Summer Policies and FAQ

Summer camps are live for registration right now! Visit the Summer Program Registration webpage to learn how to register. Starting May 1st you may also register by phone by calling the Studio East office during business hours (9:30am-5:30pm) at 425.820.1800. View full camp schedule.

We will put your student on a waitlist and notify you if space becomes available. If you wish to also register in another camp to be assured of a spot in one of our camps, we can put your student on the waitlist for the full camp and accept a registration for another session. If you are offered a spot in the camp for which you were waitlisted and you decide to switch, you will be charged the standard $25 switching fee. Please see next question.

Full tuition is due at the time of registration. There is a nonrefundable registration fee of $50 per child per camp for reservations canceled up to 2 weeks prior to the start of camp. Switching between camps is allowed, based on availability. There is a switching fee of $25 per switch. There is no refund or credit if you cancel your registration within 2 weeks of the start of camp.

Summer Camps are held at various locations in Kirkland and Bellevue at schools, churches and community centers. Note: If you need wheelchair access to a camp venue please contact our office for any special instructions. View our venues here.

Studio East runs over 40 camps each summer and we typically start 4-6 camps each week. We partner with local schools, churches, and community centers to provide kid-friendly spaces for our camps.

We know parents often like to have their children in camp during the same weeks, so we have structured our programs with staggered start and end times to facilitate drop off and pick up. We also stagger performance times so that parents can attend up to three different performances on the final Friday of camp.

Find photos and biographies of our faculty here. All of our instructors are passionate about working with young people and sharing their expertise in the performing arts. Most of our instructors have been teaching for more than five years, many have Master’s degrees and/or teaching certificates, and all are Teaching Artists – active performers as well as teachers. We run Washington State background checks on all of our staff, and all of our Camp Instructors are trained in first aid and CPR.

We will spend at least 30 minutes outside each day, and we will have activities on grass, dirt and/or wood chips, so please prepare your student accordingly. We do not supply sunscreen, but will apply what you send with your student if necessary. Comfortable clothing is a must for our campers; jeans or shorts, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes work very well. Please, no bare feet or flip-flops. We encourage girls to wear shorts under skirts or dresses. We will be doing a lot of active, messy things and we would hate to see a favorite outfit ruined. It helps if campers bring a backpack to keep all their belongings safe and organized. Prized possessions should be left at home.

Prized possessions, especially electronic devices, should not be brought to camp. The campers will be so busy with fun activities that they won’t have time to play video games or check their text messages!

Yes, children should be toilet trained. We do keep pull-ups at Little Players just in case though, and suggest that families send an extra set of clothes in case accidents happen.

Studio East Instructors are usually able to create ways for children with special needs to succeed. Please write down all medications, physical, emotional or behavioral challenges your child may have on your student’s Medical Information Form, and discuss them with the Education Director prior to the first day of camp. This information will make our instruction more effective and your child’s experience more rewarding. All staff and instructors follow the Studio’s Confidentiality Policy, so your privacy will be protected. Please note that staff members cannot monitor or administer medications.

Studio East wants to create a safe and comfortable environment for all our students and parents. We have found that students often participate more freely when parents are not there to watch camp, so we try to limit parent observation to the first 20 minutes of the first day of camp.

We expect all students to be in camp every day, arriving and departing on time.  If you foresee a conflict with a portion of camp, please contact the Education Director in advance to talk through options in order to ensure a successful experience for your student, as well as their classmates.  Missing more than one day of camp could hinder the process for all of the campers and staff, so please check your calendar carefully.  If something comes up at the last minute, such as illness, please call our office as soon as possible so that we can notify the Instructors of your child’s absence and allow them make any necessary adjustments for the day. Our office will be open during the summer from 8:30AM-5:30PM. If you call outside of office hours, please leave a message.

We are pleased to offer Extended Care for all of our Little Players, TaleSpinners, Drama Medley, Summer Stage and Playmakers camp sessions.  Due to our varied camp venues and staffing needs, we are unable to offer extended care for our other camps. Early drop off is available at 8:30 at no additional cost for all camps located at LWUMC and Studio East.

We understand that not all families can afford full tuition for our programs. Studio East has a Scholarship Fund which allows us to give partial scholarships to a limited number of deserving students. Financial Aid forms are available on our website, via email and fax and in person at our office. If your family will require financial assistance to participate in our classes, please submit your completed Financial Aid Form to the front office as soon as possible.

Students age 12 and older may be able to earn Tuition Credits for Studio East programs by assisting classes and camps. Skilled teen dancers with an inclination to choreograph may also earn Tuition Credits as Intern Choreographers with our elementary school ArtReach! program. Limited Tuition Credit opportunities are also available to parents who can offer administrative and transportation assistance during Summer Camps.

Contact Education Director for more information.

All items left at camp will be taken to Studio East at the end of each week. We hold these items at Studio East for one week only, and then donate them to charity. You are welcome to come to Studio East between 8:30am and 5:30pm, Monday through Friday, to look through our lost and found collection. The office staff is not able to check the lost and found bin for you; you must do this in person.