Dance, visual arts, theater and instrumental jazz are on the summer camp agenda at Northern Illinois University this summer.
These six-day residential camps for junior and senior high school students are scheduled in July. Campers work with faculty, alumni and students and gain a greater appreciation for the life of an artist.
Dance Camp is scheduled from Sunday, July 13, through Friday, July 18. Serious dancers hone existing talents and gain new skills in the creative world of dance.
Campers enjoy daily classes in classical ballet and modern dance. Other classes are jazz, contemporary, Pilates, yoga, repertoire, composition and improvisation. Campers dance an average of seven hours each day in this intensive and rewarding program. Judy Chitwood, director of the dance program for the School of Theatre and Dance, is camp director.
Also scheduled from July 13 through July 18 is Theatre Arts Camp Senior, an intensive program for those who have completed grades 9 through 12. Students spend the week in rehearsals, classes, individual coaching sessions and theater games. Campers have many workshop choices, including auditioning, acting, musical theater, stage combat, makeup and lighting/set design. Camp director is Nathan Wyman, longtime assistant camp director and theater faculty member of Judson College in Kansas City.
Three camps are scheduled from Sunday, July 20, through Friday, July 25.
NIU Jazz Camp is for instrumentalists in grades 8 through 12 who want to take their jazz playing to the next level. Campers rehearse and perform in a big band, combo or the Latin Jazz Combo. Master classes, concerts, jazz theory, improvisation, jam sessions, sectionals and optional private lessons are part of the daily curriculum. The camp is under the direction of Geof Bradfield, a saxophonist and member of the jazz studies faculty at NIU.
Theatre Arts Camp Junior is for theater buffs who have completed grades 6 through 8. Campers enjoy daily rehearsals, classes, individual coaching sessions and theater games. Campers have many workshop choices, including auditioning, acting, musical theater, stage combat, makeup and lighting/set design. Camp director is Nathan Wyman.
Visual Arts Camp, for artists in grades 8 through 12, is an exciting and diverse creative art experience. Campers enjoy two daily in-depth studio sessions in their choice of a wide variety two-dimensional and three-dimensional classes. The day also includes talks by professional artists and open studio time. This camp is directed by Lynn Stockton, NIU alumna and award-winning art teacher at Jefferson High School in Rockford.
Campers sleep and eat in Gilbert Hall, a residence hall next door to the Music and Visual Arts buildings. Campers enjoy a variety of evening recreational activities that include bowling, basketball, movies and talent shows.
Northern Illinois University camp scholarships are available; applications are due by May 1. An early bird discount is available until June 2.
These popular camps fill quickly, so early registration is advised. For more information, call (815) 753-1450.
