoming phone calls and emails from parents
• Chaperoning students to off-site appointments suggested by Walnut Hill’s medical staff
• Distributing evening and weekend medications
• Chaperoning students on off-campus field trips (planned by BBS)

Requirements

For both programs, candidates must:

• Work as part of a large team of peers, where a variety of work styles and personalities are represented.
• Relate to and communicate with students/parents with empathy and compassion.
• Make quick, confident decisions and respond well in emergency situations.
• Remain resilient and establish healthy work-life boundaries.
• Have at least four weeks of experience working in a supervisory role with children and/or teens.
• Have turned 18 years old by by June 2026
• Be available to fully commit to all scheduled shifts, throughout both the day and night. (Other work or school commitments are difficult to accommodate.)

For Summer Dance Program: 

• Candidates must have graduated high school in 2025 or earlier. (ie. candidates must be one year out of high school during SDP)

For Junior Summer Intensive: 

• Candidates must be 18 years old by June 1, 2026.
• Residential Counselors must be First Aid / CPR / AED certified.

Per the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ requirements for recreational camp employees, candidates must provide Boston Ballet with the following, signed by a licensed healthcare provider, upon hiring:

• a report of a physical examination conducted in the preceding 18 months,
• a certificate of immunization for all immunizations required for working at a camp in Massachusetts (download list here ), and
• a current medical history that lists allergies, required medications, and any health conditions or impairments which may affect the individual’s activities while attending the program.

Staff members are responsible for getting themselves to Boston; Boston Ballet does not provide transportation or cover travel fees.

Salary : $2,400 - $3,200