Kravis Center for the Performing Arts Launches the De George Academy for Performing Arts
(West Palm Beach, FL – August 22, 2012) The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is proud to announce the launch of the De George Academy for Performing Arts for children and teens. A gift of the Lawrence J and Florence A De George Charitable Trust, the new Academy will provide year-round professional performing arts instruction and coaching, performance experience and audition preparation for students in kindergarten through grade 12. In particular, the Academy will target economically disadvantaged youth demonstrating a strong interest in the performing arts.
“The goal of the De George Academy for Performing Arts is to spark students’ interest and engagement in the arts and promote future arts involvement and patronage,” said Judith Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer of the Kravis Center. The training the academy will provide is not currently offered in local schools and directly addresses the needs of students whose parents cannot afford private music, dance or acting lessons nor, as in many cases, even have a willing family member to support their interest by watching or listening. These students currently have a distinct disadvantage when they go through the audition process for Bak Middle School of the Arts, the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, a performing arts college or a career in the performing arts,” Mitchell added.
The selection of participating students in the new Academy will be coordinated through the Kravis Arts Ambassadors at selected schools. Program participation is fully funded, including supplies and materials.
The Kravis Center’s new De George Academy for Performing Arts will offer numerous opportunities for students to support their artistic growth, including:
Workshops
+ Fall and Spring Saturday morning technique and audition preparation workshops will be held October through March for recommended elementary students, from grades 3 to 5, focusing on skill building and geared to admission requirements for Bak Middle School of the Arts. Selected middle and high school youth mentors will also assist the teaching artists and students in the studio
+ Student workshop series for middle and high school students from September through May, including Kravis On Broadway workshops and Master Classes. These workshops will be taught by Broadway cast members and professional visiting teaching artists.
Performance Opportunities
Upcoming Stage Awakenings student performance opportunities include:
+ Audition conducted by a staff panel and professional stage director on February 2, 2013
+ Rehearsal/ Workshop with coaching provided by a director on February 9, 2013
+ Performance for peers and arts community in Persson Hall on February 16, 2013
Special S*T*A*R Series performance experiences for selected K-2 classes. A select group from one elementary school will also participate in an interactive post-performance workshop with the cast.
Summer Arts Intensive for elementary and middle school youth providing a sampling of performing arts experience in various disciplines such as theatre, music and dance with the opportunity to focus on specific interests.
“The new De George Academy for Performing Arts will be one of the Student Arts Enrichment Programs under the auspices of the Kravis Center’s Education and Community Outreach Department,” said Mitchell. “At the Kravis Center, we firmly believe that by sowing the seeds of creativity in one child’s imagination, we are providing a solid foundation for their future cultural appreciation. A number of quality programs, coordinated through our Education and Community Outreach Department, help us plant those seeds.”
These quality programs include the Kravis Center’s Admission Waiver Program, Afterschool Programming, the Alan Lebow Award for Excellence in Shakespearean Performance, ArtsCamp, ArtsCrew, Arts Insider Series, Beyond the Stage, Kravis On Broadway Student Workshops, Master Classes, the Pleasant City Arts Education Immersion Program, Spotlight on Young Musicians, Stage Awakenings and the Student and Educator Rush Ticket Program.
For more information about the De George Academy for Performing Arts or any of the programs coordinated by the Kravis Center’s Education and Community Outreach Department, please call 561.651.4251 or visit www.kravis.org/education.
About the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts:
The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit performing arts center whose mission is to enhance the quality of life in Palm Beach County by presenting a diverse schedule of national and international artists and companies of the highest quality; by offering comprehensive arts education programs; by providing a Palm Beach County home in which local and regional arts organizations can showcase their work; and by providing economic catalyst and community leadership in West Palm Beach, supporting efforts to increase travel and tourism to Palm Beach County.
The Kravis Center is located at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, FL. For more information, please call (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org.