10th November, 2010
Exposing Children to Musical Theater
One of the joys in my life is running the musical theater department at New England Dance and Gymnastics Centers in Westfield, MA and Granby, CT.
There are few things more precious and amazing that seeing kids lose themselves in the spirit of theater. Whether it is singing a song they love or playing a fun role, musical theater allows and encourages children to let their dramatic nature roam free.
I especially love the ability to share different music with these musical kids. My current classes, for example are singing selections from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella “Impossible”, Guys and Dolls “If I Were a Bell” and the classic rock staple “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night. It is too exciting for me to see these children light up as they belt out “joy to you and me!” as if this song was written new for them. I think the parents enjoy sharing this experience with the kids, too, as songs from their youth come back in a fresh and fun way.
Exposing children to musical theater at a young age is a wondrous thing. Especially when children are pre-teen, they are so open and adventurous when given a safe and fun place to work their gifts. As their director in this journey I strive to find balance between the education and the experience of the craft. It is delicate work to help train their talents without criticizing them, but it is the most important work.
At this young age, musical theater isn’t about becoming a star, the lead singer or getting the largest part. It is about the playful adventure of putting on a show: the costumes, the singing, the characters, the sharing, the FUN.
The Kids’ Cabaret at New England Dance Centers was created as an ensemble experience for children of all ages. Everyone is a star in our program!
photo courtesy of Mike King on flickr.com
Posted at 3:54 am | Comment (0)
29th October, 2010
Dressing up doesn’t end at Halloween for Musical Theater students!
Kids love to dress up for Halloween. They also love to sing and dance and play and have fun. So do we!
The musical theater experience at New England Dance and Gymnastics Centers in Westfield, MA and Granby, CT has been described as fun, exciting and even empowering for the students. Parents have told me that their child who was shy learned to speak in front of people and received accolades at school for presentations. Other students have stood up and sang in front of school assemblies or family gatherings with confidence and joy.
Our drama program is about exploring acting skills, learning to embrace our voices and supporting each others creative spirit. Students from 6 and up are embraced in this ensemble experience and encouraged to allow themselves to try new songs, new personae, new moves and make new friends.
If your son or daughter enjoys musicals, the hit TV series “Glee!”, playing dress up, making up songs or telling stories: they are bound to love our program!
The playing parts and dressing up that makes Halloween so exciting (besides the candy, of course) doesn’t end with our musical theater program!
For schedule and more information visit New England Dance and Gymnastics Centers website.
Posted at 3:22 am | Comment (0)
