By Kristen Payne, Camper
“Every year when I drive up S Chippawa road I can’t stop shaking until I arrive,” says Alexxa who will be attending her tenth summer at camp this July.
The dirt road that leads to the Centauri camp ground is filled with anticipation. Whether it is your first summer or your tenth summer, there’s never any indication as to what lies ahead.
Over the course of seven weeks throughout the summer, kids from all around the world find a home at Centauri. Whether they choose to stay for a two week session, a one week session, or even multiple ones, the moments that are spent there are moments you’ll never forget.
Opened in 1994, Centauri offers programs in dance, film, visual art, photography, digital art, theater, writing, and music to campers from age nine to eighteen. Taught by professionals, owners Craig and Julie Hartley aimed to create a camp that was “a combination of the arts and education,” explains Julie.
“My favorite place to be is the dining hall because it’s so much the heart of the community,” says Julie. As the heart of the camp, the dining hall is where all campers gather as the session begins.
Amongst the hustle and bustle you are pulled in hundreds of different directions as you introduce yourself to new people and reunite with old friends.
Campers are grouped with their dorms as a day of unpacking begins, followed by a family BBQ to welcome this new family that has just begun.
Once arrangements are settled, the real camp experience begins, as music is played throughout the dorm at seven-thirty in the morning as a wake up call. “A typical day consists of meals, allotted free times, and fun camp wide activities, but most of the daytime is focused on the program or specialty art form you take during the session,” says Alexxa.
Though programs run for about four hours a day, campers have the free times allotted, where you could find 7th year camper Sarah “listening to music and relaxing but there will be times when [she is] outside talking with some friends or playing games.”
Along with a camper’s main program, there is a time during the day where they are able to take a workshop in any field of their choosing that is offered that day and taught by councillors. During this time as well, campers aged fifteen to eighteen have the choice to take a leadership training course that allows them to learn the ins and outs of working at Centauri.
Throughout the sessions there are also festivals where dorms mix together and create a film in a day, a play in a day, enter the world of Harry Potter, become superheroes… the list is endless. Though every session is different there is always a day for the camp to break away from their regular activities.
Evening program brings the entire camp together once again to experience and learn about a new culture, different traditions, attend a talent show, or simply play some games.
“The banquets have been the most memorable for me because it’s always a different country and you get to learn the language and eat the different food” says Sarah.
“Every session we do a sort of camp-wide challenge game where the reward is dessert. Every single year my dorm has won. I hold a bit of pride in that,” says fifth year camper Dana
As darkness falls over the camp, showers are taken and campers begin to settle down from their busy day. Before bed, each dorm comes together, to share a story, songs, poetry… and their best and worst part of their day before being sent off to bed. Although it is meant to be silent and lights are off, you will always hear the occasional giggle or flash of a camera.
“Brant’s (the older girls dorm) Cozy Corner before bed” 17 year old Dana says is her favorite spot at Centauri. “The sunset is visible through the window and the fairy lights give the room a warm glow. Usually someone is singing somewhere in the building and its soothing background noise.”
Away from any city lights, nights at Centauri Arts Camp are lit only by the stars. During the last night of the session, this darkness is interrupted by a bondfire in the back field. Chatter fills the silent field as dorms arrive one by one to say goodbye.
The entire camp is silenced as Julie begins to speak, around the fire you can clearly see the families that have been formed as campers and staff huddle together to listen to Julie reminisce about the session that has now come to an end. Julie then passes her candle light to a member of staff who takes a moment to speak, this is continued as certain campers speak and more and more candles are lit.
“The thing with Centauri is that it wouldn’t be the same if it was a day camp, the fact that you’re living there makes it a community, it’s not like you’re just a camper and someone else is just a staff member, you’re creating a world together,” Julie says.
Slowly, everyone’s candles are lit and depending on the session, the camp divides into those who are staying and those who are leaving. Each have a song to sing to the other.
“I can still remember last summer at the secret ceremony when everyone in my dorm was crying their eyes out,” Sarah said. “Last summer was like no other, my dorm was very connected and we all love each other, I had never had a dorm like that before. That was also the summer when I made so many new friends and especially my best friend.”
It is in this moment, as you sit amongst the fire surrounded by people you have known for years or some you met two weeks ago, candle wax dripping down your hand, that you can clearly see the impact that Centauri has in the lives of these young artists.
“I have learned so many valuable lessons from Centauri that I don’t think I could have learned anywhere else. I have learned what it truly means to be a friend and a leader as well as how important it is to have confidence in myself. Camp is the one place that I have never questioned my actions and can always be who I am no matter how cliché it sounds,” concludes Alexxa.
Thanks to camper Kristin Payne 2016, who wrote this article.