For half her life, Claire LaRose dreamed of the day she'd turn 16 and finally be old enough to audition for "American Idol.
"I've always wanted to be on it, but I've always been too young," says the 14-year-old from Aliso Viejo. "And then Idol Camp showed up and I was so excited!"
Idol Camp, one of the many spinoffs of the "American Idol" brand, is a summer camp for the performing arts. After debuting in Massachusetts last year, it moves this summer to Running Springs in the San Bernardino Mountains just east of Lake Arrowhead.
For two weeks at a time – and $2,995 a pop – kids ages 10 to 15 get to practice their singing, dancing and acting under the guidance of industry professionals and healthy dose of former "Idol" contestants.
What they don't get is any kind of advantage in trying out for future seasons of the show – Idol Camp alumni have to get in line just like everyone else.
"Basically it's an arts camp and we're going to teach them the ins and outs of what it takes to do a live show," says Dean Cudworth, the camp director.
Each session will have about 100 campers, he said, with their mornings spent working on the kind of performing they most want to do, he said.
"For instance, if we have some kids who are incredible beat-box type kids, well, we'll have a class specifically designed to understand what it takes to put together a 'Stomp'-esque portion of the show," Cudworth said, referring to the popular percussion, dance and comedy show "Stomp."
"If we have 100 kids who want to sing, we'll do our best to accommodate all 100 kids," he said.
Afternoons offer "open mic" sessions, where campers can try out their skills in front of an audience. Other parts of the day offer more traditional summer camp activities such as swimming and sports. And the session concludes with a show the kids put on for their families and guests.
And, of course, former "Idol" contestants are a constant part of the mix, Cudworth said. A spokeswoman for the camp said that so far this summer there are commitments from Lisa Tucker, the most successful "Idol" contestant from Orange County, Ace Young, Kimberly Caldwell and Anthony Federov.
"They're here so you can meet them and find out who they are, but the camp is about the kids," he said. "So they'll come and watch the open mic, and if one of the kids says, 'Hey, I have a duet, would you help sing it?' they'll hop up there.
All of that – the classes, the show, the contestants they've seen on TV, and most of all the "Idol" name – make the camp attractive to kids like LaRose and Ashley Nelson, another 14-year-old high school freshman with dreams of a singing career.
"I'm a huge fan of the show," says Nelson, who lives in Orange and is home-schooled. "And at the camp you get to sing – that's my passion, I want to pursue that – so I thought it would be a great opportunity to get their input into what I need to do."
She says that for as long as she can remember, she's sung and acted in productions from Fullerton to Laguna Beach.
"What I really want to be able to do is work on my performing," Nelson says. "To come at it more naturally, to be able to overcome my nerves and be able to perform multiple times and preserve my voice."
For LaRose, asked whether she dreams of a career on stage, the answer is an unequivocal, "Oh my gosh, yes!"
"I love to sing," says the Laguna Beach High School freshman. "I'm basically obsessed with it. I love to act, I love to dance. When I'm older I want to go to New York University and I want to be on Broadway – that's my whole life.
"I hope to learn just more about singing in general," Claire says. "About stage presence, singing and technique."
As for role models, both – not surprisingly – look at former "Idol" contestants for inspiration.
"I think I see myself as Katharine McPhee," Claire says. "I like pop music, but I like other stuff, too, like musical theater."
Ashley, who says her taste runs to country music, naturally likes "Idol" winner Carrie Underwood, but also sees last year's runner-up Blake Lewis as an inspiration.
"He was so unique and different in the way he can make any song his own," Ashley says of Lewis.
Cudworth says the camp is worth the investment of parents for the credibility the Idol brand lends it.
"Here's an opportunity for kids to work with industry professionals," he says. "My musical director has worked with many television shows, and they'll get the opportunity to work with so many other professionals.
"It's a lot of work, teaching these kids the magnitude of what it takes to put on a 90-minute show, but with the camp, I think the kids are really going to understand when they leave what it takes."
