For parents wanting a short-term camp or travel-based dance program, Camp Broadway provides a five-day camp for kids in New York City, with sessions in July and August. Activities include singing and dancing. Kids learn choreography from actual Broadway performers. This is a good option for kids who want to focus on musical theater and Broadway-style dance. For more information, go to Campbroadway.com.
This residential camp is located in northeastern Pennsylvania, and is geared toward serious, experienced dancers between the ages of 8 and 16. The majority of a camper's day is spent in lessons and rehearsals in various styles of dance, ranging from ballet, modern and tap to hip-hop and jazz. There is a sister camp where participants can partake in general elective camp activities as well. There is a showcase at the end of the two weeks. This camp also offers classes in on-camera dancing and non-dancing movement. For more information, see Endlessmountainsdancecamp.com.
The US Performing Arts Camps include programs in theater, film and dance. The dance camps, like the theater and film programs, take place at some of the finest universities in the US, and are run by university faculty and staff. Dance programs take place at various campuses, including Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkley and Rutgers. There are general dance, musical theater dance and hip-hop programs. The camps are generally one to two weeks long. For more information, check their website at USperformingarts.com.
This week-long camp takes place in several locations around the country, including California, Colorado, Vermont and North Carolina. The curriculum focuses on jazz, funk and hip-hop, and dancers from any level, beginning to advanced, are welcome. Participants spend plenty of time outdoors and participate in traditional summer camp activities in addition to dance classes. For camp information, go to Americandancetrainingcamp.com.
For parents looking for less intensive, non-camp based or local options, various dance studios, recreation centers and even churches offer summer dance classes for kids. Franchise programs like Kinderdance focus on early-childhood education through dance. These companies have dance instructors who travel to preschools, rec centers and other childcare centers to teach thirty-minute to one-hour courses. Check with your local recreation and childcare centers to inquire about these programs. For more information on Kinderdance, see Kinderdance.com.