LIFE AT ADTC

The ULTIMATE Overnight Dance Camp!

DANCE SCREENING

Because dance is the focus at ADTC, we need to know everyone's dance ability. This is for your safety and comfort. Age is also a factor in determining your dance group for the session and certain age restrictions will be communicated at the start of dance screening.

NUTS & BOLTS

Roommate Assignments - Roommate assignments are based on age and will be confirmed during check-in. Campers can request roommates when they turn in their health forms and waivers (due June 1). First choice roommate requests that are mutual are guaranteed.

Early Arrival, Extended Stay - Once camp is in session, we can accommodate campers who find it necessary to arrive one day early or to stay one day late. We must be notified two weeks in advance of early arrivals or late departures. There is a $75 charge for the extra night's accommodation. If you are checking in a day early, Saturday check-in time is at 11am. If you are checking out a day late, Sunday check-out time is 10am. Early arrival/extended stay is subject to offering/availability by location.

Early Check-Out (Friday evenings after show) - We are able to accommodate campers who need to check-out early on Friday evenings after the all-camp show. Check-out time is normally from 9:00 - 9:30pm.

Multi-Session Campers - There is usually an organized field trip for campers staying over the weekend. Multiple session campers should have extra spending money for Saturday lunch and dinner, as well as Sunday breakfast and lunch. Camp food service resumes on Sunday afternoon after check-in for the new session.

Mail and Care Packages - For campers, nothing feels better than receiving a care package! We recommend parents use our partner, Sealed With A Kiss. Mailing addresses for each of our locations are included in the info packet.

Email - For their own safety, campers WILL NOT have access to the Internet and email while at camp. However, we encourage you to correspond with your camper via "eCamp." This popular service provides you and your family and friends with a window into the world of American Dance Training Camp. Be a part of the camp community and view photos, order photo prints or gift items, and send messages to your camper with fun graphics and fonts. eCamp notes are received immediately and distributed to campers daily - no more waiting 3 - 4 days for your camper to receive her letter!

Cell Phones & Similar Devices are NOT Permitted at ADTC - Aside from the fact that cell phones are expensive and can get lost or stolen and the physical camp environment is not kind to such items, there is a fundamental problem with campers having cell phones at camp, and that is trust. When children come to camp they - and you - are making a leap of faith, temporarily transferring their primary care from you as their parents to us and their counselors. This is one of the major growth-producing, yet challenging aspects of camp. As children learn to trust other caring adults, they grown and learn, little by little, to solve some of their own challenges. We believe this emerging independence is one of the greatest benefits of camp. It is one important way your child develops greater resilience. Contacting you by phone essentially means they have not made this transition. It prevents us from getting to problems that may arise and addressing them quickly. Sending a cell phone to camp is like saying to you child that you as a parent haven't truly come to peace with the notion of them being away from you and your care. We agree to tell you if your child is experiencing a challenge in their adjustment to camp. You can help by talking with your child before they leave for camp and telling them that there is always someone they can reach out to, whether it be their counselor, a trusted activity leader, the Program Director or Nurse. We are all here to help, but if you don't trust us, your child certainly won't!

AWAY FROM HOME

Many first time campers worry that they might miss home while they are at camp. They worry that this might get in the way of enjoying camp. The fact is, many campers miss home while they are at camp, even experienced campers, no matter what their age! The trick is to know how to overcome the feeling so it does not overwhelm you. Here are some tips you can use at camp to help you have a great time...

• Camp will be fun if you immerse yourself in the activities and keep busy. Camp is a place to try new things and make new friends.
• Everyone has good days and bad days: be sure to tell your counselors if you are feeling "blue" so they can help you.
• Don't worry about making friends: most times, all you have to do is be nice to others and they will respond in kind.
• If you are feeling nervous or anxious, a great way to make friends is by asking questions and being a good listener!
• Missing home means there's something special at home that you love, and that's a good thing! Write home and tell them about camp!
• Set a goal of making it to the end of the session - then you will be back home and you will find yourself missing camp!

Remember, there are so many exciting things to do at camp that you can't do at home! Camp is a great time to be "on your own", making your own decisions, and growing up in a friendly, supportive atmosphere. Generally, as each day passes, you'll find you're feeling better about being away from home. You'll discover that not only are you capable of surviving without your parents and in a new environment, but that you can have a great time doing it, too!

HOW TO BE AN EXCELLENT MEMBER OF THE ADTC COMMUNITY

• Be on time to morning reflection, meals, meetings, evening programs, and other camp activities.
• Show camp spirit after meals, during programs, at campfires, and any time the activity calls for excitement and exuberance.
• Demonstrate concern for your health and safety at all times. Eat healthy meals, wear clean clothes, and wash up.
• Set a good example with your own personal habits, your dress, your language, and your daily lifestyle.
• Take care of camp property and equipment. Take service tasks seriously. Put things back where they belong. Clean up after yourself. Pick up litter. Report maintenance needs immediately.
• Help camp run smoothly by following the rules, offering suggestions, and carrying your weight.
• Communicate with your counselors and fellow campers. Remember that nothing can be done about a problem if the people who can change things don't realize that a problem exists.
• Show respect for your peers and work to earn other's respect. When there is an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust things will go better.
• Contribute to the program in your own special way. You have skills and talents that will add to camp!
• Radiate a positive mental attitude even when you disagree with decisions. Save controversy for settings where you can involve a staff member.
• Make bedtime a positive and pleasant experience. The primary activity in camper hallways and rooms after the team meeting should be sleeping.
• Help enforce the camp Code of Conduct at all times.
• Above all, take care of yourself by staying healthy, knowing your limits, and maintaining a positive attitude. Being an "excellent member of the ADTC community" includes being able to function at a high level at all times, for the duration of the session.

TECHNIQUES FOR REDUCING STRESS

• Get organized. Put things where they belong so you won't cause stress by looking for them.
• Live in the present. Try to take one day at a time. If your body is "in" the present, but your mind is in the past or future, the results can be hazardous.
• Help others. Looking outside yourself to other people and their problems tends to diminish your own concerns.
• Laugh. Laughter, from whatever source, is known to have healthful effects. Finding humor in a problem means you're on the road to solving it.
• Let other people "do their own thing." Realize - in your living area, not everyone will do things your way. If you don't expect it, you won't feel the stress of disappointment.
• Give people a break. If you see fellow campers doing something wrong, unsafe, or unwise, help rather than condemn.
• Monitor your frame of mind. If that "self talk" that goes on in your head makes you begin to feel stressed, stop yourself and try to think in a positive way.
• Treat yourself right. That means eat healthy, exercise, get enough sleep, and take time - a little each day - for something that gives you pleasure.
• Change your vocabulary. Instead of calling something a problem, call it an opportunity. Turn a hassle into a challenge.
• Practice responding calmly. When a potentially stressful situation arises, you can choose to respond in a stressful way, or in a calm way. Remember, you control your own response.

GET RID OF GOSSIP AND NEGATIVISM

1. Complain or criticize only to someone who can do something about it.
2. When making a complaint or criticism to the right person, be specific and constructive. After both of you agree on the real problem, ask those responsible to take action within a reasonable time frame.

Take ownership of the part you play in the situation. The trick to transforming a gossip-filled culture is to take responsibility for it.