Call it Kung Fu Fighting meets Kareoki. It’s a fitting farewell to summer camp. On Wednesday, July 30, Montville kids participating in the annual Parks and Recreation summer camp entertained their families and friends with the annual talent show.
The auditorium at Tyl Middle School was filled to capacity with grandparents, parents and siblings to watch the girls and boys camp groups get up on stage to sing, dance and generally jump around to their favorite Disney tunes.
Preparing a number for the talent show and practicing it is mandatory for all kids, according to Stephanie Gwudz said, camp director. They had a couple of designated sessions each week, as well as free time, to work on their moves.
It’s one of the camp’s group activities for kids that involve creativity, imagination and physical exercise, she said. Getting up on stage to perform on the final day is optional.
So, while a large group of 5 and 6 year-old girls stole the show with “It’s a Hard Knock Life,” from the Broadway musical “Annie,” the announcer gave a special shout-out for the seven 11 to 12-year old boys, out of a group of 30, who decided it was still cool to get on stage to perform a little “Kung Fu Fighting” from the new Kung Fu Panda movie.
The 9 and 10-year-old girls started the show with “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” from the Lion King. The 5 and 6-year-old boys sang the loudest, belting out “I Don’t Dance” from High School Musical 2. The 7 and 8-year-old girls bopped, boogied and threw in some cartwheels, flips and the splits to “We Rock” from Camp Rock.
It was “Funky Town” from Alvin and the Chipmunks for the 7 and 8 year-old boys, complete with break dancing, spins and handstands. The 9 and 10 year-old boys donned eye patches and “Aarg-ed” along with “The Pirate Song” from the Pirates of the Caribbean. The 11 and 12 year-old girls had all of Miley Cyrus’s moves down pat for “See You Again,” including the signature hair toss.
The performance was staged over the noon-hour to give adults a chance to come during lunch break. Brad Wilkerson, Montville, came to see his daughter, Julie Anne, in the 11 to 12-year-old group.
“It was awesome,” said Carol Korineck, who came to watch her daughter, Emma, 9, and son Wil, 7, perform. “Every year they do such a good job.”
The 2008 camp staff got everyone in the audience involved with “All for One” from High School Musical 2. Students from the Montville public schools special needs summer school program, which took part in afternoon activities at the summer camp, ended the show with “Donald Duck Tutti Ta.”
The annual talent show is something camp staff anticipates and looks forward to every year, said Gwudz. More than half of the 30-member staff this year had worked there previous summers, some five and six years, she said. Interviews for next summer’s camp staff will be next March.
Gwudz started out with the program as a counselor thirteen years ago. She teaches second grade in Colchester and is the daughter of Stanley Gwudz, chairman of the Montville Parks and Recreation Commission.
Attendance at Montville’s summer camp program averaged around 200 kids per day this year, according to Jim Butler, Parks and Recreation Director. Particularly in this economy, the camp was one of the best deals in town, at only $10 a week, he said.
“There were a lot of nice activities every day for the kids,” Butler said. “We did quite a few trips this year and the kids really enjoyed it.”
This included field trips for bowling, roller skating, Mystic Aquarium and a day at Ocean Beach. Another big event of the last week was a carnival, complete with a DJ and music, a moon bounce and other activities to keep the kids hopping.
“It’s just a great program; the staff was excellent,” he said.
Parks and Rec Summer Concerts
Butler said about 80 people turned out for the first of Montville’s summer concerts, performed in July. The town is holding up to four concerts this summer for residents as a means of providing some free entertainment and a chance for people in the local community to get together.
Butler and commissioners said initial response to the concert series has been good and they continue to seek community input on future plans, including music and bands. Several people at the first concert requested a Polish band.
The next concert is Tuesday, Aug. 19. Butler said the Kelly Company, a local band that has been around since the 1960s, will be performing. The concert starts at 6 p.m. at Oakdale Pavilion, Route 163. People are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, pack a picnic or snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.
For more information on Montville Parks and Recreation programs, go to the Town of Montville website at www.townofmontville.org, or call 860-848-3030, ext. 322.