Posts Tagged Centauri Summer Arts Camp.
Centauri Arts Camp: Session 4 update!
Posted by centauri in Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on August 18, 2010
Session 4 is moving along so quickly!
Yesterday we had our annual “Play in a Day” festival. Campers wrote, directed, acted and danced, did lighting, sound, props and scenery for 4 original plays, all from 9am to 7 pm!
The 4 plays were titled “Teenagers vs Werewolves”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, Pandora’s box, “Commotion, Emotion and Rap”! See the photos here!
Actors Cayle Chernin and Dwight McFee came to camp to adjudicate the plays and gave some great feedback on each play. What a great day!
Tonight is the Hawaiian Banquet, then in the next few days a talent show, the “Mythic Olympics” and much more!
It’s August and it’s Session Three!!!!!
Posted by centauri in Arts Camps, Centauri Arts Camp, Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on August 8, 2010
Camp always has a different feel in August. Things are more relaxed. Laid back. No one is arriving straight from school – campers are generally calmer, and the pace is less frenetic. That’s not to say camp lacks spirit – far from it!! We have the usual cheering at meals, and loud singing of the popular camp songs.
It’s session 3 now and we’re one week in. This session’s banquet celebrated Peru. Dinner was an Inti Raymi celebration – which is the annual Inca festival to celebrate the sun. Atahualpa presided over the banquet, in which we ate traditional Peruvian food and offered gifts to the Inca King. Then, at the end of dinner, in stormed the Conquistadors. They took Atahualpa prisoner, and sent off all the campers (Inca villagers) to bring back gold – enough to fill the dining hall. Instead, we all decided to attempt to ‘win over’ the Spanish Conquistadors by offering them examples of Inca culture. We made beautiful clay pendants and head-dresses decorated with Inca symbols. We learned a traditional Inca dance, and prepared a retelling of the myth suirrounding the creation of the Inca empire by the Brothers Ayar. Then, we headed into the theatre and presented our cultural discoveries to the Conquistadors as our king, Atahualpa, lay bound at their feet. The Conquistadors, in our version of history, were so impressed with our rich culture that they decided to release Atahualpa and return to Spain. Of course, we had to end by telling the campers what really happened. The Conquistadors took to the stage and enacted the destruction of Atahualpa in a red spotlight, while the banquet host narrated the true history of the Inca conquest over the mic. All in all, it was not only a fun, artistic (and yummy!) cultural banquet, but a thought-provoking one, too.
Other highlights so far this session include a Grease Spirit Supper, Circus Night, Pajamarama, bizarre Science Fair and our annual Music Festival. On the day of the Music Festival, no less that SIX bands visited camp. Four of them consisted of Centauri alumni who are now making their way in the professional music world. Maddy Rodriguez opened the festival, a camper alumni, now doing some great music. One hightlight was a band called The Elwins, who were hugely popular with all our campers. Dozens of them stayed behind for autographs, and to chat with the band. Another was Aline Morales, who gave a Brazilian drumming workshop and performance just before Onoscatopeia, the University of Toronto’s Hart House Jazz Choir! The day ended with a concert by the Sweet Peas and Calvados. Campers burned off their energy in a bout of frenetic dancing before we all wandered off for a relaxing evening program.
Photos and video clips of the Centauri Arts Camp Music Festival are now up at http://www.centauriartscamp.com/media/Galleries/2010 click on SESSION 3!
Today, we`re inhabiting Camp Demi-God in a Greek Mythology Festival., As I write this, campers are getting to know their resident Greek God, building forts and shrines together, making flags and undertaking fun training activities such as archery, mosaic-creation and human chess. They don`t know it yet, but their training (and the information they unwittingly receive) will be essential later on in the festival, when monsters break into camp…
Julie
Session Two: Final News…
Posted by centauri in Arts Camps, Centauri Arts Camp, Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on August 2, 2010
A thank you letter to camp we just had to share!
Posted by centauri in Arts Camps, Centauri Arts Camp, Centauri Summer Arts Camp., Ontario Camps, canadian summer camp on July 28, 2010
Thought we would share a lovely letter we just received (edited to remove names)
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Hi Craig and Julie
There’s nothing in Camper Handbooks that tell you how to deal with withdrawal from camp. There’s always advice on what to do if your child will be homesick, but nothing about the child who wants to spend the entire summer at camp. She cried all the way home, and I think that finally, today, she has turned the corner and stopped crying about missing camp.
I have never seen her so emotional. She had a fantastic time this year at Centauri, and we thank you and your staff for running such a wonderful place for arts-minded kids. She continues to talk about all the fun activities and the amazing food, and has been in touch with some of the campers via email. She loved every minute of camp and she’s already planning for next summer.
Thank you!!
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I love my job!
Nature at Centauri Summer Arts Camp…
Posted by centauri in Centauri Summer Arts Camp., articles about summer camp on July 26, 2010
Some of you may be thinking that because we’re not located in Nothern Ontario, we’re lacking in nature here at Centauri – well, nothing could be further from the truth! Our property includes a river, two ponds, a meadow, woodland and a marsh area, so wildlife abounds. On one pond, we have a pair of muskrats, and some of our photographers recently had a close encounter with them. The other pond is well stocked with fish, and therefore is a favourite haunt of a pair of herons. We regularly see dozens of Canada Geese sitting on the banks, as well as frogs and toads as big as a fist! In the morning, the field behind the dorms are full of red wing blackbirds – easily over a hundred of them, if you count their young. Meanwhile, on the roofs of the dorm buildings there are dozens of tree swallows. We have a red tailed hawk that regularly perches on the top of the trees, flocks of bright yellow goldfinches, and a silent cluster of deer that stand along the treeline at dawn. Last session, two mourning doves nested in the eaves of Brant. The campers got to watch them feed their babies. The little ones have flown the nest now, and the parents are busy preparing their nest for the next clutch.
So this may not be Northern Ontario, but we certainly have a lot of nature to appreciate!
Julie
Session One, 2010 goes out with a BANG!
Posted by centauri in Arts Camps, Centauri Arts Camp, Centauri Summer Arts Camp., canadian summer camp on July 20, 2010
Presentation Day was fantastic, with shows happening all over camp – stage combat (superheroes) in the rock garden, a fantastic, interactive art display in two locations, as well as the premiere of our session one films, and multiple stage shows. Our campers went home very happy… we lost count of the parents who stopped by to say a huge thank you before leaving with their child. Camp was quiet that night, with all of us conserving our energy for the start of the next session – yet the phone did not stop ringing with parents attempting to re-booked session one campers for later in the summer! Session One was a fantastic start to the season and we’re now looking forward to session number two!
Check out the photos and videos at www.centauriartscamp.com/media/Galleries/2010
Julie
Session 1, 2010 new photos available!
Posted by centauri in Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on July 16, 2010
We have just uploaded the final photos from session 1, 2010 at Centauri Arts Camp. There are some great photos of the Stage combat camps, Musical Theatre, Dance, Fine Art, Theatre, Playwriting and Performance, and many more!
The photos are available at http://www.centauriartscamp.com/media/Galleries/2010/
There are also a few video clips on our youtube video page at www.youtube.com/centauricamp
Our First Banquet of the summer…
Posted by centauri in Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on July 10, 2010
Cultural Banquet Day is a big event at Centauri… and yesterday was ‘it’! We celebrated China. Campers learned Chinese watercolour technique, and took a workshop on how to make Chinese dumplings (many of our campers have the recipe and want to try it again at home!). We learned Mandarin, and played games to discover how to use chopsticks. Campers also helped with the construction of a giant Chinese dragon!
Then, the banquet. With the dining hall decorated as a Chinese banqueting hall, we wore red for good luck, and ate lemon chicken, ginger beef, sesame tofu, rice noodles, Asian soup and much more. We had a parade of famous figures from Chinese history, and learned a song in Mandarin. Once dinner was eaten, campers took cultural ‘experiences’ such as Tai Chi and ‘making Chinese candy’.
Then, the Grand Finale. In our big theatre, campers waited in anticipation in mysterious red light, while others entered underneath our spectacular Chinese dragon. We banged drums while the dragon danced. It looked amazing! Finally, the evening ended with the telling of a traditional Chinese folk story, accompanied by traditional folk music.
A terrific day was had by all.
The mood here is fantastic right now. So positive and upbeat. The campers are leaping onto their chairs and singing in the dining hall whenever we play a song they know. ALL the dorms are harmonious. It’s wonderful. Everything we love about camp. Happy kids learning new skills, making new friends and discovering more about themselves, in an environment where they can be inspired, excited and creative. It doesn’t get more perfect than that!
Julie
Centauri Arts Camp – THE BATMAN EXTRAVAGANZA!!!
Posted by centauri in Camp Events, Centauri Summer Arts Camp. on July 9, 2010
Over the past couple of days we’ve celebrated one of the biggest festivals of the summer, and the ‘big’ festival of session one! Camp became Gotham City… And we began with a spectacular mass-breakout of the villains in Arkam, while the campers cheered and hooted. Then, they turned around to see Batman waiting for the villains on the dorm porch… With the sun setting behind him! GASP!!! Hard to believe it was Evan in costume!
The Batman Festival was a day-long role-playing adventure in which every single camper became a citizen of Gotham, and got to pit themselves against the villains… The Riddler, Poison Ivy, The Joker, and more. We banded together in an attempt to prevent the ‘villains’ from stealing parts of a powerful ancient artifact hidden all over Gotham City. It was pretty hot, so we broke in the middle of the aftenoon for water games… Then proceeded with a ‘formal’ meal in Wayne Mansion, and a final face-off between the villains and Batman! In an awesome ’staged’ combat sequence, the villains were finally defeated and good was restored to the world.
After a day of cheering, plotting, creating characters and living in an exciting imaginary world full of villains and heroes, everyone was tired. The day ended differently for each dorm group, with a relaxing, extended bedtime program. Some groups went stargazing. Others watched a movie together. A fabulous time was had by all.
Julie
Centauri Arts Camp – Batman Festival Photos !
Posted by centauri in Arts Camps on July 7, 2010
Bat Man Festival Photos are now up at
http://www.centauriartscamp.com/media/Galleries/2010/