In Yorktown Stage Camp this week, we did Peter Pan. It was lots of fun! I’m in group 5 and we got to dance and sing to the songs, “Hook’s Tarantella” (“tarantella”) and “I Gotta Crow”. When we did the tarantella we used REAL swords! Just kidding, they are plastic. We worked hard to learn the songs and dances through the week. But at the show on Friday, right when we got to camp my stomach hurt. I thought it was cause I didn’t eat breakfast so I ate some of the grapes I had in my lunchbox. NOTHING worked! The show started and my throat started hurting when I swallowed. By the second 2:00 show, I had a headache and I felt really weak so I told one of my counselors and she said to tell her when I felt like I was going to throw up or something. I did the first dance and I still felt the same. So I told her that I could not do the second dance. Then I told the Assistant Counselor. Then My head counselor said to me, “Are you sure you can’t do the dance?” Then I just did it. After we left to go home and I went to sleep. Now I feel better!

This summer I’m attending Yorktown Stage Camp. It is in Yorktown Heights, New York. Children between grades K and 7 perform learn and perform a “mini” play after a week (or two-week) long session.

During the first week, we learn a dance to a popular song with a dance instructor. With the music instructor, we learn parts of songs from past productions. On nice days, we have lunch outside in the Gazebo. The art instructor does crafts with us, such as, face painting, sun-visors, door hangers and show posters. With the camp instructor we learn how to be prepared for a real audition and we practice the songs and dance routines. And of course, the improvisation instructor does really fun games like, touchdown, freeze dance and the party game.

At counselor time the kids usually go out in the gazebo to practice the dances and songs and talk. Camp ends at around 3:00, but some kids stay for after care.  On Friday of the first week, family members and friends can come to the theater to see the kid’s performances.

The second week we do something similar to the first week except, we’ll also act and sing in the actual mini performance. Yorktown Stage camp has done, Godspell, Little Shop of Horrors, Bye Bye Birdie, Peter Pan, Annie and High School Musical.

We do less games this week then last week because of the work we have to do to learn the show by that Friday. In Improvisation this week, we learn their speaking part for the show. We learn one dance with the dance instructor and one with the camp instructor. On that Friday family members and friends can come to the theater to see the performance once again.

This might seem like it would be too hard for kids to learn in two weeks, but you will be surprised and  proud of how well your kids will be on the day of the show!