Court Square Theater Opens Registration For 2025 Summer Youth Camps

HARRISONBURG, VA – Court Square Theater (CST) introduces a new dance week to its summer youth program this year, along with the return of two musical theater camps.

All three one-week camps are offered in July 2025:

• Add Water, Make Dance, in collaboration with Cora Dance (rising grades 7-10), July 7-11;
• Discovering Musical Theater (rising grades 1-4), July 14-19; and
• Exploring Musical Theater (rising grades 5-8), July 21-26.

Each camp meets Monday-Friday 9 am to 4 pm. The dance camp concludes with a 5:30 pm showcase on Friday, July 11. Each musical theater camp also meets on Saturday, 2 to 6:30 pm (for a 4 pm performance showcase).

The early bird fee for each camp is $299. After April 30, registration is $349. Registration closes June 2, unless the maximum number of participants per camp is reached prior to that date.

Financial-need-based scholarships are available for each camp; scholarships are provided in part by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County, Earlynn J. Miller Fund for the Arts.

Information, registration forms, and scholarship applications for Dance Camp are available at courtsquaretheater.org/act-one/cora-dance-camp.

Visit courtsquaretheater.org/act-one/summer-theater-camp for details, registration forms and scholarship applications for both musical theater camps.

Add Water, Make Dance focuses on inspiration through process to performance, and includes personal storytelling, making dance, and connecting with other participants. Musical theater camps encourage students to explore and hone their acting skills and increase their understanding of the theater world. Topics include foundational skill-building in acting; theater protocols; auditioning; ensemble work; getting headshots; introductions to movement and dance; exploration of Musical Theater; as well as cross curricular tie-ins with literacy and core academics. Each theater camp ends on a high note by performing selected songs from a musical revue.

The camps are part of CST’s ACT ONE educational program designed to foster a love for and understanding of theater through instruction in the various aspects involved in bringing a production from script to stage. ACT ONE also includes a spring musical with youth participants (Disney’s The Lion King JR drew sellout crowds last month) and a fall production with community actors ages 60+ (12 Angry Jurors was featured in late 2024).

Located at 41-F Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia, Court Square Theater is operated by Arts Council of the Valley (ACV). Programs are supported in part by ACV 25th Anniversary Presenting Sponsor Kathy Moran Wealth Group, and 25th Anniversary Visionary Sponsor Riner Rentals.

Arts Council of the Valley is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. Today, ACV manages Court Square Theater and Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $518,300 since 2001), supports public art initiatives, and coordinates monthly First Fridays of the Valley community gatherings.

CST is supported in part by the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority, the City of Harrisonburg and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.

This press release was provided by Ann Leatherwood at Arts Council of the Valley.