This summer will be my 5th at American Dance Training Camps. My first summer I was ten years old and had just started dance. I was looking for a camp that promoted positivity and empowerment and had lots of dancing. Fortunately, ADTC was that and more. Since it was my first year and I was coming alone, my mom emailed the camp to get a referral. They responded immediately with someone close to our hometown. The referral family raved about ADTC. My mom appreciated the time they took to answer our questions since she was nervous about switching from a general camp to a highly-specialized camp. I came alone, but I know girls who come both in groups or by themselves are bound to make new friends like I did. I have met girls from around the world who dance at all levels but all have something in common, ADTC made our summers the best it could be. From morning reflection and talking about the word of the day to nightly 'campfires' where you discuss your day with other campers, ADTC fosters an upbeat, fun environment for everyone. Even the walls have positive messages all along the hallways. At camp you gain a lot of independence, but you also learn how to work with others. For example, the campers choreograph the opening dance together. I go to the Stratton Mountain Vermont location. The campus is beautiful and after a long day of dance there are lots of awesome off-campus activities to go to like kayaking, swimming, or horseback riding. We all stay in dorms with counselors on each floor. Over the years, I've come to know the counselors really well. Many come back each year, and some of them started at the camp as campers. The counselors are also choreographers and dancers who have different training backgrounds and specialize in different styles. I have found they are really good teachers. For me, having dance training outside of my studio has helped me grow a lot. Each day you learn and practice dances for the friday show, while also taking classes in styles you may have never taken before like partner dancing or breakdancing. I'm looking forward to summer and seeing my friends again, but also making new ones. read more

This was my daughter's sixth year at ADTC (ninth week of camp) and first at the Wisconsin location and first as a CIT. (She has previously attended the Illinois camps.) As always, she had a wonderful experience with the counselors and her fellow campers. The dance program at the end of the week was outstanding and showcased all they had learned during the camp. As a parent, I always appreciate the great communication with the ADTC counselors and staff. They are always able to answer all of my questions and assist with any special requests/situations we've had over the years. I also appreciate that the campers unplug from personal electronics and social media during the week so they can focus on personal interactions. Parents can send email/letters to their campers and see pictures of the camp activities so they know what's happening. When choosing a dance camp, it is very important to research and carefully read the ADTC website to understand exactly what type of experience is offered. If you are looking for an intensive camp that caters only to elite dancers who will dance 15+ hours a day, then this is not the camp for you. ADTC welcomes all levels of dancers and offers a nice balance of dance classes along with other activities. There is a screening audition held on the first night of camp where girls are placed in groups according to ability. These groups are together for the core classes. The electives include dancers of all abilities. Generally speaking, the grouping seems to be spot-on. The dancers must be able to learn choreography quickly -- they have four days to learn four dances and Friday is spent on dress rehearsal. The afternoon field trips do cost additional money, which vary per location. There are also free on-campus activities offered each day -- often those options are dance-related activities like Turns & Leaps, Improv, Conditioning or Yoga. Every year, ADTC exceeds our expectations. My daughter considers camp her home away from home and can't wait for next year! read more

My 9 year old daughter attended ADTC in Squaw Valley 2016. We found ADTC in the January issue of Dance Spirit magazine and it was listed with the other summer dance intensives. It looked like a great way to introduce an "intensive" dam e atmosphere (they dance Multiple hours per day) but in a much more fun, nurturing, positive environment. It proved to be just what we were looking for: a summer camp for dancers! My daughter loved it and was introduced to new types of dance and re-introduced to hip hop, which she loved and decided to add this year. ADTC gave her loads of confidence in a very positive way. The camp communication was organized, easy to understand and well thought out. And overall my daughter absolutely loved it. My family liked the show at the end of the week. My younger daughter and our family friend both want to attend ADTC after seeing the show and all the dances they learned. The program was nice to take home. It was especially awesome to see how many dances they learned in just a few days! The dorm rooms seemed hot and well used but that didn't seem to bother my daughter. She liked the food. I somehow missed the info that the campers could have the option to leave on fri night after the show and it seemed most girls were leaving that night. Packing up that evenjng was a little hectic bc my daughter hadn't packed up at all and we ended up leaving about 15 articles of clothing behind in the lost and found. Piper, the director, was wonderful and sent them to us right away. My daughter is outgoing and adjusts well Tom new situations and people (she went to ADTC without any other friends) and in believe this camp helped her confidence grow tremendously. She is a good dancer who dances with older girls back home and was placed in the younger group but that didn't matter at all to her or me. She is now asking to also do a ballet summer intensive as well. Sorry to go and on but I felt like it was a 5 star experience formher read more

My granddaughter Alyssa, age 12 almost 13, just attended two consecutive weeks at American Dance Training Camps in Northstar, near Lake Tahoe, California. What an amazing experience she had! Not only did she dance several hours a day being taught by several professional level teachers, but did some of the most fun activities like horseback riding, ropes course (her favorite!), rollerskating, candlemaking, etc.! The founder, Lindsey Fadner, had a vision for creating an environment where girls can just be themselves and be free of all the stressors and drama that ensues in girls' lives during middle school ages and beyond. On this front, for sure, they really delivered. Alyssa felt nothing but support and camaraderie and that spirit was engendered the entire time. She came back a happy balanced confident girl. And she picked up some great dance moves as well! She came in second on Dance Idol with her own self-choreographed solo. There were constant pictures on Facebook posted just about every day where I could watch her having fun and practicing dances and in her activities. It was a great way to follow along in the fun. I flew in on her last Friday in time to watch the show that they put together. Several parents were there and we got to be in the audience and watch. It was so well done and they had a blast! There were even really cute professionally printed show programs highlighting each dance, the teachers and good luck ads to the girls. So many wonderful memories. Alyssa already decided that she wants to come back every year and someday also be a camp counselor! I couldn't recommend this place more! read more

My goal for Ellie was to have fun, meet new friends, and experience something away from home on her own. I saw it as a growing experience. The dancing was not my main concern. I was not thinking, "Oh, this performance better be worth the money." :) It was about building esteem and confidence. She chose the camp for dancing and had a choice of about ANY type of summer camp. Her first comment when we picked her up for the parent dinner was, "I love it!" She added terms such as, "fun," "friendly," "friends," etc. That was it for me. She attended her first boarding style camp (that was not a school camp), and felt successful and was not homesick. Done! Before we even got down from the mountain, she quipped, "I miss camp." She is asking to go again and trying to coordinate with the other girls. I was VERY pleased and impressed during our first minutes of arriving. We walked into her room. Her roommate for the week immediately found us and introduced herself. About a min. later, 5 girls walked in and did the same. They were genuine. I knew at that point, it was going to be a good week. Ellie's comment about the camp vs school (we live in CA) in comparing attitude, behavior, etc. was that, "Everyone was nice." The scenery was a bonus! We do not get that on the coast of CA." We are signing up for 2 weeks next summer! These are still "kids" and you have to look at camp as a process in growth, not just the product. She is now in junior high and very independent this year. I attribute the camp as part of that equation. read more

My daughter has been attending American Dance Training camps in Vermont for EIGHT years. I can't believe it's been so long! She refers to ADTC as her "second home" she loves it that much and that is directly a result of the teachers and counsellors. The facility is fine, but certainly not luxurious. But the teachers and staff make the kids feel like they really belong there, regardless of their level. I'm always amazed at how much progress my daughter makes in a couple of weeks considering that this is not a competitive program and she dances competitively the rest of the year. I have to disagree with one of the other reviewers that they sort by age and not ability in the dance classes. That's totally wrong. You will see teenagers in the beginner class and little ones in the advanced class and guess what? No one cares. They are all friends and super supportive of each other. One year they did put my daughter in a lower class than she expected. I was worried that she was upset, but she was actually fine with it. And they moved her up the next week. No big deal. Frankly, it's such a breath of fresh air after the grueling competitiveness of the competition year. Again, that's a tribute to the teachers giving each kid the attention and instruction they need. This last year my daughter was actually a CIT and it was a great experience for her. I think some day she'll be a teacher there. read more

From out first contact with ADTC to the middle of the 2nd session, Shannon and her staff were empathetic, communicative, supportive and flexible. We faced a few challenges to enrollment - financial and emotional (our daughter's previous sleepaway camp experience was a disaster) - and Shannon was flexible and responsive, even over the course of an everlasting game of phone tag. I think for any parent who gives his or her child to someone else to care for, the most critical tool to a successful experience is communication. I heard from the camp director regularly, and even a few extra times given our daughter's need for additional support. The camp director listened and extended considerable effort to accommodate our daughter and help to ensure her experience was robust and memorable. But the most telling and indicative sign of our fabulous camp experience was our daughter's immediate commitment to return the following summer. I know that every dancer at both sessions with her shared her positive experience, and it was very special to see girls who didn't know each other create such a strong bond over shared passions. This was a result of the skilled and talented staff who touched the girls every day. Kudos to Shannon and everyone at ADTC. They far exceeded the expectations we had. read more

My daughter had an excellent time at camp and is already talking about wanting to go next year!! Even with our late registration, the camp communication was excellent. All my questions were answered quickly and personally. From the minute we drove up you could see her excitement. We were greeted at the door with tons of smiles. Check in was smooth and she was off to meet her room mate. There were no sad good byes just smiles and excitement. Her phone call home was filled with all the fun she was having, the friends she was making, and dances she was learning. The Friday night show was spectacular. I did not expect so many different dances. It is unbelievable how many she learned in 5 short days! She did not want to come home!! I am truly impressed with ADTC. My daughter had a great week and was well worth the commitment. I cannot say enough about the dance teachers, they spent the entire week with the girls, not just in classes, and got to know them. What a great experience for my daughter. It was great to learn from other dance instructors and learn different dances. read more

I am writing this review because it would have been helpful to us as we were choosing a camp for our daughter. We needed to find a safe, fun and confidence-building environment for our almost-11 year old. She loves to dance; but, as parents, we were hoping to find a camp that would plant some seeds of empowerment -- key for our dancer who was anxious about entering middle school and had just been told by some basketball counselors at a different camp with a couple of "mean counselors," that "boys play better than girls." We loved ADTC and are grateful. Our daughter went to the MD location and made friends, learned new dance styles and choreography from warm and energetic counselors, and had a ton of fun. As parents, we were relieved to see an honest boost in her self-esteem -- we needed it and ADTC delivered and then some. Our daughter cannot wait to return next summer. We have already recommended ADTC to our family and friends, and I literally joined YELP to make sure that other families in our position could potentially benefit like we did. read more

Dance camps are aplenty...dance camps of this caliber are rare. We feel lucky to have found them. It is the people, the kids who attend, the philosophy driving the program, the dance program itself, and the parental support by the camp pre/during/post camp that defines the type of experience you and your child will have. They are the brightest option I have found, they have separated themselves from the crowd in many obvious ways. My child absolutely loved it, made friends from as far away as the Cayman Islands and as local as a few miles away from our home. Her confidence in dance grew tremendously...we thank them for that. Most importantly, we had a divorced parents situation that surfaced during camp and they handled it with amazing aplomb and compassion...preventing any impact on either my child or the other campers....these are not things you can foresee in a brochure. When they are handled without and friction, you know you have a quality management team. Thanks for the experience! read more

Can't believe I am writing a summer camp review when it is soo cold out BUT I know you have to start planning your summers in the winter! I have nothing but GREAT things to say about ADTC (American Dance Training Camps)! This past summer was my daughter's second year at ADTC and again she came home wanting more, more, more! It is like her home away from home. She just adores the camp and the staff and we are so happy that she found her summertime dance home! One issue the first week was dealt with in a very professional manner - and of course no matter where you go there will be some issue - these are kids after all! Shannon the office manager is so hands on (she is based in CA) and has been wonderful in helping us plan our summers. She is so incredibly responsive as were the camp directors. My daughter is already signed up for this coming summer (2014!) I am always happy to act as a referral so you can ask the office to connect to me if you want more info. read more

My daughter (now 13) always had such a blast at camp and I have always been amazed at how many dances the campers learn in such a short period of time and the variety of the choreography. Having been a "dancer" through my teen years I appreciate the amount of choreography that the campers work on and are exposed too. Not to mention, Shannon (head of administration) has always been amazingly helpful to me. This coming summer (2014) my daughter will be returning for her 4th year! I know how girls in Middle School and High School can be, and my daughter has had only positive experiences with all the girls at camp - I think this is a tribute to the Junior Counselors and the Senior instructors being positive role models. Let me be very honest too - my daughter is not the "top" dancer, or the "star" but she cannot wait until she is 16 so she can join the Counselor in Training program herself. read more

"Lily's week at ADTC was a great experience - she camped in Vermont the first week of July. She thoroughly enjoyed all of the dance instruction and activity she participated in. Was so refreshing for her to experience dance with others that she doesn't dance with all year round - same for the instructors. Great to have fresh pointers and views on her style and technique. Lily had an awesome experience that week. The instructor counselors were great. Lily enjoyed working with Gabby so much - i really feel like she left camp with some fresh new ideas and a better dancer overall. Was just a fabulous experience! Show was really entertaining and showed how hard the girls worked all week. Honestly, Lily enjoyed just hanging back during the activity time and participating in the extra dance related activities. She is a very dedicated dancer and that is what she wanted to focus on for the week." read more

My daughter is an avid dancer and she loves new experiences. She'd been interested in sleepaway camp when we stumbled upon ADTC. When our daughter came home after her first week in North Carolina last summer, we knew we made a wonderful choice. Being able to read a bio on a world class dancer and then meet her during class was a huge thrill for her. She enjoyed making friends, learning new dance styles and spreading her wings a bit at a mere 9 years old. During the final performance and for days afterwards we were astounded by how much she had matured in both her dancing and her being. We have signed up for 2 weeks this year and my daughter has been "packing" for a month already! We are very excited for another summer with our ADTC family. read more

Great experience that focused on building character and self-confidence, rather than just dancing. Three adjectives I'd use to describe ADTC are fun, new experiences, and friendship. This was my daughter's first experience at a sleep away camp. She has high levels of anxiety, especially when away from me. She struggled being away the first night and morning and the director noticed and took extra time with her to help her feel more comfortable. Within an hour of chatting and listening to music with the director, she was feeling so much better and ready to dance. She just needed that connection and the staff was more than happy to help her tackle the anxiety. It was an amazing growing experience for her! We cannot wait for camp this summer! read more

The camp communications were great. I could not have asked for better information pre-camp and during camp. When asked if she liked the camp and would want to do it again, my daughter enthusiastically said YES before I even finished the question! When my daughter goes to camp, she has three objectives: have fun, make new friends and learn lots. She found all three of these at ADTC! The activities were fun and varied - there was something for everyone's interests and abilities. The girls she met were fun, friendly and super supportive of each other. The staff and teachers were super nice and talented. She excitedly said YES when asked if she wanted to return next year. I guess we'll see you next summer, ADTC!! read more

I had the distinct pleasure of teaching at ADTC last year for the first time. I was blown away by how to girls bonded so quickly in just 1 week. Everyone was kind, supportive, and helpful. You'd think they had all known each other for years even thought many had just met for the first time. Those who had dance experience were so generous to the girls who were new to dance. No one felt left out. Anyone who was scared or intimidated by either a dance move or an outdoor activity was able to conquer their fears with the support of the other campers and staff. As our 7 year old dancer said on our first night of getting to know each other: "Nobody gets left behind!" That was clearly the motto the entire time. read more

My girls 11 and 14 have had such an amazing time at ADTC. Both have been for 3 yrs and have grown as dancers and all around great girls. The camp means so much to them. Being different ages I was a little concerned that one might feel less secure than the other but they found their own group of friends and were in different bunks and different dance groups. It really helped to build their confidence and I know it really helped to bond them as sisters. They have keep in touch with other campers and look forward to seeing Camp their friends - new and old and counselors every summer. Thank you ADTC for giving our girls summers to remember for a lifetime. read more

My daughter attended the camp in Vermont the summer of 2014. She was 11 and it was her first sleep away camp so we opted for 1 week. She begged us to stay for the remaining weeks! She truly enjoyed the other girls, the instructors, and the facility. She feels her dance skills have definitely improved. Everything was top notch from the food, the activities, and the professional instructors. Shannon is on top of everything! She is very responsive to any questions you have or any issues that might arise that she needs to make you aware of with your child. We have signed our daughter up for 4 weeks in 2015! Excellent job ADTC, keep up the great work! read more