Camps offered to hone performing skills

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

At Bravo! Academy of Performing Arts in Blue Springs, the instructors aren’t merely concerned with teaching their students how to sing and dance. The purpose of the studio, according to its Web site, is to “develop each student’s potential as a performer,” which involves enhancing the students’ skills while also improving their confidence to use those skills. “The cool thing about this studio is it teaches the students techniques and confidence they can use in everyday life,” said Meg Tucker, Bravo! marketing director. This summer, Bravo! is taking its instruction a step further by offering various musical theater camps aimed at teaching the students everything there is to know about musical theater production. From July 7 to Aug. 1, Bravo! is conducting “The Pirates of Penzance” musical theater camp for students entering the sixth through 12th grades. The camp will offer instruction on aspects of theater, such as vocal training, acting, staging, and
dancing. The camp also will cover behind-the-scene aspects such as makeup, auditioning skills, sets and props. “We aren’t interested in just teaching the kids how to sing and
dance,” Tucker said. “So while they are learning to do that, they also will learn everything involved
musical theater. We want to hone their skills with both techniques and encouragement.”
On July 31 and Aug. 1, the students will take the lessons they learned and put them to use in performances of the “Pirates of Penzance,” a comedic opera that made its offi cial premier in
New York City in 1879. Tucker said “if all goes well at the camp,” the troupe will have the
chance to compete in Atlanta, Ga., in the Musical Theater International competition.
Bravo!, which opened in October 2007, also will conduct another camp from July 7 to Aug. 1 for younger students entering first through fifth grades. The “Disney Cinderella” musical theater camp will instruct the students on various aspects of musical theater, but on a lower level at which young children can comprehend, Tucker said. Those students also will take part in a production of “Cinderella” at the Aug. 1. Their performance and the production of “The Pirates of Penzance” is tentatively set to be located at the North Springs Methodist Church in Blue Springs, Tucker said. Tuition for both camps is $90 per week or a $350 onetime payment. The first week’s tuition is due to reserve a spot in the camp. Also, from June 9 to 13, Bravo! is conducting a camp for students entering the sixth through eighth grades who have a desire to be in a rock band. Tucker said a band of high school students will teach the students all that goes into becoming a garage band. At the end of the camp, the students at the camp will have the opportunity to play in a studio and record a CD. For more information about Bravo!, the camps or to sign up for the camps, contact Bravo! at 816-220-9100 or visit its Web site at www.bravo-academy.com.