July 25 – 31
Music Theatre Camp
Whether you have played the lead or never set foot on the stage, this camp is for you. The Shell Lake Arts Center provides a nurturing and safe space for all young artists to learn and grow.
Instructor: Nickie Kromminga Hill
Residential Tuition…………..$895
Commuter Tuition…………..$695
Music Theatre Camp Fee…..$30
- For Students grades 6-12
- Adult registration as Commuter and only with instructor consent
About
Musical Theatre Camp is a chance for actors, singers, and dancers to create a musical performance from start to finish within a short period of time. This is great training for what summer stock theatre looks like. If you want to build music theatre skills and techniques or you simply enjoy performing, this is the camp for you! We move fast and work as hard as we play!
Classes include character building, improving your vocal range, skills, and techniques and expressing your character through movement and dance. After a week with our Master teachers and professional artists, you will be well on your way to becoming a genuine triple threat!
Placement Screenings – The placement screenings are an opportunity for the directors to assess your skills and talents. They are not intended to be high pressure like they are when someone auditions for a show!
Students should be prepared to do the following:
- 60 to 90 second vocal solo (accompanist provided or you may use a track or you may sing a capella)
- A final performance of materials learned throughout the week will be held on Friday of camp for parents, friends and community members!
- Students should bring dance shoes/shoes comfortable for movement for camp activities.
Sample Schedule
Wake-up
7:15 a.m.
Breakfast
8:00 a.m.
Full Group Warm-ups
9:00 a.m.
Dance/Music/Acting Rehearsal rotations
10:00 a.m.
Lunch
12:00 p.m.
Full Group Rehearsal
1:00 pm-5:00 pm
Dinner
5:00 p.m.
Evening Concerts/Camp Activities
6:00 p.m.
Free Time
Lights-out
10:45 p.m.
Meet the Instructors
About the Program Director
Nickie Kromminga Hill received her BA in Theatre and Dance from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN and her K-12 Theatre and Dance teaching license from Hamline University. Nickie taught Theatre and Dance at Anoka Middle School for the Arts.
She is also a freelance choreographer and has enjoyed working at the Guthrie, Chanhassen Dinner Theaters, and Shell Lake Arts Center in Wisconsin. As a performer she has performed at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre where she has been seen in 18 mainstage productions.
Nickie is an author, podcaster, speaker, musical theatre performer, educator, choreographer, visual artist, life-lover, and sober-sister. She is the Founder/Executive Director of The Spread Sunshine Gang, a non-profit with the mission to share goodness, kindness, and generosity to the Twin Cities metro area and beyond. Nickie lives in Minneapolis with her percussionist hubby Paul, and sweet Snowball, the deaf Staffy.
Faculty Member: Bradley Beahen
Bradley Beahen is beyond thrilled to be back for his 6th year at SLAC. As a music director/conductor, he’s worked at Lyric Arts (Plaid Tidings, Winter Wonderettes, [title of show]), Chanhassen Dinner Theatre (Mamma Mía), Old Log Theatre (Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Theater Latte Da (Pansy Craze), Lakeshore Players (Company), Daleko Arts (Once, Bright Star). As an actor, he’s been seen Off-Broadway at the York Theatre, locally at the Ordway, Chanhassen Dinner Theater, History Theatre, Daleko Arts, as well as a lovely handful of regional theaters throughout the country. He’s also been a teaching artist at Normandale Community College, Artistry and the Guthrie. If he remembers to update it, more can be found at: www.bradleybeahen.com
Faculty Member: Tamara Smith
Tamara Smith, Shell Lake Arts Center Collaborative Accompanist, maintains an active schedule in Northwest Wisconsin with a variety of things related to piano and as a free-lance musician. Private piano lessons are provided at her Studio in Shell Lake, and she serves as accompanist for area schools including Barron 7-12, Bloomer 7-12, Cameron K-4, Cumberland 5-12, Hayward 9-12, Shell Lake 7-12, and Spooner high school musicals. As Trinity Lutheran Church Minister of Music in Spooner, she directs the Celebration Choir and plays for services with other talented musicians. Tamara recently began tuning pianos after an apprenticeship with Steve Carlson and working through the Randy Potter School of Piano Technology coursework. She graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a BME-Instrumental degree, taught for three years in northwestern Wisconsin, and after 17 years in Metropolitan Denver, returned to her native Shell Lake with her wonderful husband and two outstanding daughters.
As the Shell Lake Collaborative Accompanist, Tamara accompanies all camps and programs as required. She has been a faculty member at the Shell Lake Arts Center Show Choir Accompanist and other high school and college-level camps since 1978; administrative staff person for 12 years; and a camper for nearly ten years with middle and high school camps and college-level courses.
Faculty Member: JC Lippold
JC likes to think he follows in his mother’s footsteps as a professional homemaker holding space for others as a nationally renowned teacher of movement and mindset, community engager and social movement trailblazer, storyteller and musical theatre director. Born and raised in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, JC entered the world as a highly emotional, unathletic child with little interest in competition. Through trials and tribulations, mile runs and middle school gym classes, JC started to question the rationale behind our culture’s use of physical experiences that leave most feeling less than enough.
JC earned a BA in Theology and Master’s Degree in Leadership, is a 1 Giant Mind Certified Meditation facilitator and holds credentials across many modalities of movement. The founder of 5K Everyday Conversations, a social movement designed to create access for all to daily conversation with strangers & TCO Local, monthly all are needed, all are capable connection events, JC is passionate about redesigning the fitness landscape in the United States to where the target audience is: everyone.
As a brand ambassador and consistent positive friction voice, JC works alongside brands like lululemon, CorePower Yoga, [solidcore], Orangetheory Fitness, allbirds and Fitbit to ensure they continuously explore ways they can shift the exclusionary and shame-inducing realities of the wellness industry to a more sustainable, happiness and health-giving part of our culture and economy. For the past 18 months, JC has been a part of an inspiring team of people conducting and presenting the first comprehensive research on Food, Body & Fitness Shaming. Alongside his work in fitness, JC is a full time Leadership and Change consultant working alongside Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, civic and educational communities. JC also serves as the Director of People & Partnerships for Cadre, the all-in-one mental health and wellness platform that brings content and community together.
You can often find JC on the Twin Cities’ ABC syndicate, KSTP-TV as their wellness expert. JC leads workshops and is writing the seminal text on his concept of Enoughness, the empowering practice of affirming that you are already, indeed enough.
Additional Information
Questions? Feel free to contact us for any additional information.
Accommodations
Lodges are available for the duration of the camp session. They are supervised by a professional counseling staff on duty 24 hours each day and meals are prepared under the supervision of a state-approved dietitian.
Commuter Expectations
Commuter students are expected to remain at camp until the day’s activities are completed (Typically 9:am-8pm).
Registrations
Online registrations are accepted until the camp is full. Students may be placed on a waiting list if desired. A camp registration form is sent after payment is received. All cancellations must be made in writing and received 3 weeks in advance of the start of camp for a full refund. A $100.00 fee will be deducted from your refund. Refunds less than three weeks before camp will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Residential Tuition
Our student tuition is $895 per student and includes instructional fees, room and board and a camp t shirt which will be worn at the final performance. Please refer to the registration materials found on our registration site at Ultracamp for complete details. A $100 down payment is due at the time of registration. The remaining balance can be paid at the time of registration or in equal monthly installments. All Tuition must be paid before arrival at camp.
Commuter Tuition
This option is for campers that want to attend our camps but not stay in our dorms, The $695 tuition covers instructional fees, a camp T-Shirt which will be worn at the final performance, meals, and evening activities. Commuters arrive for their first class by 9AM, and can be picked up any time after evening activities conclude (usually around 8pm).
Check-in / Check-out
Check in begins at 2pm on Sunday of the week your camp begins. All medical, dietary, and consent forms must be completed in UltraCamp before arriving at camp. Additional information will be emailed to you approximately 4 weeks before camp begins.
Scholarships
Each year, the Arts Center raises funds for the scholarship program. If you are interested in applying for an Arts Center scholarship, please visit our website
Additional Information
To request disability accommodations, or other special requests, please contact the Arts Center at least two weeks in advance of camp. More information about camp and all of the opportunities available at the Shell Lake Arts Center can be found on our website.
Participants are admitted without regard to race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. The Shell Lake Arts Center is an inclusive organization, and we accept all artists and musicians.