Dance June 16- July 18th Our dance instructors offer daily technique classes throughout the summer. We offer Jazz, Ballet, Modern, Tap, and Hip-Hop to students at all levels, from total beginner to highly advanced. Our instructorsl oversight ensures the highest quality dance instruction, a strong emphasis on the physical well-being of the dancers, and an opportunity for intense study available few other places.
Campers have ample dance performance opportunities. We produce a major Dance Concert each summer, as well as a Dance and Ensemble Concert combining dance and music performances. Each session we present a Showcase; an opportunity for dancers at all levels to show their technique class work on stage through combinations, phrases, and short works. Campers working on their own projects can perform them in one of the many Camper Cabarets we offer each summer. Our instructors will guide and assist camper projects.
Our musical theater program offers many exciting opportunities for dance as well, in the musical theater productions and/or revues presented each summer.
2 week intensive June 16th- June 29th July 7th- July 20th
In AOC's new 2-week Dance Intensive Program campers spend most of their day in dance classes and rehearsals, while still having time each day to try other activity areas.
The two weeks include two performances designed for dance intensive campers: a Dance Concert consisting of new jazz, tap, ballet, modern, and hip-hop choreography, and a Showcase in which work from campers' ongoing classes is exhibited.
Intensive campers also can participate in a Camper Cabaret of song, dance, instrumental performance, and skits; and a Monologue and Dialogue Night of monologues, short scenes, and poetry. During the intensive there is also a Bonfire with performances and sing-alongs, a Movie Night, a DJ Dance, a Rock and Roll Band Night, and three nights of theatre productions performed by the 4-week campers.
ACTING June 23rd- July 18th AA’s Acting for Film Program is closely tied to our Advanced and Introductory Filmmaking Programs. When the filmmaking students go out to make their assigned films each week, they utilize the talent in the Acting for Film Program. This provides our acting students with immediate on-camera experience and allows them to walk away from the program with a DVD portfolio of films in which they have performed. Our filmmaking students are shooting on both 16mm film and state-of-the-art digital cameras with sync-sound and are cutting on nonlinear digital systems so your reel will look slick and professional.
Technique: AA embraces two major closely-related Acting Techniques which we use to help our students “live truthfully” under imaginary circumstances: the “Meisner” technique, which involves fully immersing oneself in the moment of a character and experiencing all sensations as the character would, and the “Method” technique, in which one uses their own experiences as springboards into the emotional life of the character.
Monologues & Headshots: An actor without a monologue is like a photographer without a camera or a dancer without feet. At auditions, casting directors will often ask actors to perform a monologue of the actor’s choosing. A prepared actor will have an arsenal to choose from. With this in mind, AA has each acting student select a monologue from our library of favorites. Monologues are memorized and rehearsed during the final week and are performed live on the last day of the program. In addition, acting students at our campus are scheduled a block of time in the studio to have their headshots done.
On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, our Acting for Film students will take classes in Meisner Technique, Method Acting, Scene Analysis and Preparation, Auditioning, and Acting for the Camera. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays they will perform in the many films being shot by our filmmaking students or they will be directed in their culmination scene by their instructor. One day during their stay, acting students are scheduled a block of time in the photography studio to have their headshots done by our photography program led by professional photographer Tom LeGoff .
Master Classes: At least once per session, AOC invites a top young industry professional from the New York or Hollywood film or performing arts scene to come to campus and lead a master class for all students, regardless of focus. Showcase Film Festival
On the final Friday afternoon of the three-week program, AOC holds its "Showcase Festival" followed by a reception for friends and family. All the acting reels, photography slides, music videos and student films are shown on the giant silver screen. In addition to the projected work, there are live dance performances, actor monologues, and a photography exhibit. We encourage you to invite your fellow collaborators, friends and family. Although we do have a final live performance/film screening of all the two-week work just for the camp, please note that students in the two-week program do not have a final showcase festival for friends and family.
FILMAKING June 23rd- July 18th Make Three Films in Three Weeks: AOC mixes the best of elite film programs and exciting summer camps. Nowhere else will you find this level of filmmaking intensity combined with this much fun. Each AOC student writes, directs and edits three films of their own during the three-week program. Students in the abbreviated programs make one film per week of attendance. Students in the six-week program form the Advanced Filmmaking class for the final three weeks and make two additional films.
Choose Your Format – Film or DV – Edit on Digital Computer Systems: Unlike other film schools, AOC offers the immediate opportunity to learn the most recent digital technologies. For their final projects, students choose to shoot using either 16mm film cameras or state-of-the-art, 3-chip digital video cameras with synchronous sound. Regardless of the capture format, all students edit on Final Cut Pro non-linear, digital computer systems. This lets them create an elaborate multi-track sound design for each of their films, incorporating music, voice-over, sound effects and dialogue. No other beginning film program offers such opportunities.
Film Program Curriculum: Each AOC student writes, directs and edits a film of their own per week of attendance. In addition, students are expected to work in small crews for one another. 1) The Lumière Film (Week One) In a single shot of up to one minute, the student tells a simple story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The project takes its name from the first films by the 19th-century pioneers of early cinema, Pierre and August Lumière.
2) The Porter Film (Week Two) Edwin Porter was one of the first filmmakers to consider the possibilities of editing shots together in a continuous fashion. He led the way in creating the illusion of "continuity," where material shot over the course of days or weeks looks, once it is cut together in sequence, as if it all flows together over the course of minutes. His famous film, The Great Train Robbery, is the inspiration for this second film, where students explore the same issues Porter faced, and make a 2 to 3 minute film that focuses on continuity
3) The Kubrick Film (Week Three) Perhaps the greatest and most innovative filmmaker that America has produced, Stanley Kubrick made one masterpiece after another over his five decade career. He set the standard for cinematic excellence in a multitude of genres, combining staging, lighting, set design, acting, and editing to create a radical new vision of what film can do. With films such as "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Dr. Strangelove," "Barry Lyndon," "Lolita," "The Shining," and "Full Metal Jacket," Kubrick proved himself again and again to be a master of his craft. For their fourth film, a 4-6 minute project, we challenge SOCAPA students to take everything they have learned in the previous three weeks and to forge their own masterpiece.
Advanced Filmmaking: Students in our Six-Week Filmmaking Program go on to form the Advanced Filmmaking Program after the first three weeks. Returning students from prior summers join the group and they each make two longer projects in the final three weeks.
4) The Hitchcock Film: Alfred Hitchcock was a master of visual storytelling. He would often convey information using a single silent shot that it would take a lesser filmmaker pages and pages of cumbersome dialogue to get across. In this film, students are encouraged to take a visual approach to telling their stories. Dialogue should be used sparsely, if at all. Instead, we urge students to use composition, camera movement, shot selection, blocking, lighting, color and nonsynchronous sound to convey meaning.
5) The Kazan Film: Co-founder of the famous Actor’s Studio, the breeding ground for "The Method", Elia Kazan is considered one of the great actor’s directors. Twenty-one of his actors have been nominated for Academy Awards and nine have won. Under his guidance, actors like Natalie Wood and Carol Sue Baker soared to levels of performance that they could not match before or after. In this culmination film, we challenge our Advanced Students to elicit the best and most truthful performances they can from their cast without losing sight of all they have learned about visual storytelling.
Film Program Schedule: Writing, Directing, and Editing: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, in the mornings,AOC film students take their main Writing and Directing Classes. In Writing Class, students generate ideas, learn fundamentals of three-act structure, and workshop their scripts. In Directing Class, they learn the basics of film language, camera placement, and shot construction. Through a combination of hands-on camera exercises, close analysis of film clips, and rigorous exploration of traditional and modern film technique, the teachers quickly bring the students to a highly proficient level of filmmaking skill.
Starting in the second week, the Directing Class turns into an Editing Class as well. Students learn the latest Final Cut Pro and Avid editing software and cut their films, under the direct supervision of their instructor, right in class. Extra editing time is available for those who need it. The third week is devoted entirely to editing and shooting. Students finish their second film, as well as direct and edit their final film.
On Thursday and Friday of the first two weeks, the AOC students shoot their films. Everyone directs his or her own movie, working in a crew of three or four students. The acting duties are divided among the acting focus students, and the cinematography/sound duties are divided among the camera focus students. In this way, 3 to 4 films per crew are shot each week.
Showcase Festival: On the final Friday afternoon of the three-week program, SOCAPA holds its "Showcase Festival" followed by a reception for friends and family. All the acting reels, photography slides, music videos and student films are shown on the giant silver screen. In addition to the projected work, there are live dance performances, actor monologues, and a photography exhibit. We encourage you to invite your fellow collaborators, friends and family. Although we do have a final live performance/film screening of all the two-week work just for the camp, please note that students in the two-week program do not have a final showcase festival for friends and family.
THEATRE June 23rd- July 18th Theater at AOC is truly exciting. During the summer we stage over 25 productions, from one-acts and readings to full length plays and musicals.
Our theater program is open to campers of all ages and experience levels. Shows are process- and learning-oriented; Campers are cast in roles that are meant to help them grow as performers. Our directors teach campers about all aspects of theater throughout the rehearsal process, making every show and every role a great learning opportunity
Plays Beginning just a few days after the campers arrive with a script-in-hand production, we are constantly putting on plays. In the second week of each session we stage several one-act plays, and in the last week put up two major productions. Our shows are great, but our emphasis is always on the production process; all session long the campus buzzes with the excitement of the learning and discovery that happens every day in rehearsal. Campers learn to trust themselves, to collaborate, to observe, and to experiment and have fun with their roles. Every night there is something to see at AOC; our campers spend a lot of time watching their fellow campers on stage, and learning from this daily exposure to the craft of performing. We emphasize observation alongside action: a moment not doing is a moment to be looking and learning.
Musical June 16th- August 8th We produce four large-cast, full-length musicals during the seven weeks; between these productions there are ample opportunities for all campers wanting to perform musical theatre. Our musicals are fully mounted, with great costumes, sets, and lighting to make each performances spectacular. An experienced staging director and musical director work on every production, and campers receive extensive vocal coaching, choral direction, and dramatic direction. Dance is also a part of almost every musical, and directors work with a choreographer from our dance department in teaching movement and dance to the cast. As with all our productions, the rehearsal process is a learning process; we want campers to understand musical theatre and grow from their experience with it.
MUSIC June 16th- July 18th Our music program is comprehensive. Our full-time staff offers traditional vocal, string, woodwind and brass training, workshops and classes, and ensemble opportunities including duets, trios, and quartets, improvisational groups, vocal jazz ensembles, and more! Beginning through advanced students will find our instrumental and vocal programs rewarding, with ample time for lessons and practice, and numerous performance opportunities each session
Instrumental AOC's instrumental music program is terrific for advanced students, beginners, and campers wanting to try an instrument for the very first time. Our experienced teachers work with students on most string, brass and woodwind instruments. For campers wanting to try the violin, flute, trumpet, clarinet, or saxophone for the first time, we have instruments available on campus. Most experienced players will bring their own instruments to camp. Students can schedule several private lessons per week. Campers can work with classical, jazz, popular and Broadway music, and our instructors are available to teach theory & harmony, improvisation, and many other aspects of music.
All campers studying instrumental music are encouraged to perform, and there are many opportunities; there are several Camper Cabarets each session, and a major Showcase and/or Concert. Instrumentalists also play at art exhibitions and before mealtimes. There are also many opportunities for instrumentalists to perform in rock-n-roll band nights in horn or string sections! Vocal
Vocal music has become one of the most popular programs at AOC in recent years. We have three vocal music instructors who divide their time between individual and small group voice lessons and coaching and musical direction of musical theatre productions.
Vocal health, and age- and skill-appropriate voice training are central to our vocal music program; the developing voices of young performers must be carefully nurtured and protected. Performance opportunities for singers abound; each session we produce two evenings of musical theatre, a large-scale music and dance revue, and several talent shows
Performance All AOC music students are encouraged to perform, and we make lots of performance opportunities available. We have two or three Talent Shows each session, which are great opportunities for lots of performers, as is our Ensemble Showcase produced during the four-week camp session. We love to present instrumental music before theatrical productions and during intermissions, and we try to do this for almost every show. Special performances are organized outside the dining hall, where the whole camp gathers for a few minutes before each meal. We also love to have live music at art exhibitions and during other special events on campus. There are often performance opportunities during plays and musicals, especially when we are doing Shakespeare. We also invite skilled performers to play in the musical theatre pit alongside the staff members accompanying the show.
Arts June 16th-July 18th There is a casual, relaxed manner about our art studios, packed with materials, and run by an experienced, creative staff. We have a very special way of looking at art; we see children's art as an individual language that is separated from adult technique. We teach and assist campers in technique, but campers' artwork is always a process of individual expression. There may be class-like situations in the studios, but the majority of the campers are engaged in individual or small-group independent work. Instructors are on hand helping out where needed and observing campers' activity & progress. Campers are encouraged to be active in more than one project at once, so that as they exhaust one, they can put it away and go on to another area of interest; looking at what another camper is doing, or at one of the constantly changing displays or demonstrations going on.
Drawing Drawing is not only a fundamental skill for artists; it is fun to do, and endlessly interesting. Our staff works with campers in pen & ink, pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, conté, crayon, and other media. Projects include all types of observational drawing, including figures, still life, portraits, perspective drawings, and contour & gesture drawings, and certainly plenty of drawing from the imagination as well!
Painting Our painting program is fantastic; our experienced staff teaches, assists, and mentors students at all levels. Campers work in watercolor and acrylic, and with the help of our staff develop projects in portraiture, landscape painting, still life, modernist & abstract painting, surrealism & fantasy, pop art, and more! Our great painting studio offers three beautiful landscape views of the campus, and lots of space for big projects.
Photography June 16th- July 18th In the photography program campers can explore a whole world of black-and-white and digital photography; from basic camerawork, developing and printing to elaborate photographic projects, and special printing processes and effects. Campers can also work with photomontage, double exposure, photograms, 'liquid light,' and other extensions of basic black-and-white technique. Staff organize photo hikes, studio shoots, and demonstrations for interested campers.
We have a large darkroom with two enlargers, and provide several 35mm cameras for beginning students to work with. Campers work alongside staff in documenting performances and camp life using high-end digital cameras. Camper photos are uploaded to pictures.ballibaycamps.com with photo credits.