The 2020 summer camp season was colored with questions as camps scrambled to regroup and reframe the ways in which they serve kids and parents amidst lockdowns and constantly evolving health and safety regulations.
This year is no different, so we have caught up with the officials running three of our favorite local summer camp programs to look back on last year and to the future as they prepare for the summer of 2021.
Alabama Ballet
Rachel Singletary Gates, Alabama Ballet School Administrator
The mission of the Alabama Ballet School’s summer camps falls directly in line with the mission of our professional company and school. The Alabama Ballet promotes the development of classical and contemporary ballet through high-quality performances, dance education and community outreach.
The Alabama Ballet School provides the highest-quality training to aspiring artists of all ages that is developmentally appropriate both physically and artistically. We feel that educating our young dancers not only on ballet technique but on the magic of stories, dance history and the total performance experience builds an artistically educated audience for the future of Alabama Ballet as well as our vibrant community.
We have offered our summer camps for over 15 years as a way to provide some of those extra experiences that aren’t the central focus of our regular school year and as a way to engage with students who may not study with us year-round.
Describe your experience during the summer of 2020 in response to the pandemic.
Summer of 2020 definitely brought a lot of uncertainty for everyone’s programming. After being at home for most of the spring, we knew that children were itching to get back to dance and interacting with other children. After a delayed start to our 2020 summer camps, we kept our class sizes smaller and required masks for all participants. I’m sure we were not the only ones to notice that young children’s stamina for being away from home had to be rebuilt! We all practiced more patience with each other as we began these summer camps.
What changes have you made to safely operate this year?
For our ‘20-‘21 school year, we rethought the way our class schedule was offered, as there was less demand for certain classes and the need for more space in others. We hope that our students have enjoyed the smaller class sizes and more personalized attention this year. Our instructors have stayed vigilant in their awareness of spacing during classes and utilizing their verbal instruction skills. Our students have been fantastic in following our health and safety protocols, including mask wearing in dance classes. Their cooperation has allowed us to continue our classes as close to ‘normal’ as possible.
As camp season nears, what are you most looking forward to?
As camp season nears, I think we all look forward to a break in the routine. The summer camps allow students and teachers to enjoy exploring aspects of the art of dance at a different pace than the school year allows for. The summer camps are a more concentrated learning period, and it is amazing what comes out of those weeks!
The Altamont School
Dr. Josh Barnard, Director of Summer Programs
The goal of The Altamont School’s camp program is to give children an opportunity to stay mentally active in the summer in a zero-pressure environment.
Students get a chance to appreciate academic subjects as interesting in their own right, rather than as vehicles for good grades. Hopefully, they will carry this positive attitude (along with some further-honed skills) into their school year in the fall.
Describe your experience during the summer of 2020 in response to the pandemic.
While some of our summer program was able to run remotely during the summer, the third through eighth grade camp did not. Personal interaction is critical for the level of interaction, involvement and excitement our camps strive to produce.
What changes have you made to safely operate this year?
Altamont’s safety protocols have been incredibly effective this past academic year, and we will carry all we’ve learned over into the summer classes. We are always re-evaluating our policies in light of changing circumstances and will continue to do so into the summer.
The changes we’ve (been) able to make to the facility as a whole in order to better allow for proper distancing and cleaning protocols are a major positive that we’re able to take out of our experience.
One new set of offerings we have this year is for students going into algebra 1 or a high math (up to precalculus) next fall. We will have a math support class tailored to the students’ levels in order to fill in any gaps they may have as a result of the unexpected changes we’ve all had to make this past year.
As camp season nears, what are you most looking forward to?
Seeing kids on campus, running around and having fun! No bells, no tests, just fun (and learning!) at school.
Red Mountain Theatre Company
Drew Francis, RMTC Creative and Marketing Director
The mission of the Red Mountain Theatre Company’s summer camp is to use theatre to inspire students to create and collaborate while building personal confidence.
In exploring stories, students begin to shape their views and voices in the community. When they work with peers towards an end goal, they learn the value of cooperation. When they participate in performative experiences, they gain self-esteem and the courage of self-expression.
Theatre education teaches more than how to perform in front of an audience. We have been offering summer programming for almost 40 years.
Describe your experience during the summer of 2020 in response to the pandemic.
When the pandemic hit, we converted all of our summer camps from in-person to virtual, and a large majority of our students stuck with us. That proved just how much our students love theatre and want to grow their artistry with us.
What changes have you made to safely operate this year?
Our safety precautions include smaller class sizes, staggered start and end times, wearing masks and increased sanitation. We are also offering a few virtual camps to facilitate learning in an exciting new way!
As camp season nears, what are you most looking forward to?
We are most looking forward to getting our family back together in a safe, supportive environment and helping students reach for their potential. We’re also excited to do all of our camps and classes in one place, our new home, Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus. It’s located in the heart of Parkside near Railroad Park and easily accessible to I-65. The campus sits on one art-filled city block.
