“Where’s my wife?”
“Can you help me paint my house?”
“I’m going to get arrested now.”
Here I am, at Shira Talent Camp, where such strange
expressions float through the halls. The girls are flying high – on adrenaline,
excitement, and nerves. What is this wondrous place?
STC is a middle-school performing arts camp, where close to
60 girls come together to put on a high-school level, professional performance.
Girls as young as 10 memorize lines and have choir and dance solos, where each
shines in front of her family, friends, and community.
The camp is an outgrowth of The Shira Girls Choir, the
popular choir Mrs. Sachs ran for almost eighteen years. After three albums, a
concert video, and performing around the United States with the choir, the
music industry began to change. As it shifted toward YouTube music videos and
constant sharing through social media, it became more challenging for women’s
music. When a decision was made to put the choir on hiatus for the time being,
parents who wanted their girls to join the choir were asking for an
alternative. Mrs. Sachs had been the drama and music director at Camp Bais
Yaakov for many years, directing all their performances. By combining her camp
and performance experience, and after meeting with a group of parents, Shira
Talent Camp was born.
STC has a different focus than your standard camp. While the
girls still enjoy the pleasures of baking and projects, the first part of the
day is focused entirely on preparing for the gala performance. The girls are
divided into choir, dance, and drama groups. Each choir and dance girl gets to
shine in the four choirs or dances, in addition to receiving a solo and a small
drama part. The drama girls spend all their time in the drama room, working on
the many scenes and lines they are responsible for. After lunch, the girls
enjoy baking, arts and crafts, sports, and other fun games and activities. But
don’t worry – the play is never far from anyone’s minds! In the afternoon, the
girls work on costumes, props, and scenery. They painstakingly cut and sew
their own choir and dance costumes, as well as drill, hammer, paint, and
organize their own props, set, and sceneries. In addition, there are
performance workshops that teach the girls skills in improv, projection, and
expression, among other skills. And don’t forget practicing the STC finale camp
song at lunchtime!
Toward the end of the summer, the days are dedicated to
run-throughs and tech rehearsals. Working long hours, the girls practice
changing costumes and blocking and placement on the stage. They integrate the
dances and choirs. Then comes one of the most exciting parts of the summer,
when they finally go to the stage and the play really comes to life! I am
amazed every year at the girls’ professionalism, patience, work ethic, and
tremendous talents. Taping on microphones, adjusting lighting, remembering to project
their voices, the girls are faced with the play’s imminent arrival.
Before the eyes of STC staff, parents, the Baltimore
community, and the campers themselves, the play is a huge success! This year,
there were over 600 people in the audience, as well as many more tuning in on
livestream from around the world.
* * *
Mrs. Chaya Bruria Sachs, camp founder and director, shares a
bit about the camp’s goals: “The purpose of the camp is not to turn the girls
into stars. The girls who come to camp have a real passion for the performing
arts, and they absolutely love the stage. To spend such a big chunk of the day
rehearsing and working so hard at it – they have to love it! They want to
advance their skills. I understand their need to channel their creative energy
because as a kid, I had that same fire burning within. To not have a place to
express all that talent can feel suffocating to a child. The dance group
doesn’t just learn dances. They learn French terminology and dancing techniques
in many genres. Same with choir – it’s not just singing songs. They do
warm-ups, exercises, learn proper breathing, and other vocal skills. The drama
group studies movement, body language, and character analysis, plus a range of
other core skills. Most of the girls are mature for their age, which is why
they can handle the intensity of the summer. For the girls who have an artistic
flair, there are the afternoon workshops in costume, stage sets, and props.
There is something for everyone.”
The girls come to STC for eight weeks and get to be
themselves, expressing their talents to their full abilities. They throw
themselves into their parts, songs, and dances, making the audience laugh and
cry. Memorizing dozens of lines, lyrics, and dance moves, the girls have the
confidence to stand up on the stage, proud and tall. They learn how to cover up
mistakes and how to speak, sing, and dance with expression. They come together
as one – whether it’s adjusting a mic, pinning a costume, hugging a friend,
complimenting a beautiful solo, or reminding another of a dance move – it’s all
done with respect, love, and friendship. It takes a lot of guts for a
middle-schooler to go up on stage with such bravado, but the STC campers blow
our minds every year: How do such young girls pull off such an incredible
performance?
* * *
It was the day before the performance. I could feel the
energy in the air. Everyone was prepping for the big day. I approached some
staff and campers to hear their thoughts about STC.
Nechama Sachs, head counselor, tells me that STC “gives
professional workshops that teach the girls stage and performance skills, and
they use them when they star in other productions. The girls also gain valuable
life skills, such as confidence, responsibility, public speaking, and teamwork.
After just eight weeks in camp, they have the confidence to try things they
might never have tried before. STC gives them a place where they can express
themselves. They are loved for who they are and look forward to camp all year.”
Nava Shor, fifth year camper, says that i it doesn’t matter
what age you are; everyone is friends. Chana Devora (CD) Saunders, seventh year
staff member and office manager, explains that choir, dance, and drama are not
divided by bunk, but by talent. Therefore, girls of different ages work
together on one common goal.
Having to interact on and behind stage with girls of all
different ages, STCers become a big family. They suddenly have friends in all
grades. A seventh grader will invite a fifth grader over to play – because,
after working together on a performance, STCers bond together, and the feeling
lasts forever. Esti, a girl who has gone to STC for many consecutive years,
tells me that “everyone accepts you for who you are. People say, ‘be yourself,’
but it’s hard. In camp, I felt like I was able to really be myself. STC gave me
a chance to shine in what I do best. Over the years, I’ve seen girls who were
shy, but when they came to camp, they stood with their heads held high. You
feel like everyone is cheering; you know that everyone is there for you. In
camp, it doesn’t matter what age you are, what your family is like, or anything
else about you – we all work together.”
Sara Leeba Caplan, four-time camper, four-year staff member,
and current dance director, shares, “STC is my second home. In STC, there is a
tremendous feeling of accomplishment. As a camper, I felt the amazing feeling
of accomplishment and success, and I want all the new campers to feel that same
feeling.”
And feel it, the girls do! Backstage, the oldest bunk, who
will no longer be able to return to STC, wipe tears from their eyes as they hug
their friends and say goodbye to the place they felt loved and at home. Even
those who will be returning feel a pang. They will miss the achdus, excitement, and incredible
feelings of inner accomplishment that comes along with performing.
Miss Shayndl Green, middle-school teacher and choir director
for eight years, shares a teacher’s insight: “I see the confidence the girls
gain. Sometimes, school isn’t their forte, but here they can succeed and grow.”
A middle-school teacher who attended some of the shows
commented that although most of the girls are very academic, some are more
reserved, or school may not be their “thing.” These girls are sometimes
overlooked. After seeing them perform, however, she had a new appreciation for
these girls and had the utmost respect for their talents.
Another teacher once approached Mrs. Sachs shortly after the
new school year began, asking, “What happened to my student over the summer?”
Responding to Mrs. Sachs’s baffled expression, the teacher explained that this
eleven-year-old had been disorganized, but this year, she was on top of things.
In STC, she had been in dance and had a drama part; she was responsible for
costume changes, props, remembering the dance steps and drama lines, appearing
neat, and much more. Because she enjoyed performing and wanted to succeed, she
taught herself organizational skills, which carried over into the school year.
I asked the girls, “You work all year at school. Why do you
want to come to a camp where you have to work?” Without fail, every girl told
me that she would do this kind of work the whole year, and that STC is the best
kind of fun that exists.
I’m going to elaborate on just a few of the extraordinary
responses I received. Rochel Mindel Edelman, second year camper, says, “If you
didn’t work hard, it wouldn’t be the same, and it’s what brings the tremendous
feeling of accomplishment.” Nechama Dudovitz, third year camper, says, “When
you’re in camp, even though you’re working hard, you come by choice to be a
part of something special.” Yes, all the girls want to be there and love to be
there!
Avigayil Levi, third year camper, was in dance. “I learned a
lot of new dance moves. It was a blast!” Elisheva Berkowitz, second year
camper, was also in dance. “Dance was a ton of fun! You work together a lot and
learn to work with people who aren’t your age as well. STC is a really fun
environment altogether!”
In her first year, Ashira Bilek was in dance. She told me
that dance was “really fun and exciting.” This past year, she was in drama.
“Drama is more challenging, but the harder you work, the more accomplished you
feel. STC is professional; they really critique your lines. The more they point
things out, the more you learn. STC pushes you to work hard. They bring you to
your full potential. In the hard work itself, it’s so much fun.”
Don’t you wish every child could attain those feelings of
inner joy and accomplishment? Don’t you wish every child could be so proud of
him or her self and of each other and be able to create such bonds with other
girls of different ages, connecting through their talents?
Tova Benyowitz, fourth year camper, played the lead role in
“The Imposter,” this summer’s play. She shares, “It’s really hard to memorize
lines. It’s very challenging to be the main part, but it’s so fun. No matter
how old you are, everyone is friends. The younger girls see the older ones
acting professional, so they follow their example. The play therefore ends up
being a high-school level performance. At the end, the feeling of
accomplishment you have – it’s one of a kind.” Many girls had trouble putting
the experience of STC into words, but Tova concluded with a beautiful
sentiment, shared by all the campers, “STC is my home.”
* * *
STC is an experience. STC is a family. The girls are there
for each other, like siblings, and stay life-long friends. STCers cherish their
memories and love telling others about what they accomplished. It’s a feeling
of achievement, attainment, success, and pure, inner joy shared by all the
STCers, evident by their shining faces – shining from both smiles and tears –
after the play’s end.
Though this has only been the eighth summer of STC, the camp
has made a name for itself as a great camp in Baltimore. The camp is
intentionally kept small to give the girls the attention they need to gain from
the program. Mrs. Sachs hopes to attain status as a not-for-profit 501c3 organization
soon, so she can offer an even more professional product to the campers and the
community.
STC is a place where girls act, dance, and sing their hearts
out. The girls gain much more than just a fun experience - they gain a second
home and family. At STC, the girls use their talents and abilities, feel the
inner joy and accomplishment in success, and gain skills and confidence. STC
gives girls the summer of a lifetime - it’s a place they never want to leave. I
can already hear them ticking off the days in their calendars waiting for next
summer….
