Through the support of the W.C. English Foundation, the Academy Center of the Arts launched our first Summer Arts Week, in partnership with the Altavista Area YMCA. From June 19th through June 23rd, over 250 campers, ages four to thirteen, took visual and performing arts classes with Academy Center of the Arts and Kid Pan Alley instructors at their local YMCA. Through this program, campers were able to participate and develop their skills in drawing, creative writing, drama, and improvisation. While a few campers had experienced these activities in the past, the majority of them were experiencing these areas of the arts for the first time! “What made [Summer Arts Week] so neat was seeing the kids have so much fun while learning new skills,” said Evan Smith, Director of Outreach at the Academy Center of the Arts. In addition to the arts, campers also developed “skills like public speaking, teamwork, confidence, and creativity which they can use throughout their lifetime.” In addition to the classes listed above, another 90 campers also had the opportunity to participate in a songwriting class and public performance with Kid Pan Alley, company led by Paul Reisler that dedicates itself to […]
Archives for June 2017
Press Release: West Side Story hits the Academy’s Stage this July
Contact: Kelly Posenauer Director of Education (434) 528-3256 x304 Kposenauer@academycenter.org For Immediate Release: 06/26/2017 WEST SIDE STORY HITS THE ACADEMY’S STAGE THIS JULY The Academy Center of the Arts’ Encore Youth Theatre program is proud to present their 2017 production: West Side Story! The show, directed by Michelle Velastegui, with musical direction from Dashay Glover and choreography from Ronnie Brady and Casi Briggs, will run Friday, July 7, 2017, at 7pm, Saturday, July 8, 2017, at 2pm and 7pm, and Sunday, July 9, 2017, at 2pm. All showings will take place in the Joy and Lynch Christian Warehouse Theatre, located at 519 Commerce St. Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story takes place in modern-day New York City as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the “American” Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time. The cast of Encore Youth Theatre is made up of high school students from the Greater Lynchburg community, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old. In addition to […]
George Clinton Coming to Riverfront Park
The Riverfront Park Concert Series hosted by The Academy Center for the Arts is bringing live music to Downtown Lynchburg. The third event in the series, after Lynchstock Music Festival and the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra concert, will be George Clinton on July 8. About George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic George Clinton and his band Parliament-Funkadelic (which recorded under the names Parliament and Funkadelic) developed a form of funk music during the 1970s and early 1980s that he termed P-Funk, which twists soul music into funk by adding influences from several late-’60s acid heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Sly Stone. He launched a solo career in 1981. George Clinton is regarded, along with James Brown and Sly Stone, as one of the foremost innovators of funk music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, alongside 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. Opening Acts In addition to George Clinton, two other bands will also be performing, the NO BS! Brass Band and Apple Butter Soul. No BS! Brass Band takes the New Orleans brass band into uncharted territory; fearlessly combining elements of James Brown, John Coltrane, Michael Jackson, and Led Zeppelin into their fiercely original sound. […]
Press Release: Academy Center of the Arts Launches New Summer Arts Week in Altavista
Contact: Evan Smith Director of Outreach (434) 528-3256 x114 esmith@academycenter.org For Immediate Release: 06/14/02017 ACADEMY CENTER OF THE ARTS LAUNCHES NEW SUMMER ARTS WEEK IN ALTAVISTA (Altavista) Through the support of the English Foundation, the Academy Center of the Arts is proud to launch the first 2017 Summer Arts Week in partnership with the Altavista Area YMCA. Both organizations are excited for the opportunity to work together as they strive to make meaningful impact on the lives of youth in the Altavista community. Last summer, the Academy was fortunate to provide six weeks of arts programming onsite for 150 youth as part of the Central Virginia YMCA’s Summer Learning Loss & Prevention program. In an attempt to reach more youth, particularly in more rural communities, this new Summer Arts Week in Altavista we will reach approximately 350 youth and will engage them in both visual and performing arts. The Academy will bring the program Kid Pan Alley to the region as a part of the week. Kid Pan Alley teaches song structure, rhyme scheme, and collaboration. In two ninety-minute sessions, the children brainstorm, write a song, and rehearse their songs. There will also be a […]
