Sunday, August 20, 2017

What To Expect From A Musical Theater Camp

By George Wright


Young kids who love to sing and dance may have dreams of Broadway in their future. If you wish to encourage them, you should send them to classes. But part of learning the skills needed for the stage is to introduce them to like minded kids so they feel like they are part of a community. You can accomplish this by sending them to a Musical Theater Camp.

These camps are for many different ages, and also many varied skill levels, so it is perfectly fine if your child is merely a beginner. They will learn new skills with every passing day during camp, and also learn to hone the ones they already have so they get better and better. They do this with teachers who have years of experience on the stage, with some even being former Broadway stars who can teach your kids what they need to know to make it.

Beyond the actual songs and dance, there is song interpretation, where kids learn to sing popular songs beyond what they are used to. They may also learn specialized dance forms to give them even more skills to put on their resume. These may include tap dancing, ballet, and even jazz steps.

One of the skills that is often overlooked when it comes to musical theater is the ability to audition. Auditioning is as much about skills and knowledge as it is actual performance. If you present yourself professionally, you are more likely to get hired. So these skills are taught during the camp as well.

The campers will learn all of these things, but it is not just learning at these camps. They get to do recreational activities as well, provided these are overnight camps. If it is held out in the country like many camps, then they may be able to indulge in swimming or canoeing. There may be musical instruments to play as well.

Some parents or the kids themselves suffer from separation anxiety, which makes it hard to be way for several days or weeks in a row. If this sounds like your family, you can forgo the traditional overnight camps and find a day camp near you instead. These are indoor sessions where you drop off and pick up your kid each day, almost like a daycare, but one where they learn future career lessons.

Most sessions are at least three weeks long, and some take up to four weeks. The reason they are longer than most is that the kids need ample time to practice what they learn. With constant repetition, they get better and more skilled. They will then have these skills for a lifetime, which will help them greatly when they start auditioning later.

The big finale at the end of the three or four weeks is a musical number put on by the campers. They get to sing, dance and show their parents what they have been doing at the camp this entire time. They also get some practice with the pressures and joys of performing live, an experience they are sure to carry with them in their future musical endeavors.




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