If you were a young, ambitious 13 year old dying to grow up so you could get your acting/singing/dancing carear finally started, would you enjoy spending your summers at sports camps where the only artistic activity is folding up your tent nice and neatly? I thought not. :-)

The location: French Woods (or FWF for short) is a summer camp up in good old Hancock, NY. It's about a 3 hour drive from New York City, and a little less from Albany.

The Program: Because this is a performing arts camp, the program is focused on dance, theater, and music. Campers can choose from a million and one classes; anything from hip hop to classical ballet, from improvisation to screenwriting, and from classical music to heavy metal. However, there are other activities, because after all, even the most professional camper needs to play once in a while. There are sports, including gymnastics, basketball, tennis, soccer, baseball, volleyball, football, jogging, and aerobics. Visual arts include painting, drawing, dream catchers, ceramics, woodworking, stained glass, jewlery, photography, silkscreen, magic and computer. There is no pool, but there is a lake which is used for swimming, boats and waterskiing as well. There is a circus program which is open to any camper no matter what ability they are. There are also many classes such as set design and costumes which allow campers to work behind the scenes.

The Daily Schedual: After waking up at 7:30 and having 15-20 minutes to get dressed, campers go to breakfast at 8. After breakfast they clean up the bunk. The schedual is based on 6 classes a day, 3 majors and 3 minors. Majors are chosen the first few days of each 3 week session and are taken once a day, every day for those 3 weeks. Minors are changed every day. After 3 classes there is lunch, then another 3 classes, and then dinner. After dinner there is about an hour to an hour and a half of free time which campers use to do what they choose. This is followed by some kind of evening activity which varies from night to night and finally, canteen is open most nights where campers get snacks and cerfew goes as late as 11:30 depending on age.

What it's like: French Woods is very different from other summer camps. Instead of being told where to go and what to do, you get to choose all your activities. Some parents may not like the sound of this, thinking it's too lenient and that their kids will end up taking the same class over and over, but both the kids' counselors and head counselors review their choices before they are entered into the record to make sure you are getting your money's worth. I think the way the schedual runs is really great at French Woods. You choose your actvities so you really are responsible for your desisions, and even though minors can be changed, majors can only be changed up until a couple days after camp starts.

This camp is really fun. I've gone for four years now and still love it. If your child is the kind of kid who's a budding broadway star, this camp is great for your child. On the other hand, if your child is shy and just likes to make ceramic pots and ocassionally play some hockey or rollerblade, they'll have a great time also. Sometimes the way the camp is run really gets on my nerves. For example, if i'm sick, I can't be in the bunk by myself. I have to go to the infermary. Which would be ok with me except there aren't enough beds in the infermary to house all the campers who think they are really really sick. So, if you're not too sick, the nurses might send you back to activities even if you don't have the energy to participate. On visiting days, campers are not allowed to leave the campus unless leaving for the summer. The camp is very strict about this, probably because of insurance reasons. Other camps do allow students off campus, but most of those only have one visiting day. At French Woods, there are 2-3 visiting days each session.

Despite all it's pitfalls, what really keeps me coming back to this camp is the people. I live in New York City and go to a private high school in which people are generally concerned with cell phone covers and looking great. That kind of stuff happens at camp also, afterall, the campers are mostly adolescents. However, there is a different atmosphere at French Woods. It seems like people are more relaxed and just want to have a good time, not worry about reputations. This is a great environment for a child who has problems with friends in his/her school because to me it seems like the kids at this camp are nicer than they are in schools. :-)

So, whether your child is interested in performing arts or not, I definetly suggest at least looking at this camp because it's definetly a worth while experience.

Oh, and by the way. Under Affiliation with Camp i put former camper because I'm 16 now and have decided that after 10 summers of combined day and sleepaway camp, it's time for a change, it's got nothing to do with the camp itself.



Recommended: Yes