Drama Summer Schools for Youths
For youths and teens interested in the dramatic arts, there are scores of summer camps and study programs that provide a full immersion experience. Attending one of the schools, even for a short period, will help prepare any student for future endeavors in the arts. It will give them new inspiration, allow them to meet others interested in theater and add quality and content to their resume. These programs are great ways to sample the industry before heading into a college program.
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New York City
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SOCAPA Acting Program
A summer intensive program, also based in Los Angeles and Vermont, that divides youth into age groups of 13-16 and 16-19, this is strictly an acting for film program that collaborates with SOCAPA's film-making students. Acting students leave the program with a DVD reel of performances done while on the campus. The camps run in intervals of one, two and three weeks throughout the summer.
The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts
A four-week summer training program that focuses on acting methods and improvisation for both film and stage, as well as lessons in commercial basics, it's run by professional actors and directors currently working in the business. The program works in small classes, divided into two levels based on the students' experience.
Broadway Artists Alliance
These programs are run in both the summer and winter,and are directed by professionals from every department of Broadway production. Students have a choice for emphasis in dance, music or drama. The school accepts students ages 10-14 and 15-21. Students can design their own curriculum based on core classes and extracurricular activities.
Rosie's Theater Kids
A workshop for youths aged 8-16, it runs for one week in August, combining all skill levels together. The theme of the camp is "Celebrate Broadway." This is a special intensive program run by an organization that predominantly provides free performance art training to kids in New York City public schools.
California
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Young Actors Camp
Voted one of the top five best summer camps in the U.S. by the "Travel Channel," this Hollywood-based intensive program caters to all levels of experience and is open to ages 7-17. There are around four camps to choose from, based on level and interest, as well as programs for parents and virtual lessons. Students can work their way through the L.A.-based programs, one week at a time, as they become more serious about acting. The school also offers constant contact and discussion with professionals working in Hollywood.
Young Performers Studio
A "boot camp" program for teens that offers a separate junior camp for youths ages 6-11, each of its camp session runs for two weeks. It is TV-Film industry based, as are most programs in LA, and offers students opportunities for professional head shot photo shoots, acting as an extra on TV or in film and individual evaluations at the end of the program. The studio also runs a parents' camp for young actors' parents to become acquainted with the professional community.
Education Unlimited High School Actors Workshop
This workshop consists of two weeks of classes at Stanford University that focus on both stage and screen, divided into morning core studies and afternoon electives. Instructors combine classwork with visits to theaters. The program is for students in grades 9-12; requirements include previous classes in drama and a short personal statement.
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Other Noteworthy Programs
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Long Lake Camp for the Arts (Lake George, New York)
The focus of this camp ranges from acting to rock music to circus for youth ages 9-16. The camp is located in rural Adirondack Park and has a theater and drama camp that accepts 250 students a summer, putting on a wide variety of shows and live student-based performances every week. There is a separate acting camp that focuses on honing skills but is for all levels. The camps run in three- and six-week sessions.
Eagle Arts Academy Summer Arts Camp (Mill Bay, British Columbia, Canada)
The camp offers programs on piano, dance, acting, video and visual art. The acting camp provides instruction in both traditional and contemporary methods, with training in voice, movement and character development. Attention is also paid to musical theater and improvisational acting. Session one begins in July, and each session runs 2-3 weeks. The academy is for students in grades 7-12, but programs are offered for youth as young as second graders.
Advice When Choosing a Camp
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Although many summer drama programs are based in New York and Los Angeles, there are also plenty of programs in the Midwest and other parts of the country. When choosing a camp, consider a number of factors, such as: the benefits of an urban area versus the benefits of a more rural camp, whether you'd like to focus on theater or film, or both, and whether you'd like to attend a specifically drama-designed program, or a camp that is attended by students with other arts interests. Also consider how much you are willing to spend, and apply to the program's financial assistance, if applicable and needed.
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References
- Photo Credit comedy tragedy masks on side of old church building image by Steve Johnson from Fotolia.com
