Volume 5 Winter 2015 NOTES School for Performing Arts TICKETS ON SALE JAN 15! Event Right on the heels of the theatrical release (with an all star Calendar cast including Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp) Bronx House Saturday, January 3 School for Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Bronx House Winter Open House Riverdale Children’s Theater will present our own stars in a 11 am — 3 pm production of INTO THE WOODS, JR. In this Tony Award Monday, January 5 Winter Group Music winning Broadway musical, written by Stephen Sondheim and classes begin and James Lapine, the Brothers Grimm hit the stage with an Select Mondays beginning January epic fairytale about wishes, family and the choices we make. Dance for PD, 2:30-3:45 Call office for schedule Join us as all of your favorite characters—Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his Monday, January 19 beanstalk) and the Witch—meet and interact in this whimsical original story. Martin Luther King Day, No Classes PERFORMANCES: Sat—Fri, February 14-20 All tickets $10 Fridays, February 20 & 27th, 7:00pm President’s Week, No Classes Limited Group Rates Available Fri/Sat/Sun, February 20-March 1 Saturdays, February 21 & 28, 2:00 & 7:00pm Purchase tickets online at tix.com! Into the Woods Jr. Performances Sundays, February 22 & March 1, 2:00pm Sunday, March 15 Trip to see Moscow Festival 4 pm (see page 4 of newsletter) Did you know our dance program is committed to inspiring and developing our students’ talent at Saturday, March 28 both the recreational and competitive level? Bronx House Spring Open House DANCE 11 am—3 pm We provide a solid foundation for dance as we help every student discover their strengths to Monday, March 30 reach their highest dance and personal potential. Spring Group Music WITH and Dance Classes begin

· We take pride in our small classes which promote individualized attention for all dancers. Mon—Sat, April 4-10 · Our instructors are dedicated and truly care about their students’ growth in dance & life. Spring Break, no classes US!! Sat—Mon, May 23—25 · We’ve expanded our classes, offering Modern, Tap, Breakdance & . Memorial Day Weekend, · All students ages 4 1/2 and up perform in the end of the year dance recital. no classes · Our facilities feature clean, modern studios with large spaces and lots of mirrors. Sundays, June 7 & 14 Music Recitals, 1:00 & 3:00 We strongly believe in making all types of dance accessible to everyone. Our program is focused on the continuous Saturday, June 20 progress of our students and providing top quality instruction, affordable costs and a fun atmosphere for everyone! Dance Recital, 2:00

Our hope is to provide each student with an experience that will be looked back upon as an important and special part of their life. Local Luminaries Join Dance Faculty Davalois Fearon is a senior member of the Stephen Petronio Company, where she has performed and taught nationally and internationally, developed an education program, staged repertory, and assisted Mr. Petronio in the creation process of Prometheus Bound for the American Repertory Theater. Dava received a BFA from the Purchase College Conservatory of Dance and is a recipient of the 2014 Bronx Council on the Arts BRIO fellowship and a member of the Joyce Theater’s prestigious Young Leaders Circle Artists’ Committee. Kimberly Vasquez holds degrees in Dance and Arts Education from City College of NY and Marymount College. She has worked extensively as a performer, choreographer, educator and arts administrator for over thirty years for companies including Bronx Dance Theatre, Arts , Bronx Council on the Arts and Mind Builders. Since 2005 Kim has worked as a teaching artist for the Alvin Ailey Foundation and Opus Dance Theatre and Community Services.

NEW DANCE DISCOUNTS!!! MULTI-SESSION DISCOUNT—DON’T MISS THE SPRING RECITAL—REGISTER FOR 20 WEEKS (WINTER/SPRING) AND GET A 20% DISCOUNT!! MULTI-CLASS DISCOUNT– STUDENT REGISTERS FOR MORE THAN ONE DANCE CLASS - SECOND CLASS IS 50% OFF!!! ALL FEES MUST BE PAID IN FULL/ONE DISCOUNT PER REGISTRATION Page 2 Welcome New Music Faculty!

Amy Carstensen is an accomplished performer and teacher and a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music. She has taught classical, jazz, and contemporary piano and voice lessons over the span of more than 10 years, as well as studying and performing classical and Brazilian jazz flute. Amy has branched out to explore many genres of music, incorporating folk, indie rock, and pop elements into her songwriting and her repertoire. Selected as the featured solo vocalist with the Dave Holland Quintet during Holland’s residency at New England Conservatory, Amy has been heard numerous times as a soloist and with various groups on the popu- lar Ithaca radio show Crossing Borders. The Harriet and Robert H. Heilbrunn Music School Faculty Debra Kreisberg performs, composes, arranges and Steve Belvilus (Percussion) records with the NYC based Latin jazz groups Los Mas Amy Carstensen (Voice, Piano, Flute) Valientes and Anaisa, as well as award-winning Klezmer bands Hermira Gjoni (Piano) Metropolitan Klezmer and Isle of Klezbos, with whom she has Debra Kreisberg (Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Piano) toured in the U.S., Canada and in Europe. She is the leader of Jon LaTona (Bass, Guitar, Piano, Beg. Violin & Cello) the new jazz trio East Harlem Trio and co-founded the new Celine Mogielnicki (Voice, Piano) jazz quintet The Highliners. A graduate of the Frank Murillo (Piano, Guitar, Percussion) Agnes Nagy (Cello, Violin) Eastman School of Music with an MM in Jazz Studies from Manhattan School of Music, Debra has performed with Natalie Aimée Niemann (Violin, Viola) Merchant and the Rochester Philharmonic with Natalie Cole. Nailah Nombeko (Pre-School Music, Piano) Danijela Popovic (Piano) Charles Ramsey (Guitar, Piano) Jon LaTona has made national television appearances including the Kathleen Scarborough (Violin, Viola, Beg. Piano) TV show House and has appeared on 12 CDs as a sideman. He is Stephen Schwarz (Piano, Voice, Guitar) currently in the process of recording his 2nd album. A teacher of Hui Wang (Violin, Viola, Piano) piano and a wide variety of string instruments, he primarily plays Menorah Winston (Voice, Piano) Jessica Yeung (Piano, Voice, Violin) double bass. Originally from Buffalo, Jon took up the electric bass at the age of 12 and started gigging professionally at the age of 15. Dance School Faculty Jon holds a BM in Jazz Studies from University of the Arts in Amber Connors-Merino (Creative Movement, Philadelphia. Pre-Ballet w/Tap, Tap) Noora EShams () Davalois Fearon (Modern, Pre-Ballet with Tap) Aimée Niemann is a versatile violinist and performs Bharati Kemraj (Bollywood Dance) both classical and contemporary music, including jazz, Kim Johnson (Creative Movement, Ballet, folk, pop, and noise music. She plays with many Pre-Ballet w/Tap, Musical Theater ) ensembles in NYC as well as in the Northern Colorado Eleanor Lopez (Latin Dance) area. Aimée was one of the founding members of the Aimée Neiman (Pre-Ballet with Tap) KAZM String Quartet, who recently toured and taught in Wendy Rivieccio (Pre-Ballet w/Tap, Ballet, Jazz) Thailand. Also classically trained in ballet, Aimee Veronica Star (Hip Hop) Kimberly Vasquez (African, Tap) teaches and performs as a dancer in NYC. She believes strongly in the connection between movement and music. Aimée holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Northern Colorado. She is currently pursuing her Master of Music at New York University, where she also Soprano Menorah Winston’s serves as an adjunct faculty member of Violin. distinguished career in her native Romania included Kathleen Scarborough holds a B.A. with Honors in English from work with the opera St. Louis University and did extensive graduate work in Violin and companies of Bucharest, Viola Performance at the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. Kathy has Brasov, Iasi and Constanta as played in symphony, ballet, and chamber orchestras, done well as concerts throughout extensive commercial and studio work, and has been a versatile Israel and the US. She holds performer and teacher for over 30 years, with performance a Masters of Music from experience at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and with Tony Manhattan School of Music. Menorah is also a Bennett, Julie Andrews, Smokey Robinson, Bernadette Peters in Jewish Reform Cantor and a public school ESL addition to many others. She has 30 years teaching experience in all styles including lessons in Teacher, and leads High Holidays services all over Irish and Bluegrass Fiddle and Mandolin. the U.S. Page 3 Staff Spotlight American Ballet Theatre summer intern Jenée Brown Jenée Brown is the force behind our school’s newly with soloist Misty Copeland energized Dance Program. Hailing from Mount Vernon, Jenée is a Martin Luther King Essay winner and NY State Advance Regents Recipient, currently completing her Bachelors degree in Arts and Entertainment Management from Pace University. Despite her young age, Jenée brings years of sales and customer service experience to our school, as well as eighteen years of dance training in ballet, tap, jazz, modern and hip hop. She has participated as a student and performer with the Pennsylvania Ballet, Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Atlantic Academy and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Jenée began her duties as our new full-time Program Assistant last April, and we are so happy to have her aboard!!! Faculty News & Happenings

Davalois Fearon will be dancing with the Stephen Petronio Company at the Joyce Theater April 6-12. Debra Kreisberg’s Klezmer band Isle of Klezbos is an official selection for the 57th Grammys in the World Music Category. Debra will be performing with Metropolitan Klezmer at City Winery’s Klezmer Brunch on January 11, with singer/songwriter Jill Sobule’s adaptation of Yentl at on January 15 and on tour in Austin and San Antonio April 8-15. Their new live album, Mazel Means Good Luck was released in December. Celine Mogielnicki’ s recent performances include Musetta in La Boheme with DC Public Opera, and the world premiere on December 5th of Questa Rosa Novella, a piece written for her by Brian Hulse. In 2015 she will be performing at Los Angeles Opera in Missy Mazzoli's opera Song from the Uproar. Frank Murillo will be playing with The Last Timers at The Shrine in Harlem on January 15. Wendy Rivieccio received her Masters in Education last April from Lehman College and is now dual certified by NY State to teach for the Department of Education. She has landed an exciting teaching opportunity at P.S. 7 in the Bronx, and is thrilled to be teaching both academics and dance. Wendy will be reviving her popular summer class Fairytales in Motion for preschoolers this winter! Stephen Schwarz is singing Handel and Gluck with The Broken Consort at St. Martin in the Fields (London, England) in February.

Special Needs New Classes for Younger Students RHYTHM CONNECTS Saturdays beginning Jan 10

Last July our school launched a pilot program for children on the Fairytales in Motion Voice for Young People autism spectrum and their families. Led by David Azarch, the Ages 4 & 5, 12-1pm Ages 5 & 6, 3:30-4:15pm workshop offered the opportunity for parents to have a Playfully using music, stories, and This class is for kids who love to sing and meaningful bonding experience and games preschoolers will develop provides a gentle approach to the to explore new ways of personal and physical coordination. fundamentals for young voices. Students expression and communication Movement exercises are inspired by work on proper posture, breathing through drumming. Call our office if nursery rhymes and fairy tales, with technique, diction, phrasing and ear you are interested in finding out props to nurture creativity and training while learning unison and more! interaction. simple part songs including Broadway favorites.

A collaboration with the Mark Morris Dance Group and Brooklyn Parkinson Group, Dance for PD (Parkinson’s Disease) is part of a network of classes offered in over 100 communities and 9 countries around the world. The program is free and open to anyone with Parkinson's and their caregivers. CALL OUR OFFICE FOR THE UPCOMING CLASS SCHEDULE! NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID School for Performing Arts BRONX, N.Y. PERMIT NO. 341 990 Pelham Parkway South Bronx, NY 10461

Founded in 1912 as Bronx House Music School, Bronx House School for Performing Arts offers instrumental music instruction, dance and theater classes and programs for all levels of experience. We welcome students of all ages, from preschoolers to senior citizens. Classes are offered year-round on both weekdays and weekends, designed to meet individual needs and schedules.

Deborah Nitzberg, Director [email protected] Jenée Brown, Program Assistant [email protected]

Phone: 718-792-1800 ext. 235 Fax: 718-792-6802 www.bronxhouse.org

Bronx House Music Brigade

Established in the fall of 2009, the Bronx House Music Brigade is a touring company of talented and dedicated students who perform in local hospitals and nursing homes providing entertainment to residents and staff. All Music Brigade members are currently enrolled in the Bronx House Heilbrunn Music School and range in age from seven to seventy. In addition to providing a needed community service the Brigade offers performance opportunities for Music School students. 2015 PERFORMANCES: Sunday, March 15 1:30 pm James J. Peters VA Medical Ctr. 130 West Kingsbridge Road Sunday, April 12 Join us on Sunday, March 15th for 2:00 pm a 4:00pm performance of Workman’s Circle Multi-Care Ctr. 3155 Grace Avenue Romeo & Juliet Sunday, April 26 by the renown Students take their final bow at the VA Medical Center 2:00 pm Moscow Festival Ballet at performance in March 2014. From left, back row: Pelham Parkway Nursing Home Lehman College. Eugene Park, Maya Merced, Brandon Torres, 2401 Laconia Avenue Tickets are $10 and include round Sabrina Vargas, Brianna Vargas, Lashanique Mourning, Sunday, May 17 trip transportation from Bronx Thalia Baez. Front row: Hana Belegu, Eunbin Heo, 2:00 pm House. Limited ticket availability, Athena Wagner, Noah Quides-Perez, Derrick Zhang, Morris Park Nursing Home call now to reserve your spot! Serena Caneva. 1235 Pelham Parkway North