Kyara Handy, 6, strikes a pose in dance class at Fine Arts Camp at the Glass Recreation Center Tuesday afternoon. Herb Nygren Jr

Hands on hips while striking Hip Hop poses, kids moved to the electric beat as part of the Fine Arts Cultural Camp this week at the Glass Recreation Center in Tyler.

 “It’s fun and exciting to do,” said Karla Bermudez, 10, camp participant an aspiring actress. “You don’t know what they are going to teach you. … It’s fun exercise, and it’s good for your body.”

The weeklong camp, which started Monday, continues until Friday. Participants must be ages 5 through 12 and are offered an array of artistic group activities, as well as individual art projects. Those interested still can register to participate.

On Monday, the campers put their skills to work and each created their own pair of maracas.

The camp’s mission is to implement music, dance and arts and crafts’ projects on a schedule. Acting lessons, a solo choreography dance and musical instrument making also will be part of the program.

“We all get to show our creativity,” Karla said.

Kids ages 8 to 18 spend nearly four hours a day in front of a television screen and almost two additional hours on the computer and playing video games, according to Kidshealth.org.

Camps, such as these, pull kids away from entertainment screens, allowing them to pour all their energy into group activities, helping them become more active and confident, Ann Santana, recreation center supervisor, said.  

“A lot of the times, kids don’t know how to stay outside,” Ms. Santana said.  “(So) I think it’s great when you see kids this excited about wanting to learn something new and when they learn it.”

The recreation center partnered up with FLY KiDS Director Kathy Wood, 70, who has more than 50 years of dance experience.

Clapping her hands to the beat on Tuesday, Ms. Wood taught the kids a Hip Hop choreography routine within a couple of hours. With smiles on their faces after the lesson, she asked them to look straight ahead into the tall mirrors with their chin held high.

“Kids are underestimated as far as their learning abilities,” Ms. Wood said. “I think they are capable of learning a lot more than people think. You can set the goals high, and kids can reach that. But they have to have the discipline and the work ethic to do that, and that’s what I’m about.”

Later that afternoon the energetic campers showed off their favorite dance moves they had learned.

“You get to play, I learn to break dance and hand stand,” Toby Adams, 7, said.  “I felt proud, because I knew that I was doing the right thing.”

The camp organizers give every child a fair shot and have eliminated the expense of a camp fee for families.

“Because of the high expense of summer camps, we wanted something to be affordable yet fun for the kids to do,” Ms. Santana said. “I was one of these kids … who couldn’t afford to go to camp. I was never offered the opportunity. I just think it’s wonderful people like Kathy want to take (their) time and work with the kids.”

The camp will be held everyday this week from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, call the center at 903-595-7271.