Our Dance Camp Story is a (Self) Love Story

I started American Dance Training Camps in 2003 because my experience attending an overnight gymnastics camp for 8 summers gave me the ability to love myself in a way I didn’t know I was capable of during school years focused on grades, cliques, going to the mall and prom.

At camp, self-love is easy. Camp inspires intrinsic motivation – autonomy, competence, connection, and a “flow” state you can’t achieve when you’re doing something for someone else or for an external reward.

At camp you slow down, remember you’re ALIVE, savor simple pleasures and do the things that give you joy. At camp, miracles are natural (and we define a “miracle” as a shift in perception from fear to love!). Girls need more miracles…more self-love. And the world needs more inspired women.

~ Lindsey Fadner, ADTC Founder

Our “Executive” People

Lindsey Fadner American Dance Training Camps FounderLindsey Fadner, ADTC “Visionary”

In 2003, at the age of 24, Lindsey Fadner organized a 3 week overnight camp in Stratton, VT for students at her CT dance school. That pioneering venture evolved into American Dance Training Camps, the world’s premier dance camps company. Still excited about it after all these years, Lindsey continues to serve as ADTC’s spiritual leader, and CEO of all things relating to girls’ self-esteem. Always on the hunt for new and interesting places to dance, her favorite camp continues to be the next one she’s starting.

Ashley Peter American Dance Training CampsAshley Peter, ADTC Program Director

Ashley is originally from Lakeland, FL where she performed with the Orlando Ballet. She has also performed with the Cecchetti International Summer Dance School, Thodos Dance Chicago, the Imperial Symphony Orchestra, Florida Dance Theatre, and the Broadway Project. Ashley holds a BFA in Dance from Point Park University, and is on staff with UDA, DivaDance NYC and the Broadway Project. She lives in Brooklyn, NY and teaches for many studios in the NY area. Ashley has directed ADTC dance camps in VT, MD & IL for five summers.

Christina Johnson American Dance Training CampsChristina Johnson, ADTC Program Director

Christina Johnson (aka “CJ”) fell in love with dance back in the 1900’s in a far away land known as Oregon…she joined the NYC dance scene in 2005 and co-started her own eclectic modern dance company, Jerboa Dance. CJ’s choreography was recently featured on “America’s Got Talent” and she has performed for P Diddy, Beyonce, Martha Stuart and Diana Ross. CJ has directed & taught at American Dance Training Camps’ overnight dance camps in Wisconsin, Texas, Vermont, California & New Jersey for the past seven summers.

Jayme Wappel American Dance Training CampsJayme Wappel, ADTC Program Director

Jayme began dancing at CC & Company in Raleigh, NC. She has a dance degree from Point Park, and currently teaches master classes throughout NYC & the Tri-State area. She also teaches for Arts Action, an outreach program that aims to increase the physical activity of children in NYC public schools. Jayme’s professional credits include the National Tour of Finding Neverland! Jayme has taught at ADTC for 7 years and she’s been Director in North Carolina, Wisconsin & Maryland for 4 years – she loves camp!

Ellen Henry American Dance Training CampsEllen Henry, ADTC Program Director

Ellen began her dance training in Louisville, Kentucky when she was just three years old. At the age of seventeen, she was chosen to take part in the Kentucky Governor’s School of the Arts program. In 2013, Ellen graduated from Point Park University with a degree in Dance and a concentration in Jazz. She has studied & performed in Los Angeles, Paris & NYC, where she currently dances & teaches professionally.  Ellen has directed & taught at American Dance Training Camps’ overnight dance camps in Illinois & Vermont for the past four summers.

Ellen Mihalick American Dance Training CampsEllen Mihalick, ADTC Program Director

Ellen grew up dancing at NJ Ballet and the NJ Dance Theater Ensemble. She’s continued a professional dance career as a Radio City Rockette for five years and counting! As a Rockette, Ellen spends six hours a day, six days a week in rehearsals for the Spectacular. This will Ellen’s 4th summer at ADTC and 3rd summer as our Director in the Texas Hill Country. She has also taught at ADTC dance camps in MD & CO. Ellen wants to inspire other girls to stay true & believe in themselves. “Dream BIG because hard work pays off.”  

Our Dance Camp Story (2003 – 2020)

ADTC Dance Camp StoryAmerican School of Dance, LLC (dba: “American Dance Training Camps”) was founded as a Fairfield County, CT dance school in 2002 by recent college graduate, Lindsey Fadner. Lindsey believed a summer dance camp near her family’s ski condo in Stratton, Vermont might be a fun idea and that summer “ADTC” held 3 weeks of camp. Nearly 100 dancers from the Fairfield County area attended, most of whom danced with Lindsey during the year.

Just two years later, ADTC in Vermont offered five sessions to more than 250 campers from all over the country. In addition, 2006 marked the year that ADTC expanded west to Squaw Valley, California, offering three sessions to over 100 campers.

2007 was another exciting year for ADTC. Not only did we sell more than 750 camper weeks, but we introduced two new ADTC locations: North Carolina & Colorado.

Fast forward nearly a decade and ADTC continues to be the “ULTIMATE overnight dance camp” with locations in eight U.S. locations. But ADTC is more than just dance camps. Today we also offer custom dance choreography, hometown dance camps & school year dance programs nationwide.

This Video May Be Older Than You!

This is the oldest known ADTC dance camp video from our first show in Stratton, VT in 2003. This video is older than iphone video (obviously), and it may be older than you, too!