Online Camps 2020 | KidFriendly DC

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.

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.”