The Whirlwind

I thought I was in trouble. I had been skateboarding and walking along a trail in our neighborhood when my cousin Roland told me my aunt Rebecca wanted to talk to me.

When I went into the house, Tante Becca said she needed my help filling out an application for summer camp -- American Idol Camp. I call her "Tante" because my grandmother is Dutch and that means "Aunt."

The first question I had to answer was what was my favorite song, movie or musical. I had just watched West Side Story for an assignment. I'm a homes schooled student. I just wanted to answer with the title, but my aunt made me think of three reasons why. "I was like 'Oh, man, think, Andrew, think." I just wanted to leave.

Next, I had to write a letter to a celebrity. I decided to write to Will Smith. I figured, he's a triple threat -- actor, dancer, singer -- and that's what I want to be.

I was just trying to get back outside. But that application, which took an hour, meant more than just getting into camp. Two weeks later, an Idol producer called my aunt and asked if I could be featured on The Today Show. "I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm going to be on The Today Show.' Then I thought, 'What's The Today Show?' "

A week later, a video crew from Cincinnati and a producer, from my hometown, Chicago, came to our house. They were here almost all day, and they went with me to my ballet and tap classes later that evening. While they taped us at dinner, the Idol Camp director called to tell me I got in. The show aired on April 4.

Yesterday, my aunt got a call from some people at Idol Camp who said the director of The Dance Theatre of Harlem called them and offered me a full scholarship to their summer intensive. I was at my friend's house playing "Dead Rising" on the X-Box 360 when my aunt called me on the cell phone my dad gave me for my birthday. When I got home, she told me the news, and I thought, "What the heck is The Dance Theatre of Harlem?"

Since I didn't know, my aunt assigned me to research and write a paper about The Dance Theatre of Harlem today. I learned about the founder Arthur Mitchell and the history of this company. "I was like, 'Man, this place is awesome!' "