The Hanover Theatre Conservatory's Downtown Dance Program Offers Worcester Youth Opportunities In The Arts

The Hanover Theatre Conservatory for the Performing Arts (THTC) is pleased to announce the inaugural year of the Downtown Dance program, in partnership with the Worcester Public Schools (WPS). Through this new initiative, WPS students will receive professional dance training, education and performance opportunities at THTC. 

The Downtown Dance program was made possible through the generosity of an anonymous  donor at the end of 2021. They provided a $1M scholarship endowment for the conservatory, which freed up funds to develop this pilot program. President of THTC & Education Division,  Meghan Montaner, believes that this program will “bring more children from the downtown  into our conservatory and make the arts a part of their childhood. We hope to continue to  support their development for years to come. I cannot wait to look back in ten years and see  where the students are and what kind of influence this program has on their lives.”

This program helps to fulfill the mission of The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, to 
ignite and nurture a passion for the performing arts in audiences and artists of today and 
tomorrow. Selected on their natural talent, musicality and aptitude for movement, the 
inaugural cohort is composed of 31 students who auditioned and were chosen to continue 
expanding their current skill set, funded completely through approximately $30,000 in 
scholarships from THTC. This program requires students to enroll in 60-90 minute classes, once to twice a week, depending on their recommended level. Participating students in this pilot program are from six WPS elementary schools from the Burncoat quadrant. One of the goals of Downtown Dance is to provide ongoing training throughout the participants' primary and secondary education so that they have a solid foundation for continued study and a pathway to careers in the performing arts. 

About The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts 

Since opening in 2008, The Hanover Theatre has entertained more than two million guests with Broadway musicals, comedy headliners, music, dance and more. POLLSTAR consistently ranks The Hanover Theatre as one of the top theatres in the world. The award-winning historic theatre continues to establish its place as a world-class center for the performing arts, a venue for local cultural and civic organizations and a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Worcester. The Hanover Theatre's facilities at 551 Main Street house function spaces, offices and The Hanover Theatre Conservatory.

 

The Hanover Theatre Conservatory provides performance opportunities, classes, and individual instruction in theatre, dance and technical theatre and design to more than 600 young people and adults from across central Massachusetts each year. Established in 2017, the conservatory cultivates individual attention, ignites creativity, and inspires confidence through arts education led by outstanding teaching artists. The state-of-the-art facility includes classrooms, rehearsal and teaching studios, and tech and costume labs for advanced education in stage craft and design. Students receive access to master classes with national touring artists and gain professional experience from performance opportunities with THT Rep and on The Hanover Theatre's world-class stage. THTC believes in access to arts education for all and provides financial aid for those in need. 

 

Worcester Center for Performing Arts, a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, owns and operates The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts (THT) and, on behalf of the Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC), manages Worcester's BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC). All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. 

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