Take It From The Top 

Are you interested in musical theatre or on your way to becoming a triple threat?

Take It From The Top summer camps offer an exciting opportunity for students of all skill levels. Taught by Broadway professionals, students will work on skills in singing, acting, and dancing. 

Through small classes that allow for individual mentoring, you will advance your skills and have one-of-a-kind experiences. 

Save these dates for Summer 2025

  • East Lansing Five Day Intensive: Monday July 14-Friday July 18, 6:30pm showcase on the 18th
  • East Lansing Creative Kids: Monday July 21-Friday July 25, 6:30pm showcase on the 25th
  • East Lansing Advanced (with Overnight Option): Sunday July 20-Saturday July 26, with a 2pm showcase on the 26th
  • Detroit Five Day Intensive: Monday August 11-Friday August 15, 6:30pm showcase on the 15th

Further details will be updated in January 2025, and registration will be available in late February.

Creative Kids

July 15-19, 2024
Showcase on Friday, July 19 at 6:30pm
Rising 2nd-4th grade

Musical theatre instruction from Broadway professionals at an age-appropriate level.

  • Monday-Thursday from 10am-3pm
    Friday 12pm-Showcase
  • $350 per camper, includes t-shirt and dinner before the showcase
  • Cap of 40 students

Sold out: join the eClub to stay up to date on our Institute for Arts & Creativity programming

Five Day Intensive  

July 15-19, 2024
Showcase on Friday, July 19 at 6:30pm
Rising 5th-12th grade

Explore the triple-threat skills of singing, acting, and dancing in a safe and welcoming environment suitable for all skill levels!

  • Monday-Thursday from 10am-5pm
    Friday 12pm-Showcase
  • $400 per camper, includes t-shirt and dinner before the showcase
  • Cap of 80 students

Sold out: join the eClub to stay up to date on our Institute for Arts & Creativity programming

Advanced Workshop 

July 21-27, 2024
Showcase on Saturday, July 27 at 1pm
Rising 8th grade-college

New for Summer 2024. TIFTT Advance is an overnight camp. Attendees will have an immersive experience on the campus of Michigan State University allowing for longer time spent building their theatre community. Accommodations include rooms and meals in an MSU residence hall close to Wharton Center. All TIFTT activities will adhere to MSU Youth Protocol and campers will be chaperoned. 

  • Schedule: 
    • Sunday 1pm-8:30pm
    • Monday-Friday 9am-8:30pm
    • Saturday 9am-2pm, showcase begins at 1pm
  • $1,100 Overnight
    • Includes t-shirt
    • Includes room & board and all meals
  •  $750 Day Camp Only
    • Includes t-shirt
    • Meal plans are available for purchase 
  • 40 participants
  • Between the Lines
  • Auditions: March 23 
  • Final decisions made by May 1

About Between the Lines

An outsider in a new school, Delilah seeks comfort in the pages of her favorite book, where she feels heard and understood. But as the lines between the two worlds of reality and fantasy begin to blur in extraordinary and astonishing ways, Delilah has to confront whether she alone has the power to rewrite her own story.

View full casting information, as well as links to cast recording and video clips.

Adult Workshop

July 17, 2024, 7-10pm

An evening of singing, dancing, and theatre games in a low-pressure and friendly environment.

  • 18+
  • $35 per participant
  • Cap of 35 participants

Take It From The Top Detroit

Wharton Center is thrilled to expand our partnership with Take It From The Top to Detroit for our Five-Day Intensive.

More Info

Instructors

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Paul Canaan

Broadway: Kinky Boots (dance captain / original Angel), Miss SaigonThoroughly Modern Millie, La Cage Aux Folles, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Legally Blonde

He recently partnered with director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell to launch The Original Production Inc. A dance licensing company that offers high schools and theaters the opportunity to learn and perform original Broadway choreography. 

He founded the arts organization Take It From The Top, which provides professional mentoring to aspiring young artists. Served as artistic director of The Broadway Dreams Foundation and also serves as a judge for The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The JIMMY AWARDS).

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Greg Kamp

Greg Kamp is a performer and producer whose career has spanned stage, screen, and concert venues across the country and internationally. Management and producing credits include How to Dance in Ohio on Broadway and work with National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Theatre Communications Group, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Mariah Carey’s Christmas Spectacular, Maestra, Ogunquit Playhouse, Wharton Center, 54 Below, Green Room 42, Broadway Dreams Foundation, Atlanta Workshop Players, Dallas Summer Musicals and more. He is the lead Agent for LML Music Presents, a boutique concert booking agency, representing a roster of leading Broadway and Cabaret artists and the Co-Founder and Producer of MT Shorts, an award-winning production company dedicated to producing original musical films (mtshorts.com). Greg is a graduate of University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). gregkamp.com

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Carlos L. Encinias

Carlos is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico and his Broadway career spans more than two decades and includes How to Dance in Ohio, Les MiserablesMamma Mia!, Good Vibrations and Scandalous.

Carlos is a passionate educator and teaches at the Professional Performing Arts High School in Manhattan and the Dreamyard Project. 

As a director, he’s worked at Pittsburgh CLO, North Carolina Theatre, The Gateway and Adirondack Theatre Festival.  

For more information, visit carlosLencinias.com

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Kyle Pleasant

Kyle is the resident choreographer at Rosie’s Theater Kids, Rosie O’Donnell’s school for the arts. He is on faculty at Marymount Manhattan College, The Professional Performing Arts School and previously the Assistant Program Director to Chet Walker at the Jacobs Pillow Jazz Dance Program on faculty at The Boston Ballet School. Select directorial and choreographic work includes Chicago, Cabaret, Hair at Peregrine Theatre, Spring Awakening at The Roxy, the world premier of Regarding the Disappearance of Amy at Playwrights Horizons, Pippin at Marymount Manhattan College, Caroline or Change, Ragtime, West Side Story, A Chorus Line and Sweet Charity at Professional Performing Arts. Pleasant has set work for The Young Peoples Chorus of New York, The Boston Conservatory, Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, Career Transitions for Dancers Gala, and the Only Make Believe Organization. His work has been seen at New York City Center, MoMA, and The Vineyard Arts Project, the OWN Network, ABC’s The View and at The White House for First Lady Michelle Obama. He is a Broadway World Boston and National Youth Theater Award Winner for Direction and Choreography. Most recently, Kyle was recognized with an Honorable Mention for the Excellence in Theater Education Tony Award. 

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Josh Daniel

Broadway & National Tour: The Book of Mormon. Off-Broadway: u/s Seymour/Orin et al. in Little Shop of Horrors, Hunter in [title of show]. Select regional: St. Louis MUNY, Weston Playhouse, Music Theatre Wichita. TV: "The Other Two". BFA: CCM MT. Gratefully represented by CGF Talent. More life!

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Natalie Malotke

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Broadway & Tour), Bygone Love for China Broadway Entertainment, Candide at Carnegie Hall, I Married an Angel at City Center, and Joy: The Musical all alongside Joshua Bergasse. Mystic Pizza at La Mirada Theatre with Casey Hushion, Little Dancer at Lincoln Center with Susan Stroman, and Really Rosie at City Center with Leigh Silverman. Resident director and choreographer for Nickelodeon Experience Design and Creative Director for the CoComelon Party Time National Tour. Industrial and corporate events for Bloomberg Philanthropies, Hermès, Target, and The Robin Hood Foundation. TV: Choreography: SNL; PBS, A Capitol Fourth. Faculty at Penn State University and Broadway Dance Center @nataliemalotke

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Sidney DuPont

Sidney DuPont is a 2022 Tony Award nominee, originating the role of Washington Henry in Paradise Square at the Barrymore Theater. He made his Broadway debut in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical in 2015 and continued with the 1st National Tour and Australian Company. Other National Tours include Memphis: the Musical and A Chorus Line. Regional Productions: The world premiere of “Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical” (A.C.T) Paradise Square at Berkeley Repertory Theatre (TBA nomination), Man of La Mancha (The Shakespeare Theater), In the Heights (The Geva Theater), and Gypsy (North Carolina Theater). Television/Commercial: FBI: Most Wanted (CBS) & Cartier.

“I wanted to let you know that my son went to the Wharton Center’s Take It From The Top Camp in July and he LOVED it! I wanted to PERSONALLY thank you and especially thank those who were responsible for making this fantastic event happen. I am quite certain that this camp has CHANGED HIS LIFE. He has fallen in love with the theatre and your camp has done even more to solidify that love. Although he did a school play last year (his first ever) and very much enjoyed it … after doing the camp at the Wharton, he is now a STAGE KID! You and your staff were able to pull not only confidence but also a drive to improve.  It is very easy to support your children, but it is very hard when your kid doesn’t know what they LOVE … thanks to TIFTT, he has found a home and has found his people.”    

Julie Dombroski & the Dombroski Family 


For questions, or accessibility and accommodation requests, please connect with Kelly Stuible-Clark at stuible3@whartoncenter.com or (517) 884-3166.

Sponsored by Karyn's Dance Company, Inc. with additional support from Linda Arens; and Bonnie Knutson.

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