Season 8 Registration is Open!
Our mission is to introduce you to different fringe art forms in a safe, low-pressure environment and give you a chance to perform onstage. We’ll be offering a variety of 8-week sessions in the heart of Lakeview from professionals that you know and love - including burlesque, bellydance, clowning, sensuality and fitness. Whether you’re getting your groove back or adding some drama for the first time, you can do it with creativity, self-expression, and confidence! Classes are open to all humans of all identities!
Note: The Newport Theater is located up one flight of stairs with no elevator. All students are required to comply with Newport's safety policy. QUESTIONS? Write to us at: NewportTheaterCamp@gmail.com
Scroll to the bottom of the page to see our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Student Scholarships!
burlesque Mixed Levels:
Levels 1 and 2
Saturdays 11:00am-12:30pm
Sept 23, 30; Oct 14, 21, 28; Nov 4, 11, 18
Student Showcase on Sunday, November 19
Maximum 12 Participants
Instructor: Bazuka Joe
$160 for 8 week session ($20 per class)
A fun, fast-paced class for those who love to indulge in burlesque whether you're just getting started or you're looking to hone your skills. In this class, students will learn how to captivate the attention of their audience, learn dance technique and practice the elements of the tease. This class is for anyone looking to add a little sparkle into their life - no dance experience required! Students who complete the full 8-week session will have an opportunity to perform for a live audience following the final class!
Clowning fundamentals
BEGINNERS TO INTERMEDIATE
Sundays 10am-12:00pm
Sept 24; Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Nov 5, 12
Student Showcase TBD
Maximum 15 Participants
Instructor: Journey Maranto
$160 for 8 week session ($20 per class)
MIXED LEVEL COURSE - BEGINNERS TO INTERMEDIATE
From birthdays to murderers, everyone seems to have feelings about clowns. Clowning can be described as exploring the human experience through personal connection, physical comedy, and failure but it is also A LOT more than that. It can be childlike wonder, unadulterated joy, and even deep sadness. If you would like to discover who your clown is and how they traverse this wild world, then this class is for you.
Through physical theater exercises, group exploration, and a whole lot of play, this 8-week course will challenge you to be vulnerable and push you to embrace failure all while being truthful along the way. This class is geared towards folks who have never experienced clowning before and would like to learn the basics of the form and discover who their clown is. We hope to create an inclusive and welcoming space that is open to anyone and everyone who is interested. Come play with us!
Clown playground
advanced
Sundays Noon-2pm
Sept 24; Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Nov 5, 12
Student Showcase TBD
Maximum 15 Participants
Instructor: Evan Richter
Free Registration with weekly suggested donations
Clown and improv are cut from the same cloth. But while improvisers play for an audience, clowns play with them. Clowns take risks. Break the rules. Celebrate success and fail epically. Clown Playground will explore clownprov and will push its players to tap into and play in their clown state. The exercises and games will help you commit to ideas without judgment and engage an audience more profoundly and intimately.
Clown Playground is not a class but rather a collective. Each week we will gather and explore different games and exercises that will challenge and guide you into a state of pleasure, joy, and play. Lead by a Clown Coach, you will be asked to leave everything at the door, be comfortable with the uncomfortable, make big choices, and relish in your failures. We will perform once a month for an audience. Come play.
Note: If you do not have clown experience, you must complete Clowning Level 1 before participating in Clown Playground. If you have never taken a class with the Hot Clown Company but have clowned in the past, please reach out to hotclowncompany@gmail.com.
burlesque Mixed Levels:
Comedic burlesque
Mondays 6:30pm-8pm
Sept 25; Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; Nov 6, 13
Student Showcases on Sunday, November 19
Maximum 12 Participants
Instructor: Eva La Feva
$160 for 8 week session ($20 per class)
Fancy AND funny? Silly AND sexy? Join Eva La Feva for this 8 week long mixed levels burlesque course where you'll expand on the basics of burlesque bump and grind while adding in comedic elements and character! Dance experience not necessary!
Rascal's Rock and Roll BurlesquE Level 2
Mondays 8pm-9:30pm
Sept 25; Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; Nov 6, 13
Student Showcases on Sunday, November 19
Maximum 12 Participants
Instructor: Lilly Rascal
$160 for 8 week session ($20 per class)
Do you want to add some rock to your roll and style to your steps? Love the burlesque style but wanna kick it up a notch? Learn how to break down choreography with rock/alt moves, burlesque technique, stage presence, and over the 8 weeks learn a shimmy shakin routine with an edge! Lilly has been teaching this rock and roll burlesque class for over 8 years around the country and wants to share her knowledge so you to can bring something different to the stage that shows you off as the kickass performer you’ve always wanted to be! Bring heels or boots with heels (or flat foot if needed) and clothes you can move in.
BURLESQUE LEVEL 1: BEGINNERS
Tuesdays 6:30-8pm
Sept 26; Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Nov 7, 14
Student Showcase on Sunday, November 19
Maximum 12 Participants
Instructor: Tila Von Twirl
$160 for 8 week session ($20 per class)
Intro to burlesque! Bump, grind, strut and strip in a fun, safe, and accepting environment! Learn the basics of burlesque while creating an original group act with killer choreography! This class is for newbies, non-dancers, or anyone looking to add a little sparkle into their life (no dance experience required!) Students who complete the full 8-week session will have an opportunity to perform for a live audience following the final class!
BURLESQUE LEVEL 2: Intermediate
Tuesdays 8-9:30pm
Sept 26; Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Nov 7, 14
Student Showcase on Sunday, November 19
Maximum 12 Participants
Instructor: Elle Du Jour
$160 for 8 week session ($20 per class)
Ready for something harder, faster, and sexier? Level up with this intermediate burlesque class. Learn more advanced choreography, costuming, and stage technique. Some dance experience required or successful completion of previous burlesque classes. Students who complete the full 8-week session will have an opportunity to perform for a live audience following the final class. NOTE: Floorwork WILL be included in this class. Not recommended for those with chronic knee or back injuries.
fusion bellydance: Level 1
Wednesdays 6:30pm-8:00pm
Sept 27; Oct 4, 11, 18, 25; Nov 1, 8, 15
Student Showcase on Sunday, November 19
Maximum 12 Participants
Instructor: Raks Geek
$160 for 8 week session ($20 per class)
Move like lightning, with precision - and then melt into liquid. Choose to have bones only when you want them. Join dancers from the internationally-acclaimed Raks Geek for an introduction to a modern, fusion dance style that combines elements from hip hop, flamenco, jazz, classical Indian dance, ballet, and more with a foundation of movements from the Middle East. Your teachers have taught at the largest fusion bellydance events in the country and performed in the UK!
No dance experience necessary. All genders and bodies encouraged. This class is ideal for complete beginners through the first year of training - we encourage you to stay in this level for multiple sessions as we'll continually work on new movements and combinations.
fusion bellydance: Level 2
Wednesdays 8-9:30pm
Sept 27; Oct 4, 11, 18, 25; Nov 1, 8, 15
Student Showcase on Sunday, November 19
Maximum 12 Participants
Instructor: Raks Geek
$160 for 8 week session ($20 per class)
Have you studied bellydance for a year or more? Get ready for 32-count spins, layers, lots of different shimmies - and leading group improv yourself!
We'll build on the RMH-style improvisational format to jointly create dances in the moment as we connect with each other, finding freedom within the boundaries of the music and a movement vocabulary codified here in Chicago. We'll create magic through an experience that both invites and requires us to be fully aware, fully present - and that brings power and raw energy to the stage!
Open to intermediate dancers with at least a year of bellydance training (any style). All genders and bodies encouraged. Dancers in Level 2 may also register for Level 1 concurrently if extra practice is desired.