Camps across the Kansas City metropolitan area offer up exploration in the arts. There are myriad chances to paint, act and be part of the wonders that art can provide. Here is a substantial list of choices available during July and August. Check with the organizations to see if classes are still open for enrollment:
SUMMER DRAMA CAMP AT GOPPERT THEATRE
Performing arts professionals from Theatre for Young America with the assistance of Avila University theater interns lead this 2-week intensive program starting in mid-July on the campus of Avila University. Over the course of the program, students in grades 7 to seniors, will learn the elements that go into putting on a production, from auditioning techniques to constructing a set, the rehearsal process performance itself.
The 2009 production should be “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien.
www.avila.edu/theatre/tya.asp
COTERIE THEATRE
With locations at Pembroke Hill, Notre Dame De Sion (Wornall Campus and midtown locations), Lee’s Summit – Market Street Neighborhood Center, Liberty Community Center and Miller-Marley School of Dance and Voice in Overland Park, the children’s theater group has the city well covered. Choices at most of the locations include “Theatre Exploration,” “Commotion in the Ocean,” “Stories to BUG You,” “Acting: Audition Lab,” “Puppet Mania,” and “Comedy on Your Feet.”
www.coterietheatre.org/classes_summer.aspx
PAINT, GLAZE & FIRE
Paint, Glaze & Fire, located in the Metcalf 127 Shopping Center, offers 2009 Camp Artrageous. There are two four-day camp sessions in July and seven mini camp single day sessions. The four-day camp allows children ages 6 to 13 to create with raw clay, paint on bisque, learn the art of glass fusion and work with a variety of paper and textile crafts. The mini-camp sessions look at just one art form.
www.paintglazeandfire.net
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE-MAPLE WOODS
College for Kids, part of the community and continuing education program at the college has been around for more than 15 years, a few July offerings in a more creative bent. Local storyteller and artist Joyce Slater teaches “Artistic Beginnings” and “Curtain’s Up!” There are also some computer creative courses such as “Animating with Indiana Jones,” and “Video Game Design.”
www.mcckc.edu/mwcommed/collegeforkids.html
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
The Jewish Community Center offers many youth programs, including several camps. Dance camp is aimed at third-graders through sixth-graders. The two-week session explores the techniques of jazz, ballet, tap, modern and yoga as well as the fundamentals of choreography and improvisation.
www.jcckc.org
BALLET NORTH
Ballet North, a classic ballet school, offers dance camps for children 4 to 9. The classes are in July. Summer dance programs feature daily dance classes, nutrition, anatomy, ballet videos and other projects. There are morning camps and evening camps.
www.balletnorth.com
CREATIVE ARTS ACADEMY
Creative Arts Academy, Gladstone, presents summer day camps. The five-day camps are open to children ages 5 to 14. Each week children will have the opportunity to do gymnastics, tumbling, trampoline, dance, art, crafts, drama and acting. Campers are divided into age appropriate groups with activities to match. Camps run during July.
www.creativeartsacademy.com
IBSEN DANCE THEATRE
Ibsen Dance Theatre, Gladstone, presents musical theater camps. The two-week camp in mid-July takes teens through creating and staging “Joseph and the Amazing Dreamcoat.”
The session will close with a performance by the student actors at Ibsen Dance Theatre.
Campers work with professional artists.
www.ibsendance.net
KANSAS CITY YOUNG AUDIENCES
Kansas City Young Audiences offers more than a dozen camps during July and early August. There are arts samplers, radio camp, hip-hop camp, visual arts, and musical theater. Summer classes are also available.
www.kcya.org/Summer09-Glance.php
NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART
Part of the mission of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is to understand the visual arts and the varied cultures they represent. The staff designs programs to improve the educational and cultural life of Kansas City. Classes are designed for children who are already the specified age of the class they want to take. Most classes offer some time to explore the galleries. Classes are for as young as 3 years old. Some older students explore how to make ordinary goods into extraordinary pieces of art. There is also a Youth Studio Class to help older students begin the portfolio-building process.
www.nelson-atkins.org/education/YouthFamProg.cfm
MATTIE RHODES SUMMER CAMP
Mattie Rhodes Summer Art Camp has four one-week sessions remaining in July and August. Instruction includes ceramics, fiber/craft, cultural art, mixed media and printmaking. Campers learn diversity through the arts, as well as to explore the traditions of other cultures.
www.mattierhodes.org/web/english/Art_Camp.html
JOHNSON COUNTY MUSEUM CAMPS
Three summer camp themes are being offered based on the museum’s popular KidScape exhibit. The remaining tot camp in July is “I am an Explorer!” The elementary camps explore art, drama and exploration. All sessions are held at the Johnson County Museum, 6305 Lackman Road, Shawnee, Kan.
www.jocomuseum.org/summercamps2009.htm
BARSTOW’S SUMMER PROGRAM
The Barstow School provides children, ages 3-18, opportunities to grow through many enrichment experiences. The program just added “Pokemon, The Game” for grades 3 to 6 and Vex Robotics for grades 4 to 8. Both courses are toward the end of July. Registration is ongoing until the first day of class.
www.barstowschool.org/summer/summer/
PAUL MESNER PUPPETS
Paul Mesner Puppets offers two camps in early August. The camp designed for children ages 6 to 8, will be making and performing with many puppets. The older camp, for children 8 and older, will make more complicated puppets. Both groups will present their production at the end of the week.
www.paulmesnerpuppets.org/camp.html
KANSAS CITY ART INSTITUTE
The Kansas City Art Institute continues its summer art fun with July and August sessions. There are morning and afternoon weeklong sessions. Designed for students in three age ranges – 6 to 8 years old, 9 to 11 years old and 12 to 15 years — classes explore at painting, ceramics, sculpture, computer design and creativity journals in “Seeing, Thinking and Creating.” In “Comics and Cartooning,” there is drawing, character creation, drawing anime and computer animation. Other classes study “Great Inventors” and “Forward to the Future.”
www.kcai.edu/spce/
KANSAS CITY ART INSTITUTE - NORTHLAND CAMPUS
Similar to the classes at the main campus, the summer classes at the Northland campus again offer weekly programs in July and August: “Art and Nature,” “Seeing, Thinking, Creating,” “Comics and Cartooning,” “Take a Closer Look,” and “Great Inventors.”
www.kcai.edu/spce/Northland.php
CHESTNUT THEATRE
The theater group in Olathe offers two children’s workshops in mid-July. The focus will be on aspects of theater and motion pictures. Each workshop will conclude with a 30-minute production and open to friends and family.
www.chestnutfinearts.com
DANCERZ UNLIMITED
July and August workshops are held at the Corinth location in Prairie Village, Kan. All workshops are held Monday through Friday with a brief demonstration held at 11:30 on the final day. The July workshops are Angelina Ballerina, dance team preparation, cheerleading, rhythm tap, Kidz Hop, musical theatre dance, Disney princesses and Camp Rock.
www.dancerzunlimited.com
HEART OF AMERICA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Heart of America Shakespeare Festival offers camps featuring performance, crafts, games and improvisations at various locations. Camp Shakespeare for ages 8-14 runs through the end of July. Will’s Players for ages 5-8 is July 6-10. Shakespeare Unbound Girls for ages 9-15 runs July 13-31. Two- and three-week camps will perform “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”
www.kcshakes.org
LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER
Lawrence Arts Center offers camps and classes for children and youth ages preschool through high school in dance, theater, visual arts, music and digital arts. Classes are varied such as “Magic Treehouse,” eco-arts, favorite stories in motion, American Girls, making a movie and technical theater.
www.lawrenceartscenter.org
MUSIC THEATRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE OF KANSAS CITY
Music Theatre for Young People of Kansas City offers two Broadway at Baker residential camps, “Cabaret,” July 12-19 for high school students and “Curtains,” July 26-Aug. 2 for ages 14-18.
www.mtyp.org
PULSE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
The Pulse Performing Arts Center offers dance camps, dance classes and one-day clinics. The camps are “High School Musical,” fairytale princesses and pop divas. The dance classes explore ballet, tap, jazz, and hip hop. The single-day clinics look at jazz, ballet and hip hop.
www.thepulsepac.com
Theatre of the Imagination/Gorilla Theatre
While three weeks of camp are over, three weeks remain at Theatre of the Imagination/Gorilla Theatre. For children in grades pre-kindergarten through 10th grade interested in acting can participate in camps like “Clone Troopers,” “That’s so Hannah of the Future,” “Star Warriors vs. Karate Panda,” “Mean Gossip Girls” and “Not Another Terminator Movie.” Those interested in acting, singing and dancing can find classes too.
www.tiarts.com
