French Woods Online 2020

All inclusive 3 - week programs with more than 30 classes offered 5 days a week in Theater, Dance, Music, Magic, Art, Fitness and Cooking, plus evening activities and the option to add private lessons

Session 2: July 27 - August 14 $2,000

3- Week Music Intensive for committed musicians
Multiple Large Ensembles Offered A la Carte

Session 2: July 27 - August 14
Concert Band $595
Private Lessons Available on most instruments.

Registration is open. Call (607) 637-8400 or email online@frenchwoods.com

All Inclusive Program Music Intensive F.A.Q.

Watch Our All Inclusive Program Webinar

For the last 50 years, every summer, French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts has operated on our beautiful campus in upstate NY. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and keeping everyone safe, we had to cancel our 2020 regular summer camp season.

Though we wanted more than anything to meet on the French Woods Campus, we couldn't give up the idea of seeing all of you. Finding a new approach to such an unforeseen challenge was our task because now, more than ever, we need the arts and outlets to explore our creativity.

We still can be together online at French Woods, connecting with your favorite people and with campers from across the globe.

We are offering two 3-week sessions with majors and minors and evening activities. Parents - you can use an existing credit or you can pay with a credit card.
For more information contact us at (607) 637-8400 or online@frenchwoods.com

Majors and Minors

Theater
Music
Magic
Dance
Art

Fitness
Cooking
Talkbacks and Panels
Master Classes

Evening Activities
College Audition Prep
and more...

Sample Schedule

We are offering more than 20 classes every day in Music, Theater, Dance, Magic, Fitness, Arts and Crafts and Cooking, plus evening activities and optional private lessons and coachings. Every camper may have a different schedule. Here's just one option of what a schedule might look like:
(all times are EST.)

Majors

Majors are consistent for each 3-week sessions and are chosen at registration.

Minors

Minors can change every day and are chosen the day before.

Lessons

Private lessons and coachings are available for an extra fee.

Class Descriptions

Below are some of the classes we are offering. There are other classes that may be offered in response to demand.

Performance Workshop
Good for all ages, ideal for 12+
Class size of 15 campers per class

In this class, students will work and perform in front of their instructor and peers in workshop-style setting. Campers will be able to work on monologues or songs—any solo material that they are passionate about performing and hoping to make forward strides in their interpretation and performance. If a camper does not have a monologue or song they want to work on, the instructor(s) will help them find one that suits their age and interests.

Audition Technique
Good for All ages, ideal for 12+
Class size of 15 campers per class

In this workshop-style class, campers will get to tackle and perfect their audition pieces. From the start of the audition to the end, instructors will help polish the audition and help campers take their audition game to the next level. If a camper does not have an audition piece they love or that is not ideal for them, the instructor(s) will help them find appropriate audition material.

College Audition Prep Intensive
15+ only; MEETS EVERY DAY
Class size of 15 campers per class

Campers will work with working university professors to prepare their auditions for performance-based college programs. From exploring the different kinds of programs out there, to thinking about how to navigate video pre-screens, from finding and working appropriate songs and monologues, to mock auditions, this class will help campers polish their audition packages and develop confidence in auditions.

Rock/Pop Technique
All ages
Class size of 15 campers per class

A performance-based participation class, this course will help campers explore how to rock their auditions for rock/pop musicals. Instructors will explore different rock/pop genres and eras, and help campers find songs and cuts that they love and suit their voice-type and age. With more and more musicals embracing this style, this is a great class for anyone interested in exploring different eras of music and looking to expand their repertoire.

Shakespeare Performance
12 and up, ideal for High-Schoolers
Class size of 15 campers per class

Campers will have the opportunity to explore the works of Shakespeare and learn how to successfully tackle his language and use it to their advantage as actors. Through group and individual exercises, and individualized coaching and feedback, campers will gain the tools to successfully perform a Shakespeare monologue.

Sketch Comedy
Great for All Ages
approximately 15 campers per class

Through this high-energy, fast-paced class, campers will work to put together a sketch comedy show. Campers will be embracing many techniques including forms of improvisation and learning how to embrace their own ideas and bring their personal humor to the table. This course will culminate in a live Zoom performance.

Theater Games
Ages 7-11
approximately 15 campers per class

This high-energy, imagination driven class will give younger campers the opportunity to start exploring their creativity as performers. With short-form improvisation games and imagination-based exercises, campers will explore various games each class as they work with some of their favorite camp theater directors.

Sing-a-Long
Ages 7-11

Join this daily sing-a-long class to sing some of your favorite Disney movies and musicals every day. Each day will be a specific show or movie as instructors will lead campers in some of their favorite songs.

ZOOM TROUPE: A Musical Cabaret Class
All Ages
Meets Every Day

Campers will get the opportunity to put together a virtual Musical Revue consisting of ensemble numbers and musical numbers that highlight individuals through solos and small group sections. To get the most out of this class, campers will meet everyday to learn music and choreography from some of their favorite musicals and musical genres.

Virtual Play Performance
12+ Only

Campers will work with directors to rehearse and ultimately perform a play. Specific plays will range in style and tone and campers will send in a short audition video to be cast in one of the virtual plays. This class will culminate in a live-zoom play festival on the final day of the session.

Musical of the Week
All Ages, ideal for 12+

Each week campers will do an in-depth dive into one musical, examining different aspects of the show itself, and its original Broadway production. This class will culminate in a Q&A session with a performer from that production. This is a minor, so campers can come to all classes or just one or two. Ideal for campers who are looking to expand their knowledge of contemporary musical theatre.

Beginning Ballet
All Ages

The perfect class for a camper who would like to explore the world of ballet or focus on the basics of balletic technique.

Beginning Tap
All Ages

This class is designed for campers who would like to learn to tap or continue to perfect basic and foundational tap steps.

Beginning Hip-Hop
All Ages

All ages can partake in this class for beginning hip-hop dancers.

Beginning Jazz
All Ages

Beginning Jazz will help new and younger dancers develop confidence and feel more comfortable executing the building blocks of jazz dance.

Int./Advanced Ballet
All ages, but ideal for 12+ and/or campers who have a strong background and foundation in balletic technique

This class will push students to tackle complex combinations and continue to perfect and develop their balletic technique.

Int./Advanced Jazz
All ages, but ideal for 12+ and/or campers who have a strong background and foundation

This upper-level jazz class will be fast-paced and push campers to grow, both technically and artistically.

Int./Advanced Tap
All ages, but ideal for 12+ and/or campers who have a strong background and foundation

This class will take campers’ tap technique to the next level with detail-driven, fast-paced tap combinations.

Musical Theatre Dance
All ages, but ideal for campers who have a solid dance foundation

Campers will have the opportunity to continue to work on technique while also incorporating acting and performance techniques as they tackle different genres of musical theatre dance.

Int./Advanced Hip-Hop
All ages, but ideal for campers who have a strong background and foundation in hip-hop

This class will be fast-paced and build on the campers’ existing hip-hop knowledge and technique.

Devised Theater
Devised theatre is a free-formed style in which all members of the creative group work collectively and collaboratively, to design a performance completely from scratch. There is no script involved prior to the devising process, but rather the script gets written along the way.

Fitness Boot Camp
Get a major calorie burn, tone your muscles, and SWEAT with a different 30-minute real-time workout every day. Build on the moves weekly to get total-body results.

Materials Needed
-Workout Space
-Free Weights (Dumbells) Or-Two Water bottles

Beginning Magic (major)
The basics of how to perform magic, controlling an audience, illusions that you can make at home, an extensive list of various close-up magic tricks, as well as how to structure a routined magic show.

Cooking
We are offering a full line-up of virtual cooking classes both sweet and savory. With interactive instruction. campers will get to chop, mix and roll their way to a different delicious dish in each class. A grocery list will be provided weekly.

Classes involve real-life cooking (with tools, heat, etc.), so parent/caregiver involvement for our younger campers is necessary. Only you can determine the appropriate amount of supervision and assistance that your child needs.

Beginner Card Magic
You will learn a variety of illusions to perform with a single pack of ordinary playing cards that you can find around your house. This a minor for those that would like to pick up a deck of cards, and be able to perform miracles, instantly.

Trick of the Day
A little different than the usual trick of the day, we will be focusing for 1 hour on 1 specific trick that you can either build, create, or use household objects to pull off.

Napkin Magic
You would be surprised just how many tricks you can do with a simple napkin. In this minor we will go over various tricks that you can do when out to eat at a restaurant, over at your friends house, or in your own home.

Coin and Money Magic
Coins and Money are everywhere, and thats why they are so convenient to perform magic with. With the right skill, you can borrow a paper bill or a coin from someones pocket and perform everyday miracles with an everyday object.

Basic Card Handling
Here you will learn the skills needed to form a strong foundation for your arsenal of card tricks. You will not learn any tricks, but rather about how its not the tricks with cards you need to know, its the moves. For the moves will allow you to come up with your own personalized tricks for your audience on the spot.

Arts and Crafts
A wide variety of arts and crafts that can be done with minimal supplies: Magic wand pens, Rock painting, Chain maile, T-shirt dresses, Friendship bracelets, Cross-stitch/embroidery, 3D Needlepoint, Knitting and more.

Fine Art

Each week we will introduce and discuss one of the elements of making art: value and contrast, color, line and shape, movement and rhythm, space, volume and organization, using whatever materials you might have at home: pencil, crayons, pastels, charcoal, paint, colored paper, old magazines for collage and found stuff for assemblage.

1) value and contrast: black, white and grays: drawing exercises (pencil or charcoal)
2) color: landscapes (colored papers, crayons, pastels or paints, SHAPES application)
3) line as contour and as shapes (realism and abstraction) (charcoal or black crayon)
4) movement, rhythm, and texture (abstraction)
5) space, volume and gradations (shading and perspective)
6) compositional organization and balance explored in realism and abstraction

Chamber Music

all ages, all levels Campers will be placed with level appropriate peers and a coach to work on chamber repertoire. Rehearsals will occur via zoom and bandlab. Chamber music is a great way to be able to discuss the repertoire you are working on and have a close collaboration with other musicians. Chamber music helps grow your abilities in solo and ensemble work. Bandlab and acapella will be used to record these chamber groups for a virtual performance at the end of the three week session.

Masterclass/Workshops

All Ages

During minors we will have a masterclass series and workshops being offered by a variety of guest artists, from alumni, working professionals, and guest educators and artists. These will cover a variety of material. We will send these offerings out weekly so campers can decide which masterclasses they would like to attend.

Our French Woods administrative and creative teams have collaborated to transform our traditional individualized summer programming into quality virtual camp. Our Virtual Summer Staff include seasoned teachers, professors, artists and professionals in their craft or field.