MAGIC!!

At the end of the era of the Frohman Academy, Mrs. Sidney Goldstein suggested a merger of the Frohman Academy and Dance Kids. Gloria Elber, former director of the Frohman Academy, retained the directorship of the Dance Kids Summer Program and has continued to do so for the past six years. This year will feature a show called MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE in a month long theatre experience at the Carmel Ballet Academy Theatre.

MAGIC!!

Collaboration was showcased in the May 2000 Dance Kids, Inc. production of "Copland 2000 Rodeo." Carol explains, "I look for collaboration on a continuous basis. Our collaboration with Youth Music Monterey for Aaron Copland's "Rodeo" - to have 60 young musicians playing their instruments with 40 dancers on the stage, plus the Monterey Peninsula Children's Chorus - was very exciting. It really came to the point where that was a signature piece." She continues, "I want to show the diversity of the children that I'm working with, so with “Rodeo” it was all performed in cowboy boots, but I also want to show that Dance Kids has the ability to do a full length conventional ballet like "Cinderella." Next year I'd like to do another full length ballet like "Sleeping Beauty" or "Copellia," but I'm also searching for a more contemporary piece that will show the community that this is a broad-based dance company."

In February of 2001, the Board of Directors of Dance Kids, Inc. decided it was time to grow towards gaining recognition as a countywide theatre company. Having outgrown the small space in Carmel, an office was found in Monterey which has enabled the organization to appeal to a wider audience, as well as allowing them to store all their costumes at one location and allow for fittings and alteration by the Dance Kids costumer, Rhonda Griffith. At the same time the Board went to Alan Richmond, inviting him to step in as Executive Director. The board also decided to change the name of the organization to Dance Kids of Monterey County. They felt that the name would reflect the broader scope of Dance Kids and emphasize that it was not simply a Carmel organization. Dance Kids had always included outreach into the larger community, including bussing in nearly 700 students from schools around Monterey County to see dress rehearsals of “The Nutcracker” at Sunset Center in Carmel and King Hall at the Naval Postgraduate School. Most of these children, often from migrant farm worker families, had never seen a ballet. Outreach with Dance Kids has also included presenting their productions to various service organizations and to convalescent hospitals and senior residences. In keeping with a countywide approach, Dance Kids has increased the availability of bilingual materials as well as continued with a program of expansion into South County.

In the spring of 2002, Dance Kids will again collaborate with the Western Stage in two young people's musicals. There will be a junior and a senior company - the former performing at the Carmel Ballet Academy Theatre and the latter at the main stage at Hartnell College. This will require an increase in teaching staff to handle the double productions as both Carol Benton-Richmond and Melissa Chin-Parker stress the importance of technique and are dedicated to education in the theatre, not simply the "march to the production." Current teachers include Carol Benton-Richmond, Gloria Elber, Laura Akard and guest staff.

In the future, Dance Kids will be bringing in more out-of-town choreographers and dancers to broaden the learning opportunities for the students. As Carol explains, "What makes Dance Kids of Monterey County special is that it's all about kids. Occasionally we have a guest artist who is an adult, but basically it's about the kids in the production and the impact we have on other children. It's about seeing kids perform, and we'll be doing more outreach into schools in the future."

THE NUTCRACKER

Dance Kids productions have been presented at various venues in the county including the Carmel Ballet Academy Theatre, Sunset Cultural Center, the Wharf Theatre, World Theatre at Cal State University Monterey Bay, King Hall at the Naval Postgraduate School and the Robert Stanton Theater in King City. Because of the renovation of Sunset Center, "The Nutcracker" will be presented for the next two years at the Golden Bough. Alan comments, "We're always looking for new venues depending on the size of the production. We've consciously moved to Monterey to not just be in Carmel, so we include the whole area. Also with the forthcoming collaboration with the Western Stage and the Dance Kids non-profit site in King City we are trying to include all parts of the county."

PIED PIPER

Dance Kids will host a special ballet instructor from August 6 - 11 for the Michael Smuin Summer Intensive. Smuin was the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Ballet from 1955 to 1973. He has had an illustrious career as a Tony Award-winning dancer. He will be teaching along with two members of his company. The students will be dancing 6 hours a day - including ballet technique and tap. One evening the students will be invited to watch him choreograph, to learn techniques and theory. The Summer Intensive is for students ages 11 - 17 with intermediate/advanced experience; ballet should have been their main focus for 4 or 5 years.

For more information about any of the programs of Dance Kids of Monterey County phone (831) 373-7300 or go the the Dance Kids website: www.dancekids.org.