CAMP

Explore all aspects of engineering and performance with NESA this year!

Who

Elementary School Cohort: Entering Grades K-4

Middle School Cohort: Entering Grades 5-8

When

8:00 am - 4pm

SPRING CAMP

February Camp: February 10-14

April Camp: April 14-18

SUMMER CAMP

Session 1: June 23-27

Session 2: June 30-July 3rd (closed on the 4th)

Session 3: July 7-11

Session 4: July 14-18

Session 5: July 21-25

Session 6: July 28-August 1

Session 7: August 4-8

Session 8: August 11-15

Where

9 Hanover Street, Lebanon, NH

Price

Cost 5 day sessions: $600

Cost 4 day session: $480

NESA seeks to make our summer camp accessible to all families. If you need financial assistance, please see more information below.

Programming

Summer Session Themes

  • Session 1: LEGO Dreams and Themes

    Students will build LEGO creations, learn about robotics and spend the week immersed in EVERYTHING LEGO related.

  • Session 2: Buried Treasure (Closed on the 4th)

    Students will go on scavenger hunts, create their own scavenger hunts and participate in themed scavenger hunts.

  • Session 3: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

    Students will work with a variety of artists on drawing, watercolor, painting, photography and cartooning.


  • Session 4: Abracadabra

    Enter the world of magic and explore some of the best magic tricks, how to create illusions, watch professional magicians at work and more!

  • Session 5: Circus Fun

    Enter under the big top and create your own acts! Whether it is clowning, acrobatics or tightwire you will spending the week learning and refining your own acts. The week will culminate in a performance.

  • Session 6: Let's Dance!

    Have you ever wanted to learn to salsa? Tap dance? Try ballet? This is your week! Enjoy a week of sampling a variety of dance forms!

  • Session 7: Life is a Cabaret

    Do you like to sing? Have you ever wanted to be in a cabaret? Students will learn and coach their own songs. The week will culminate in a performance of their pieces.

  • Session 8: The World is Your Stage

    Do you want to be on the stage? Have you ever learned a monologue? Practiced speaking with a different dialect? Performed in a play? If you are interested in acting this week is for you!

Daily Schedule

This is an example of what a day at NESA Camp might look like. Each session and day will be unique based on the weekly themes, weather, and other variables.

Elementary School Cohort

8:00 - 8:15 Drop off/Sign In at NESA

8:15 - 8:45: Warm-ups/Games

8:45 - 9:00 Snack

9:00 - 9:30 Walk to CCBA, get changed for lessons  

9:30 - 10:00 Swim Lessons

10:00 - 10:30 Get changed and walk back to NESA

10:30 - 11:30 Circus Acts

11:30 - 12:30 Lunch and time in the park and rail trail, weather permitting.

12:30 - 1:15 Singing

1:15 - 2:00 Improv acting for the stage

2:00 - 2:15 Snack

2:15 - 3:30 Dancing

3:30-4 Clean up and pick-up

Middle School Cohort

8:00 - 8:15 Drop off/Sign In at NESA

8:15 - 9:00 Ice breakers and warm-ups 

9:00- 10:00 Tap dance lesson 

10:00 - 10:15 Break/Snack

10:15 - 10:30 Walk to CCBA for group swim/get changed

10:30 - 11:30 Swimming

11:30 - 11:45 Change-walk back to NESA for lunch

11:45 - 12:30 Lunch and time in the park and rail trail, weather permitting

12:30 - 1:15 Improv acting for the stage

1:15 - 2:00 Combat for the stage

2:00 - 2:15 Snack

2:15 - 3:30 Singing

3:30-4 Clean up and pick-up

How to Pay for Camp

There are two ways to pay for camp. The first is by using a credit card at the end of the online registration form, which has a 3% credit card processing fee. The second is to mail a check to New England School of the Arts / P.O. Box 594 / Etna, New Hampshire 03750. After completing the registration form, you wil receive a confirmation email with a bill and payment instructions. Full tuition is due at the time of registration.

Financial Aid

We seek to make NESA summer camp accessible to all families regardless of socioeconomic status. Please fill out the application below, and follow the instructions at the top of the document, to apply for financial aid. Email jenniferchambers@nesarts.org with any questions.

Full Tuition Deadline

Full tuition is due by April 30, 2025. Campers who register after April 30 are expected to pay for the full tuition at the time of registration either online or by mailing a check.

Refunds

It may be necessary for a parent to cancel a camper’s registration after full tuition has been paid. If cancellation is due to a serious illness or injury that prevents participation in camp activities, New England School of the Arts will refund the paid tuition minus the deposit provided that a doctor’s note certifying the illness or injury is submitted in writing. Any cancellations for other reasons are not subject to refunds.

Waitlists

Once we reach capacity for a session, we will start a waitlist. To sign up for the waitlist, fill in an application online. There is no deposit required to be placed on the waitlist.

Contact Information

Email jenniferchambers@nesarts.org with questions about summer camp.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes and yes! Each week will have it’s own theme. Campers can enroll for multiple sessions and deepen their fun and learning each week.

  • Yes, we strive to make NESA summer camp as accessible as possible to all families. Please complete the application and follow the instructions in this document.

  • We have extended our regular camp hours to 4pm so extended day is no longer necessary.

  • No, campers should come with their own lunch and plenty of water for the day.

Instructors

Ashley Barrow

Acting

Ashley Barrow hails originally from Hendersonville, NC and received her BA in Theatre Arts and Dance minor from Catawba College, in Salisbury, NC. Her theatre credits include Cape Fear Regional Theatre, South Carolina Children’s Theatre, North Carolina Theatre, Springer Opera House, Hanover High School, City Center Ballet, and Opera North. Ashley’s most recent engagement was as the Theatre Programming Coordinator for Artistree and the Grange Theatre in South Pomfret, VT. She is one of the original founding members of NESA.

Megan Baxter

Creative Writing

Megan Baxter holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Vermont College of the Fine Arts and a BFA in Poetry from Goddard College. In 2004, when she graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy as a Creative Writing major, Megan was honored as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Past works include The Coolest Monsters: Essays and Farm Girl. Her most recent book, Twenty Square Feet of Skin, was published in May of 2023 by Mad Creek Books from Ohio State Press as part of their 21st Century Essay Series.

Megan has won numerous national awards including a Pushcart Prize. Her work has been listed in The Best American Essays of 2019. Recent publications included pieces in The Threepenny Review, Hotel Amerika, The Florida Review, and Creative Nonfiction Magazine. She teaches writing at Colby-Sawyer College, where she enjoys serving as a mentor to young writers and developing cross-genre and innovative creative writing pedagogy for her workshops and classes.

Skip Cady

Circus Skills, Special Effects, Stage Production

Skip Cady, presently teaching for the Upper Valley Circus Collective, has a BFA from MECA in metalsmithing and jewelry. Skip has been performing for 45 years and teaching in the upper valley theater, circus arts, special F/X, set design and stage combat. He has consulted for non profits helping to bring creativity into public school programs in VT and created and acted in exercises for Russel Keat LLC. He specializes in teaching knife making and received an IMDb movie credit for building a costume for the movie "Lost Nation " with  Jay Cravin as the director.

Jennifer Chambers

Vocal Performance

Jennifer completed her undergraduate degree in Music Education from DePaul School of Music, DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and her Master’s in Vocal Performance from Hunter College in New York. Jennifer has taught in London, New York City, and most recently has been the Music Coordinator at Hanover High School for 10 years. She currently serves on the NH All State choral committee and is the President elect for the New England Music Festival Association. She holds her CAGS from New England College and is one of the founding members of NESA.

Jennifer Guess

Dance

Jennifer is an experienced dance teacher and dance coach specializing in technical training and performance preparation. She is classically trained in the Vaganova method of ballet, classical modern techniques (Horton & Graham), and jazz (Luigi, Maddox, Hachett). She graduated from North Carolina School of the Arts in 1989, and supplemented her training with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre from 1985-1991 before being signed, working and traveling with the Campbell Agency (Dallas) and Fontaine Agency (Los Angeles). In addition to walking the runways in New York, Dallas and Los Angeles, Jennifer worked in print, editorial, catalog, and commercial television advertising. Jennifer is one of the founding members of NESA.

Denise Frawley

Dance

Denise Frawley has been in theatre since the age of 7 when she performed with the Regale Players in Waltham, Massachusetts. She toured the country as a dancer and singer and performed for artists such as Frank Sinatra and John DeLouise. She was the first female to win the state championship in Waltham, Massachusetts for soap box derby racing and went on to represent Boston at the world championship in Akron, Ohio. Denise has spent the past 20 years of her life in the Upper Valley choreographing shows at Hanover High School, Crossroads Academy, the Lyme School and Hartford High School. She is passionate about starting a performing arts school and believes in any opportunity that provides more access to the arts for the Upper Valley community.

Interested in joining our team of summer camp counselors?

Apply to be a Lead Instructor (above 18) or Counselor in Training (under 18):

Testimonials from 2023

  • “I really liked eating outside and some of the art classes were pretty great! For example, I liked the scavenger hunt with videography, and I really liked the watercolors and photography. Well, I just about liked everything! And the showcase was really fun!"

    -Mina

  • "[My favorite part of camp was] pottery – no, wait! – making cookies – no, wait! – the showcase!"

    – Eloise

  • "I was very happy meeting new friends, and I liked photography."

    – Gio