Opera Camps for Kids in Chicago
Opera can offer children an exciting mix of music and drama. Through opera--and other musical theater experiences--they can discover new talents, grow in creativity and confidence and learn to work in a team. Although there are no kids camps in Chicago that are specifically for opera, Chicago's opera companies run outreach programs to bring opera into schools. Chicago also offers a number of other music and music theater opportunities for kids, including some camps.
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Opera in Education
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Educational outreach programs bring opera to young people who normally have no opportunity to experience it. Opera can enrich a school's curriculum and encourage good listening, teamwork and self-expression. The Lyric Opera and Chicago Opera Theater run long-term programs where they work with classes over one or more semesters, as well as one-time visits to schools and theater trips. Intimate Opera Chicago, Light Opera Works, South Shore Opera Company of Chicago and the Comic Intermezzo also visit schools on demand to perform and talk about opera.
School Programs
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The Lyric Opera and Chicago Opera Theater run residency programs for elementary schools, where artists partner with class teachers for up to a year. Students also have opportunities to meet professional singers and go on theater trips.
For high-school students, there are backstage tours and student matinees at the Civic Opera House. The Lyric's Teen Opera Circle enables serious study of opera; and the Chicago Opera Theater's COT4Teens runs singing classes after school hours, leading up to concert performances and full-scale operetta productions. Most programs are free to Chicago public schools, though donations are welcome.
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Opportunities Outside of School
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Besides learning about opera in school, children can develop their singing and musicianship out of school by joining a choir or taking singing lessons. They can have group or individual lessons, either with private teachers at home or at an institution like the Center School of Music, Music Institute of Chicago, Merit School of Music or Cappelli Institute of Music. Fees vary widely: as of 2011, they range from about $200 to $960 per semester.
Musical Theater Camps
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Music and drama schools may hold camps and workshops during summers and school breaks. Camps typically focus on musical theater rather than opera--basically singing, acting, dance and stagecraft. The camps generally are non-residential, last one to six weeks and range from voice coaching at the Music Institute of Chicago to one-week workshops at Light Opera Works producing a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta or a hit musical. As of 2011, fees for musical theater camps range from around $200 to $350 a week.
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