Hey there, Campers!
Last month we featured one of our summer camp celebrity blog posts about the lovely Anne Hathaway. We learned about her early aspirations to become a nun, about her fame by the young age of eighteen, and about her admiration for a favorite actress of hers, Meryl Streep.
Today I’ll be posting about a favorite actress of mine—not to mention, an accomplished musician! Who’s that girl? It’s the talented Zooey Deschanel. When she was a kid, Zooey went to summer camp at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts.
Founded in 1970, French Woods is a performing arts summer camp owned by
Ron Schaefer. The camp is located on a private lake called Sand Pond in the western area of the Catskill Mountains, just outside Hancock, New York.
If you have interest in the performing arts, French Woods is a camp for you to check out. They offer programs in dance, magic, visual arts, skateboarding, sport and horseback riding, and—oh yeah—technical theatre and music!—Ms. Deschanel’s two artistic passions in life.
Naturally gifted and graceful, Zooey’s reputation seems to point in the direction that as a child she enjoyed being a girly-girl. “I hate camping,” she’s said to have confessed. “But I love summer camp!”
Her interests in the performing arts and her influential summer camp experiences helped guide her along as she has paved the way for her own success.
One of her first roles, as a rebellious daughter, came around when she was 20 in the movie Almost Famous back when she was almost famous. She’s since gone on to play memorable roles in such films as Elf starring Will Ferrell, The Bridge to Terabithia, and (500) Days of Summer.
Extremely talented, Zooey knows more than just acting. She’s also musically inclined and knows how to play various percussion instruments, the banjo, the ukulele, and keyboard.
In 2006, she joined forces with master musician, Matt Ward, and together they released their debut album Volume One under the name She & Him. They have since released their follow-up album, Volume Two, as well as their very own Christmas collection, A Very She & Him Christmas.
Zooey has been nominated for a Golden Globe, a Grammy, and an Emmy Award as well. She is currently the star of the television sitcom New Girl on Fox.
All these talents she has now may have blossomed during her time at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts camp. Imagine what skills or talents might be nurtured in you when you go to camp! Till next time, readers. And, as always, thanks for reading!
John