Tag Archives: Camp During COVID

May 5, 2021 · 9:43 am

A Musical Theatre Summer Experience Like No Other with Young Artists of America

You may have heard of Young Artists of America before. They’ve been voted as a top summer camp by Washington City Paper and Bethesda Magazine readers for many years in a row. Their productions have won Regional Emmys, and their year-round programming was named “Best Youth Music Program” (Bethesda Magazine’s Best of Bethesda 2020) and “Best Performing Arts Education for Young Artists” (MD Theater Guide 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards).

With the pandemic, they have been pivoting quickly, thinking creatively with safety first – offering virtual classes as well as fully-staged digital musical theatre productions that include filmed, in-person performances and virtual performances edited together. They were recently featured on Fox5 for one of these productions, their upcoming presentation of Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS, partially performed literally in the woods!

So, if you are looking for a summer program for your performing arts tween or teen, check out what YAA is offering! They have two different programs this summer:

Conservatories is a full-day, on-campus or hybrid model that focuses on the artistic process plus applied training in Acting, Dance and Voice, culminating in a fully-staged digital musical theatre production (RENT, Cabaret, The Little Mermaid, Jr., and Madagascar, Jr.) at the end of each session. They run from June 25 – July 9 and July 9-23

Academies is a half-day, all virtual model called that focuses on the artistic process to educate aspiring young performers of all levels in the many disciplines of musical theatre. Both of these models have programming for students ranging from 5th grade to college freshmen at all levels. Sessions run from June 28 – July 9 and July 12-23.

You can learn more about both programs here.

If your summer is booked, be sure to check out their year-round programming as well. They offer spring and fall semester training for singers, actors, dancers and instrumentalists as well, and even have one-off workshops (sometimes free!). No matter the program, YAA is known for one-of-a-kind opportunities, truly nothing like anything in the area.

Students learn from top teaching faculty as well as teaching artists, oftentimes right from Broadway. Their students have had the opportunity to work directly with such Broadway legends as Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Children of Eden), Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast), Tim Rice (Lion King), and performers the likes of Kristin Chenoweth, Julie Andrews, and Eleasha Gamble, Anthony McGill, and countless others.

In normal times, they produce full-staged, symphonic productions and perform them on state-of-the-art stages like the Music Center at Strathmore and The Clarice. Check out highlights from Les Miserables, one of their last fully-staged productions before the pandemic:

Even more, Young Artists of America has generously offered KFDC readers $100 off registration for new students depending on the program! Use promo code KF100 at check out when you register on their website.

This post is sponsored by Young Artists of America, however, I only promote programs, services, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think will appeal to KFDC readers.

Virtual Musical Theatre Camp for Tweens & Teens with Young Artists of America

Are you seeking a summer activity for your theatrical tween or teen? Young Artists of America at Strathmore is moving their award-winning summer musical theatre program online with Virtual Summer Performing Arts Intensives. It’s a pivot that results in even more personalized training opportunities, while also teaching students how to master performing on camera.

Two different programs will be offered: A half day model for both middle school and high school students, respectively, and a full day model for high school students and rising college freshmen. Students can sign up for one or both sessions, the first running from June 26 – July 10, and the second July 11 – July 24. They have generously offered our readers $100 off registration for new students. Use promo code KF100 at check out.

Students will have the opportunity to study acting, dance, and voice in private and small group sessions with top faculty and teaching artists from the region, while experiencing a learning environment focused on artistry, excellence, mentorship and community. The summer program has been voted one of the best summer camps by Washington City Paper and Bethesda Magazine readers. Their productions have won Regional Emmys, and they were named “Best Youth Music Program” by Bethesda Magazine’s Best of Bethesda Readers Poll 2020, as well as “Best Performing Arts Education for Young Artists” by MD Theater Guide 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards.

The program will feature digital musical theatre video productions of Company, A Chorus Line, The Wizard of Oz, and James and the Giant Peach, filmed by students and professionally directed, edited, and produced by YAA staff. The program will also host “watch parties” of the productions for friends and family along with virtual “student lunch parties” and other events meant to spark community during a time of social distancing. Get a little taste of what’s possible: This adorable video was done by two of their dance teachers, one of whom performed at Radio City Music Hall in their Christmas Spectacular.

Sounds like a fantastic way to keep kids entertained — and entertaining! For more information and registration, visit the Young Artists of America website.

This post is sponsored by Young Artists of America, however, I only promote programs, places, and services that I genuinely believe in and think would appeal to KFDC readers.

Adventure Theatre Goes Digital with Musical Theatre Summer Camps!

As the school year comes to an end for students around the DC area, many parents are wondering how to keep their kids engaged and active this summer. Adventure Theatre is offering a great option: Digital Musical Theatre Summer Camps! And if the quality of their past onsite camps and wonderful stage productions for children are any indication, this will be an excellent way for kids to have fun as they learn new skills and interact with peers and instructors.

The camps are specifically created for an online and screen-based medium with a live teaching artist to guide kids step-by-step through the process of acting, music, dance, and improvisation. Students will explore their surroundings and create new worlds with the objects they have around them. They will dive into their individual characters and receive personalized attention from each teaching artist.

This new way of “going to camp” may seem odd, but there are benefits, too. There’s no traffic to contend with since you don’t need to drive kids there, classroom size is smaller than in-person camps, and they are now accessible to kids who may have lived too far from camp locations in previous years. Even more, as the camps are designed for kids to work independently from parents, they give you time to relax, work, and get other things done.

All camps are held Monday to Friday on the dates and times listed, with options for kids in Kindergarten through 12th Grade. Each camp is tailored to the age it serves through time commitments, goals, recommended screen-time, and subject material of the class.

Camp sessions, which are two and three weeks long, begin June 16 and run through late August. Online registration is now open — learn more and sign up your child today!

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*All images used in this post are screenshots from Adventure Theatre’s Zoom programs this spring, which garnered the following testimonials from parents:

“You were proactive, and stayed in touch with the students, set up classes, provided homework, communicated, every step along the way, whilst maintaining a certain amount of normalcy, which I recognize is great for our children, not just from a theatre perspective, but in their lives.”

“I just signed up our daughter again for the next acting course. She really liked it. Kudos to (the instructor) who did a great job.”

“It’s been great for my child to continue with conservatory and to maintain those connections. Thank you so much for making that work and to you and everyone at ATMTC for adapting to this unimaginable world we find ourselves in at the moment.”