NEWS
CENTER STAGE ALUMS TEARING IT UP
BAM! They’re everywhere! Center Stage alums are out there in the world making their mark. Most
prominently, we have Stephanie Klemons, who not only performs in the game-changing, future
Tony-award winner, “Hamilton,” but she helped CREATE it, as the Associate Choreographer
alongside Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler. Then there’s Tera-Lee Pollin, who
recently closed the long-running Broadway hit, “Mamma Mia,” where she performed and served as
Dance Captain. Without skipping a beat, Tera-Lee is preparing for “American Dance Machine”
performances at the Joyce Theatre in December and January. Dan Higgins is down in North
Carolina doing the original musical, “Chasing Rainbows,” about the life of legend Judy Garland. Is it
headed for Broadway? We’re not sure, but there are a bunch of people in the cast with Broadway
credits, so they’d feel right at home if it does. Out on the seven seas, Beth Tarnow just returned
from a Royal Cruise Lines production playing Jenny Any-Dots in “Cats.” Can’t wait to see what Beth
floats into next. In the meantime, Keely Beirne is keeping the seas bubbling with her hot tap solo in
the Norwegian cruise lines production of “Around Midnight,” restaged by Broadway director Warren
Carlyle. Arturo Soria went into “Peter and the Starcatcher” at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis,
immediately after his return to this country from an internship in Portugal and Italy, where he was
working on writing his one-man
show.
Commercial Technique Class and Audition
BENJAMIN BRIONES
BALLET COMPANY
Our Ballet instructor, Benjamin
Briones, brought his company
from New York City to perform
two shows at our own Black Box
Theatre in the East Brunswick
studio. It was a beautiful show.
The company is extremely
talented and professional, and the
choreography
was
unique,
expressive and stunning.
It
offered a great opportunity for our
students to see the range of
possibilities
for
professional
dancers.
Tina Marie Holland, owner and operator of NY-LA-NASH
Entertainment, a talent agency that has worked with the
likes of Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Jessica Parker and
Raven-Symone, came to our studio to give a class in how
to perform and audition for commercials. It was a great
opportunity, opening our students up to a side of the
business that few get to experience. While she was here,
she let out that she is currently working on a pilot about a
performing arts high school. Though the lead roles have
been cast, she’s touring around the country reading kids
for the supporting roles. She read a bunch of our kids with
scenes from the show. So, we’ll see what happens next!
In any case, it was a great experience for our kids to meet
someone from the casting side of the business and see
how that works! Thanks, Tina!
SEASON OF GIVING
As we enter this crazy holiday season, it’s always good to remember how fortunate we are, and that
others, even within our own community, don’t have the opportunities many of us have. Center Stage
is sponsoring a few collections to help make the season a little brighter for those in need. We have
boxes in the lobby collecting unopened toys for Ariella’s Toy Drive for Toys for Tots. We’re
collecting new and gently used gloves, scarves and hats for Wearables for Warmth. And to honor
the memory of company member Lanaya Booker we’re collecting cash donations for Embrace Kids.
SUMMER CAMPS
Ahhhhh! As the temperature starts dropping, it’s nice to think about what you’re
going to be doing next summer, isn’t it though? Well, don’t worry: we’ve got it all
planned out for you, and if you ACT NOW, you’ll save enough money to pay for
that vacation during your down time.
For the young ones, we have a number of week-long theme camps, including a
Princess Sing & Dance-a-Thon, a Red, White & Blue American Girl Camp,
and camps planned around the hit Disney TV-show “Shake It Up,” and the smash
hit movie, “Frozen.” These are at all three studios next summer, with different
weeks at each studio, so check at the desk next time you’re in the studio to find
out your studio’s schedule. At the East Brunswick studio, we also have weekly
Starz Gymnastics camps and Weekly Dance Camps throughout July and
August.
For the Triple Threats, we have Stage Struck Musical Theatre Camp in the
East Brunswick studio, where we put on an entire show in 3 weeks. Last year we
did “Oliver,” and the year before it was “Peter Pan.” We had a great time and put
on great shows with kids ages 6 and up.
For the Intermediate/Advanced dancer, we have the dance intensive Power
Dance for three crazy, fun, strenuous, thrilling weeks in August.
So there’s something for everyone, and if you REGISTER NOW you’ll save a
ton of money. Register by December 19th and receive 20% OFF Gymnastics
Camp, Stage Struck and Power Dance, and a CRAZY 40% OFF the weekly theme
camps. Register now, because when we come back from Winter Vacation, those
discounts will be gone.
Happy birthday!
Have we been to enough Bounce house parties? I think so! How about
something different? A dance party! A musical theatre party! Maybe even a
gymnastics party! We come up with a theme, we decorate, we lead the activities;
if you’d like, we can even bring in the food and the cake! And best of all, you leave
and we CLEAN IT UP! There are lots of options available, and Penny, our party
coordinator, goes all out with ideas to make all the elements of the party fit the
theme that she helps you pick out.