Welcome to Arts Camp

West Side Y Arts Camp is an experiential summer of fun for ages 5.5 - 12. Arts Camp is a vibrant community-building experience in which campers explore their own creative expression in a safe and supportive environment. Children are grouped by age and together they take 5 classes each in DANCE, DRAMA, MUSIC, and VISUAL ARTS per 2-week session. That adds up to 20 hours of arts instruction every 2 weeks!

The summer is divided into four two-week sessions, each with its own organizing theme. Campers learn different styles and techniques in all 4 art forms all summer long with a focus on foundational skill building, development of original material, rehearsal, and performance. On Thursdays at 4 PM of weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8, each group performs in an informal showcase for family and friends in the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater. The THEME for Summer 2017 is ARTS THROUGH TIME. In each program session, we will focus on a different historical period -- Ancient/Medievel, Renaissance/Middle Ages, Victorian/Colonial, and Modern Era -- and in each of the 4 art forms, explore age-appropriate curriculum that celebrates the dance, theater, music, and visual art of that time. In addition to arts classes, all campers swim twice a week, go on arts-related field trips around NYC, and, weather permitting, enjoy Central Park for lunch, fresh air, yoga, and team-building creative activities.