Interlochen

Interlochen Arts Camp
Interlochen, Michigan


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For More Information, Contact
Office of Admissions
Interlochen Center for the Arts
P.O. Box 199
Interlochen, Michigan 49643
231-276-7472
http://www.interlochen.org

Type of Program: Coeducational summer arts program
Participants: Girls and boys, ages 8–18
Enrollment: More than 2,100
Program Dates: June to August
Head of Program: Jeffrey S. Kimpton, President

Location

Interlochen Arts Camp is located on a wooded 1,200-acre campus situated between Duck Lake and Green Lake in rural northwest lower Michigan. It is approximately 4 hours from the Detroit area and 6 hours from Chicago. It is close to Lake Michigan, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Traverse City, a popular year-round tourist destination.

Background and Philosophy

The mission of Interlochen Center for the Arts, of which the camp is a part, is to engage and inspire people worldwide through excellence in educational, artistic, and cultural programs, enhancing the quality of life through the universal language of the arts. Founded in 1928, the camp provides arts education at its highest level, not just for the young artist, but for the growth of the complete individual, preparing them well for today’s demanding and changing society. High school, intermediate, and junior campers learn as much about themselves as they do about their art, meeting young people from different environments, backgrounds, and cultures. Through individualized attention from counselors and instructors and exposure to famous conductors and guest artists, students are encouraged to explore and reach for their dreams.

Program Offerings

Specific class offerings vary in each of the three divisions: junior (grades 3–6), intermediate (grades 6–9), and high school (grades 9–12). Each student’s schedule is determined individually.
Dance: Offerings include beginning through advanced levels in both ballet and modern dance technique.
Music: Offerings include band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, piano and organ, beginning through advanced instrument instruction, chorus, music theory, chamber music, computer music, jazz improvisation, vocal technique, classical guitar, and composition. Four-week Advanced High School String Quartet and three-week Advanced Vocal and Choral Programs are also offered.
Theater Arts: Courses include theater production, theater workshop, acting studio, musical theater, Shakespeare, and playwriting.
Visual Arts: Courses include art exploration, drawing, painting, ceramics, fiber arts, metalsmithing, printmaking, sculpture, and photography.
Creative Writing: Offered in the intermediate and high school divisions, a special intensive course is offered in each three-week session. Students work under the apprenticeship of professional writers and teachers on an individual basis. A creative writing class is also offered at the intermediate level.
Motion Picture Arts: Dedicated to exposing students to filmmaking as a truly collaborative art form, the emphasis is placed on all aspects of the medium—from the written word to the moving image, from the aesthetics of film art to the basics of practical filmmaking.

Enrollment

Interlochen Arts Camp enrolls more than 2,100 campers each summer. Members of minority groups and international students represent 15 percent of the population. Students come from all fifty states and more than forty other countries.

Daily Schedule

Arts instructional classes are held Tuesday through Saturday from approximately 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday’s schedule includes ecumenical and religious services as well as concerts. Rehearsals and recreational and divisional activities take place on Mondays.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Extracurricular activities include recreation, picnics, campfires, dances, arts and crafts, off-campus trips, and other planned activities.

Facilities

Campers live with a counselor and 10–18 other campers in one of the 120 rustic cabins located in each division. There are 450 buildings on the Interlochen campus, including the cabins, fourteen performance sites, and seventeen practice studios, which hold more than 275 individual practice rooms. The camp can seat more than 12,500 in its performance venues. Performance sites include Corson Auditorium (1,000), Kresge Auditorium (4,000), and the historic Interlochen Bowl (6,000). Michael P. Dendrinos Chapel/Recital Hall, Hildegarde Lewis Dance Building, Harvey Theatre, and Phoenix Theatre each seat up to 200 people comfortably.

Staff

Faculty members at Interlochen Arts Camp include distinguished artists and educators from colleges, universities, and secondary schools around the world. Guest artists also enhance instruction by providing master classes.

Medical Care

A team of doctors and nurses is on staff throughout the summer. There is an infirmary for each division. Interlochen is within minutes of a large regional medical center in Traverse City.

Religious Life

Interlochen is not affiliated with any particular religion. The camp provides campers with the opportunity to attend a variety of religious and ecumenical services on campus.

Costs

The average cost for the high school six-week session in 2007 is $5890. The average three-week session is $3431. Tuition varies, based on the student’s division and major as well as the length of time at camp.
    The fees include general expenses such as room, board, most classes and group instruction, camp uniform, all recreational facilities, and admission to faculty and student performances. Any additional fees for supplies or laboratory costs are listed within the camp schedule. Students should contact Interlochen for rates for 2008.
    High school division programs run for three, four, or six weeks. Junior and intermediate division sessions run from two to four weeks, and campers may attend subsequent sessions for a discount.
    Private lessons are available for an additional fee.
    It is recommended that students maintain a personal account of $400 for the six-week session and $250 for the two- and three-week sessions to cover miscellaneous expenses.
    A $1000 deposit is required at the time of acceptance. Full payment is due by June 1.

Financial Aid

The purpose of Interlochen’s financial aid program is to help provide outstanding young performers the means to further their artistic development. Interlochen is able to provide some degree of assistance to approximately 25 percent of its campers. Financial aid is based on one or a combination of three criteria: the financial need of the family, the artistic ability of the student, and the enrollment needs of the camp.
In addition, the Emerson Scholars Program provides a full music scholarship for 52 students from across the United States.

Transportation

Interlochen is approximately 16 miles southwest of Traverse City and is easily accessible by any mode of transportation. The camp is served by Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City via direct flights from Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. Interlochen staff members pick up campers at the airport.

Application Timetable

Complete applications (application; audition/portfolio materials, if required; application fee; and tax forms, if applying for Financial Aid) are reviewed on a rolling basis. Early application is highly recommended. The preferred application deadline is February 1. The application fee is $25 for an online application and $50 for a paper application. For more information, prospective students and their families should visit http://www.interlochen.org/camp.