Press Releases
Summary: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a historic home and cultural center in south Orange County, revamps its youth summer performing arts programs for ages 8-17 to include sessions for beginning and intermediate learners. Casa Romantica’s 2022 Summer Academies are FREE for students to attend with generous financial backing from local donors.
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, presents a new format for its Summer Academies in classical music and dance. The performing arts programs for youth will now consist of two one-week classical music academy sessions (one for beginners and one for intermediate learners) and a comprehensive two-week dance academy with beginning and intermediate learning tracks.
“The structure of Casa Romantica’s summer academies is unlike anything else in Orange County – it’s a kind of residency program for children, being exposed to high-quality instruction and meeting like-minded peers at a beautiful retreat,” says Amy Behrens, Executive Director. “Kids who participate love our academies so much that they apply to return for more instruction the next summer. Having offered these programs with growing popularity since 2015, the natural evolution is to increase the number of children we serve, and to support them in their artistic development for multiple summers.”
Casa Romantica’s Summer Academies are also unique in Orange County because all costs are waived for students, regardless of financial ability. There is NO tuition or registration fee, and lunch and snacks are provided for free upon request. For the Classical Music Workshop, instrument rentals are also provided for free so children first learning an instrument can try it out without the risk of buying a new instrument. These programs are made possible with support from grants, endowment, and from many individuals in the community.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, with 25% of all registrations reserved for students who receive reduced or free meals through their school district to ensure that the programs have an equitable opportunity for those with financial need. Applicants must submit a student report card for the current school year. Verification of prior experience is required for the Music Academy and the Summer Dance Academy.
Overview of Summer Academies at Casa Romantica
Classical Music Workshop (Monday to Friday, July 11-July 15, 2022 from 9 AM – 3 PM): A one-week program for beginning musicians ages 8-12 who desire to experience and learn classical music with classically-trained music instructors. No experience is required for students to participate in this program. Activities include daily private lessons, introduction to music theory, reading music, group music-making, and unique lectures to give students a well-rounded music education. The Academy concludes with student demonstrations for parents/caregivers on the final day to show what they have learned.
Music Academy (Monday to Friday, July 18-July 22, 2022 from 9 AM – 3 PM): A one-week program for musicians ages 12-17 with at least 3 years of prior musical instruction (verification required), dedicated to ensemble training, composition, and intensive instruction. Activities include daily private lessons, music theory, ensemble practice, and unique lectures to give students a well-rounded music education. The Academy concludes with a student recital.
Summer Dance Academy (Monday to Friday, July 18-July 22, 2022 from 9 AM – 3 PM): A two-week program for dancers ages 10-16 with a minimum of 2 years of prior dance instruction (verification required) to expand their dance education in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop. Activities include daily classes in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop, specialty classes including choreographer, tap, lighting, and costuming as well as unique lectures to give students a well-rounded dance education. The Academy concludes with a student recital.
The 2022 Classical Music Workshop and Music Academy are underwritten with support from the Margaret Redmond Music Education Endowment, The Colburn Foundation, Tom and Grace Lieblein, and Jeff Beals and Brandi Outwin-Beals. The Summer Dance Academy is underwritten with support from Bonnie Koch.
About Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens maintains a robust series of year-round programs in arts, music, history, horticulture, and literature for all ages. Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including Casa Classic: Opera Through the Seasons (2021; site-specific commission), Casa Kinetic: Tango Romantica (2021; dance), Open Casa: Who was Nellie Gail Moulton? (2020; visual art), Casa Coastal: Murals of Levi Ponce (2019; visual art), Casa Theater: The Odd-Essy (2019; theater), Casa Kinetic: Culture Shock LA Hip Hop (2019; dance); Casa Coastal: The Art of Baja California (2018; visual art), Casa Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2018; theater), Casa Kinetic: Celebrating Tap Dance Legends (2018; dance), Casa Coastal: Rebecca Louise Law (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Contemporary Dance Collective (2017; contemporary dance), and Open Casa: The Photographs of Douglas Kirkland (2015; visual art). The 2020-21 Casa Captivating season includes an expanded dance (Casa Kinetic), theater (Casa Theater), and concert series (Casa Vibes), visual and performing arts commissions, and an expanded Casa Kids education program.
Casa Romantica also hosts a variety of free arts education programs for children year-round. The institution’s critically-acclaimed annual Summer Music Academies includes the Music Academy, Classical Music Workshop, and Summer Dance Academy, a Spring Break Arts Week, various art, literature, and horticulture events to grades K-12, and welcomes over 6,000 children from the Capistrano Unified School District each year for STEAM-based field trips that examine the history of San Clemente and the coastal environment.
Mission Statement: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and is the historic home of the founder of the City of San Clemente. Casa Romantica provides programs for all ages in arts, music, history, and horticulture and is a premier Southern California cultural center.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is located at 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672. Hours: Tuesday—Thursday 10 am—4 pm; Friday—Sunday 10am—2pm; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members, active military with ID, and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
