Just Say Whoa to Texting! Focus on Physical Communication at Synetic Theater – Summer Camp Available

A recent story on NPR “Teen Texting Soars; Will Social Skills Suffer?” caught my attention. The story focused on a poll by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life project which showed that teens text – a lot. And the end result of all that texting may be children who lack interpersonal communication skills.

This, juxtaposed with my recent trip to Arlington’s Synetic Theater’s incredible performance of Taming of the Shrew, really started me thinking about all sorts of communication. For those not familiar with Synetic’s unique brand of theatre – they are quite possibly the premier physical theatre company in the United States. Their performances combine dance, music, movement, drama, and text – almost anything except talking. And yet, their stories are completely clear.

While the Pew Research had me worried that people were no longer going to speak to each other, the Synetic performance made me realize how much communication is non-verbal. And, unless your teen is particularly dramatic when composing those texts, perhaps it’s the physical act of communicating they lack that will prove most important – not just the spoken words. Synetic is doing what it can to bring the physical back into the children’s communication realm. This summer, they’re offering classes for ages 4 – 18. Children can participate in classes focusing on acting, movement, and visual art. Descriptions are here.

Camps run in two-week blocks, starting June 18 and ending August 24, with a one-week session at the end of summer to wrap it all up. Check it out! Friends who have sent their children to these camps before report they love them.

Elaine if a lifelong theater lover and takes her children to all sorts of performances in the DC area. She writes about those and other things at Connor and Helen Grow Up!

I was a guest of Synetic Theater at their production of Taming of the Shrew, though I’ve been to many other performances there that I paid for myself. I’m a huge fan of this theater company. I was not required to write about anything in exchange for the two tickets I received.

Photo credit: Synetic Theater

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By Elaine|2012-04-29T23:14:53-04:00April 30th, 2012|Around Town, Living|

About the Author: Elaine

In 1997, Elaine landed in DC where she put her public policy degree to work. She didn't know at the time she'd eventually own a home in the suburbs, be married to a government employee, and have two incredible children. But then, she’s heard that from a lot of moms at the playgrounds around Arlington. As a part-time worker, Elaine contributes to the Tax Policy Center's blog TaxVox and has recently agreed to produce a regular commentary for the blogtalk radio program, Shared Sacrifice. When she's not at work, she maintains her own blog to bridge the distance between far away family and herself and to alleviate the guilt associated with never even purchasing a baby book for either of her children. She believes in the power of long walks, vacationing, and forgetting about the clock. She's got her eye on the Fall of 2011 when her youngest child will surely be ready for her first international vacation. Prior to becoming a mom, she was an avid potter and chocolate maker and hopes someday to return to both of these hobbies. In the meantime, she feels incredibly lucky to have found such an incredible community of women bloggers in the DC area. Prior to its closure, Elaine enjoyed a brief period writing for DCMetroMoms.