PARKER —Five-year-old Sage Aquinto will be part of at least one performing arts day camp at Parker’s PACE Center this summer. Her mom and grandmother are sure of that. The varied classes, available in week-long packages now through August, are a natural fit for little Sage’s theatrical disposition.
“She dances, she sings,” mom LeAnna Hitchins said after Sage participated in a circus-themed skit to cap a creative discovery class at PACE. “You just can’t stop her from performing.”
Sage’s grandma, Jackie Hitchins, said PACE’s recent partnership with has really boosted performing arts options.
When asked to pick her favorite part of the creative discovery class, which mixed a tiny obstacle course, hula-hoops, decorating miniature parasols and painting, Sage didn’t hesitate.
“The performing,” she said.
Theater-focused classes are hardly the only kind of enrichment for kids this summer at the center at 20000 Pikes Peak Ave.
As of last week, slots were open for one-week programs like Shutter Bugs Photo Camp, Aerospace FUNdamentals using Lego, and six sessions of Science Rocks Summer Camp, according to the center’s website. The classes are generally for kids between the ages of 4 and 13, but some are geared toward preteens.
Everyone is welcome, but Parker residents pay less. Shutter Bug classes are $160 for the week for locals, and $176 for visitors.
Space is limited. According to numbers provided by PACE Education Manager Kirstin Fletcher, there are 670 spots combined for kids camps, and as of late last week, 434 were taken.
“This is the first time we’ve had this broad a spectrum of offerings,” PACE marketing manager Carrie Glassburn said, crediting Fletcher for leading the expansion. “There really has been huge demand for it.”
Also for the first time PACE is offering full-day options. Parents can enroll their kids in one camp in the morning and a different program in the afternoon and forget about midday transportation for the week, Glassburn said. As the mom of a 10-year-old, she said she is familiar with the challenges facing parents when school is out. With combination programs, parents can drop off kids at 9 a.m. and come back at 4 p.m., with staff-supervised lunches in between.
Glassburn’s daughter, Erin, will be in a split session science camp/Lego engineering class this summer.
Elaine Mariner, the town’s cultural director, expects the performing arts classes to fill up fast. She said the demand is huge, especially for theater education.
That’s where the partnership with Inspire Creative comes into play. The Parker-based nonprofit as PACE’s producing theater partner and brought with it theater education programs.
“It’s an incredible fit. We love it,” Inspire Creative’s Artistic Director Gary Lewis said. “Our goal is to create a complete teaching institute that will start with very young children and go all the way up to adults with the idea that some of these kids will someday be on the main stage with us.”
Jessica Ward is a teacher with Inspire Creative. She taught the class Sage Aquinto took this spring and will be back for two camps this summer. Play in a Day is full, but Ward said but there is room for Ticket to Seussville, a Dr. Seuss centered program from July 20-24 for kids 5 to 7 that will explore the whimsical children’s author’s work through art projects, theatrical performances and imagination, Ward said.
She added: “They’re so young, I want to give them options so they can find out what they like best and circle back to it.”
Joe Rubino: 303-954-2953 or jrubino@denverpost.com
Pace camps
For a compete list of camp times, availability and associated fees — including for combined, day-long programming — visit . Call the PACE Center at 303-805-6800.
