Any Dallas parent knows the health risks that accompany allowing their child to run and play outside all summer. Luckily Dallas offers plenty of theater and arts programs throughout the summer.
WaterTower Theater is putting on a Summer Performing Arts Conservatory. Parents will love this program because its curriculum touches on life skills (like confidence and self-esteem) as well as theater classes taught by WaterTower Theatre’s Director of Business and Education Landrie Bock. Younger children will learn acting, audition technique, dance, voice and art. The older attendees will participate in scene study, playwriting, stage make-up, costume design, improvisation and more.
For high school students interested in architecture, the Nasher Sculpture Center is partnering up with The Rachofsky House and the Dallas Center for Architecture to sponsor a week-long workshop, Destination Dallas, with Peter Goldstein. Participants will be able to view the past, present, and future of Dallas architecture. They will explore buildings that were built by Pritzker Prize Laureates Renzo Piano, Richard Meier and Norman Foster. They will get to preview the ins and outs of how to construct a cultural building by getting a behind the scenes look at the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Wyly Theater, the Winspear Opera House and more. And finally the 20 students who make it into the workshop will get to visit the Dallas Center for Architecture and get a chance to witness projects that are currently under construction as well as create their own sketchbook of drawings and diagrams.
The Dallas Opera is providing two brand-new programs for kids this summer, and they’re both free. TDOinaSuitcase is a public service that puts The Dallas Opera on the road. If your classroom, library or community center is hosting a summer program the Dallas Opera will bring a suitcase filled with all the props, costumes, and crafts needed to re-enact any world famous opera. The program will run 45-minutes every Wednesday throughout June and July. CampTDO is an opportunity for surrounding summer programs to bring their third to eighth grade students to the Karayanis Rehearsal Production Center to create their own “theatrical/musical magic” under the eye of the Opera’s teaching artists.
The Dallas Theater Center really took the time to specify their summer programs and broke SummerStage 2011 into four groups. “Workshop Week” consists of one-week minicamps for “first-timers” of all ages and those who want more can combine the minicamps with other sessions. Creative Theater (ages 4-6) involves exploration of performance, music, and movement through playing games and acting out stories. Dressing up is encouraged to aid in character creation. Musical Theater and Acting (ages 7-9 and 10-12) can be broken into individual workshops or be combined into an all day workshop. Well, they could if the majority of them weren’t sold out. The Musical Theater workshop’s emphasis is on telling a story through song while the Acting workshop is more concerned with creating a character. Together both workshops will team up to put on a performance. Unfortunately all but one Acting session has been sold out, but they have started a wait list. Lastly, the Pre-College Acting Training Program (ages 13-18) is for the more committed student who is looking for an intensive program. This three week program will be conducted by professional actors and directors and will include: voice, movement, improve, audition, directing, Musical Theater, Design, Playwriting or Shakespeare. These students will also get an inside look at DTC’s summer production The Wiz.
Oil and Cotton is already a Mecca for creativity and learning so I’m not surprised to see that they have a slew of summer camp options to choose from. They have everything from half-day art camps teaching stitchery, to a four-day yoga and art camp that brings together storytelling, art and basic yoga positions in hopes of igniting the creative process. Oil and Cotton is also incorporating the community by bringing in Oak Cliff musicians and teachers to take students through the songwriting process. The four-day camp begins with the basics of composing music and finishes with a live performance. There are ten options total ranging in prices from $10-$150 and those as young as three are welcome into at least one of the programs.
There are only 30 slots available for the Dallas Film Society’s Summer Film Camp at The Studios at Las Colinas. Campers will be busy attending sessions on storyboard, animation, costume magic, set and sound design, cinematography and lighting from industry professionals. These lucky aspiring filmmakers not only get the hands-on experience they wouldn’t receive in the classroom but they’re getting it at one of the largest sound stages in Dallas.
