NJPAC's Fall Saturday Program 2017 to Include Dance, Musicals, Filmmaking, and Jazz

Arts Education at NJPAC announces the new 2017 Fall Saturday Program, offering students a diverse selection of classes in dance, music, theater and visual arts on Saturdays.

Beginner and experienced students can participate in a creative curriculum that allows them to explore and develop their authentic artistic voice, and also enhance their health, confidence, self-expression and social skills - all while relaxing and having fun!

Those interested in dance can delve into Contemporary Modern Dance Turning Dancers Into Artists, where students learn professional choreography, creating movement that aligns with a musical selection. Also offered is "Carolyn Dorfman Dance: Come Dance with Us."

Hip Hop Intensive, where young people learn the five major elements of hip-hop: spoken word (MCing), dance (breaking, popping and locking), music (DJing and beat boxing), visual art (graffiti) and self-knowledge.

NJPAC's Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens (JFT) brings together seventh- to 12th-grade instrumental and vocal students from diverse communities in the NJ/NY/PA region for multi-faceted, intensive instruction in jazz. The music director and faculty are professional touring musicians and teaching artists, who mentor students in the time-honored oral tradition of the genre. The Music Director and faculty are professional touring musicians who place special importance on small ensembles, developing skills including technical ability, improvisation, leadership, and knowledge of the music industry.

NJPAC's James Moody Jazz Orchestra is the hallmark ensemble, composed of aspiring teenage jazz players from the Greater Newark area who perform with the masters in this big band orchestra. The program offers master classes with jazz legends and performance opportunities throughout the tri-state region.

Students may also perform in "Once on This Island Jr.," the Tony Award-winning, calypso-flavored tale written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Those interested in Musical Theater will focus on the process of creating, writing, choreographing and directing an original piece of theater in Write and Perform In Your Own Musical.

Also included in this year's program is the super-popular NJPAC Filmmakers in collaboration with Downtown Community TV. This is an intensive, filmmaking arts training program during which students learn the fundamentals of filmmaking with an emphasis on turning their own fictional stories or documentaries into original films. Students will learn technical skills in camera, audio, editing, lighting and sound.

According to Alison Scott-Williams, NJPAC's Vice President of Arts Education, "In this digital age, where we are competing with screen time, parents need to keep in mind that Arts Education as a whole teaches students techniques that make them more open-minded, better communicators, collaborators and stronger with social interaction."

The Fall Saturday Program runs September 23 until December 9. For a full list of programs, visit goo.gl/5kP6Kb

NJPAC'S Arts Education Programs are made possible by the generosity of: The Prudential Foundation, The Victoria Foundation, Merck Foundation, Women's Association of NJPAC, PSEG Foundation, Wells Fargo, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Discover Jersey Arts, The Arts Education Endowment Fund in honor of Raymond C. Chambers, Joan and Allen Bildner, Toby and Leon Cooperman, Albert and Katherine Merck, and The Sagner Companies/The Sagner Family Foundation.

Generous annual support for NJPAC Arts Education Programs is provided by: Jennifer A. Chalsty, David & Marian Rocker, Stewart and Judy Colton, Amy C. Liss, McCrane Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane, John and Mary Kay Strangfeld, John and Suzanne Willian/Goldman Sachs Gives, Atlantic Tomorrow's Office, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Investors Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, The MCJ Amelior Foundation, NJ Advance Media/Star Ledger, NJM Insurance Group, Panasonic Corporation of America, Richmond County Savings Foundation, TD Charitable Foundation, Verizon, BD, Turrell Fund, M&T Bank, and the Johnny Mercer Foundation.

For more information or for a tour of the NJPAC Arts Education building on the NJPAC campus at 24 Rector St., contact:artseducation@njpac.org or call (973) 353.7058.

About Arts Education@NJPAC
NJPAC's Arts Education offerings reach more than 60,000 students and families through live performances, in-school residency programs and arts training classes. These programs bring the joy of dance, music, theater, and poetry directly to the classroom. Through our innovative residencies, Teaching Artists create stimulating performing arts experiences that engage students' imaginations and build self-confidence through positive self-expression. Our residencies help students learn to work together and develop their creative independence.

In addition to NJPAC's innovative In-School Programs, the Arts Center's comprehensive Arts Education Department offers an Arts Training Program that helps students at every level learn their artistic and technical skills they need to study acting, dance, instrumental music, vocal music, and musical theater. NJPAC also presents a SchoolTime Performance Series, which introduces students and their families to a world of entertainment and culture. NJPAC's Arts Education programs feature professional artists from a wide variety of traditions and performances of music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, and more.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, N.J., is America's most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey - where Great Performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted nearly 10 million visitors (including over 1.5 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents

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