Dylan Kaercher is no stranger to the stage. He is used to the rush he feels during a performance, the countless hours of practice that go into a single show, and the rewarding bow at the end of it all. For the sixth summer, the 20-year-old Austin man is taking his experiences in theater to teach area youth what it takes to be a performer during his next camp in Austin on July 21-25 at Ellis Middle School.

Kaercher attended his first theater camp as a third-grader, though his love for music and theater began long before that. Kaercher said he grew up in a musical household and has always had a soft spot for theater.

“It’s kind of a family thing,” he said. “I love being able to just engulf myself into a different personality and make others believe that’s who you are.”

His grandfather, Ollie Hanson, was one of the best fiddlers in the Midwest, according to Kaercher. His mother’s side of the family was also heavily involved with musicals and performance groups, like the Austinaires.

“They are all very musically inclined,” he said.

His family hosted the Hanson Family and Friends Concert at Riverland Community College on May 17. The show was held in honor of Ollie and his wife, Maxine.

Kaercher was involved in his first production as a kindergartner in “A Christmas Carol” where he played Tiny Tim.

“It was exciting,” Kaercher said about his first role. “Little did I know that would end up being my life.”

Though Kaercher began his own camp as only a freshman in high school, he brings many years of expertise from attending and working at other camps. After he was worked at the Matchbox Theater Children’s Camp, Kaercher decided to branch off and create his own program.

“I realized how much could be learned within a week’s time,” Kaercher. “I wanted to do my own curriculum and learn 10 times more.”

In 2008, Kaercher created his theater camp with just 10 participants and one camp a summer. Since then, the number of participants has tripled in the past two years alone, and the number of camps has increased as well. Instead of having one camp for the entire summer, there are two in Austin, as well as additional camps in Albert Lea and Alden as of this year.

“Parents from Alden had contacted me because other parents had told them how much fun their kids were having.” Kaercher said. “There were enough kids from Albert Lea too who came to Austin that we were able to take it there as well.”

At Kaercher’s week-long camp, every day features a different theme. From choreography and costumes to acting and singing, all the different aspects of theater are covered. Kaercher also invites guest speakers, like Marny Rohr, director of the Just for Kix dance studio in Austin, and Brian Johnson, director of Austin High School choirs, to share their wisdom.

The camp concludes on the last day with a final performance by the campers. The June camp, which is typically the smallest, performed “Lion King” with their 35 participants. For now, Kaercher is keeping the next performance a surprise.

Kaercher doesn’t take on the camp alone. He comes armed with staff members ranging in age from a freshman in high school to a senior citizen. Many have a musical background, like senior Max Deyo.

Deyo describes himself as “a theater kind of guy,” which made him the perfect fit for the camp.

“[The staff] are regular camp counselors that the children can relate with,” Kaercher said.

As of right now, there is no end in sight for the theater camp.

“It’ll be something I’m involved with for a very long time,” Kaercher said. “It’ll keep growing and growing.”

In the future, Kaercher wants to expand the camp to even more cities.

“I would like to be able to travel from city to city and reach as many people as possible,” he said.

After the Austin camp this July, the Albert Lea camp will be Aug. 11-15. There’s no limit for the number of children. The cost is $100 per participant.

“There’s no limit to how many kids can come, I just have to hire more staff,” Kaercher said.