What a strong grower! On the two longest branches, I would take off 1/2 to 2/3 to promote bushier branching. Since there are no flower buds (except for one down near the bottom) you can do this any time. If that sounds too radical or if you want to keep it at the current height you have, you can at least pinch out the terminal growth buds at the top to force the new growth to branch out below that point.

You may be fighting a never ending battle to accomplish your goal with this one.

I have never grown April Dawn but in researching it, to quote Camellia Forest and others, it has an "Erect habit, with vigorous growth rate." While you can try to keep it beaten into submission, both you and your plant may find that trying.

It is generally better to pick a cultivar that grows more naturally into the desired form than to try to force a plant into what is an unnatural one for it. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it will just be a lot easier to accomplish if the cultivar tends more toward the desired habit to begin with. There are a lot of possibilites, but north of zone 7 you, of course, have fewer choices than we enjoy on to your south...

Best of luck!

Bill.

Do you have a spot on a wall or house wall where you could string two rows of parallel grape wire, plant two Camellias together and espalier them? It sounds as though April Dawn might be perfect for this type of training.