Sondheim — student style

I’d never really considered the difficulty of singing Sondheim until I watched the second act of ASA’s current production of “Into the Woods.” I’d spent the first part of the evening enjoying a Rising Youth Theatre dress rehearsal, so all the fairytale folly of “Into the Woods” was well underway by the time I got there.

My own stellar singing career consisted of back-up vocals in bars with a bent for country western tunes while working to put myself through grad school. I thought everybody read Kant and Sartre steeped in bowls of stale peanuts, but nowadays I suppose we should be grateful to find folks reading just about anything.

Original Broadway cast recording of "Into the Woods"

If you’re fond of reading fairy tales, you might enjoy the twist on all things “happily ever after” that’s at the heart of “Into the Woods” — a musical featuring book by James Lapine plus music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a writer whose work I’m still exploring in the hot pink “Look, I Made a Hat.”

“Into the Woods” opened at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 1986, where George Takei of “Star Trek” fame opens his new musical “Allegiance” later this year. It moved to Broadway in 1987 with Bernadette Peters in the role of “Witch” and Johanna Gleason in the role of “Baker’s Wife” (the role Amy Adams will rock during this year’s Shakespeare in the Park production of “Into the Woods” from Public Theater in NYC).

The Arizona School for the Arts production, directed by Beck (she uses just a single name), was hysterical. Think funny, not frantic. The student cast in the role of Witch did an especially fine job singing Sondheim’s material. I’m hoping they’ll send a program my way so I can share the student’s name and give her proper credit for a truly solid performance.

I was less wowed by the set, built out (perhaps to house student musicians — who also did a stellar job) rather than recessed. I’d have preferred more of a deep, dark forest vibe, but that’s probably just my love affair with trees talking. And I’m about as qualified to design sets as I am to sing in front of even the most intoxicated patrons.

2006 Broadway cast recording of "Sweeney Todd"

Over in Glendale, Spotlight Youth Theatre is performing “Sweeney Todd: School Edition” featuring book by Hugh Wheeler plus music and lyrics by Sondheim. Music Theatre International notes that “Sweeney Todd” was adapted for youth performance by “working directly with Mr Sondheim to retain the dark wit and grand scope of the original work, with a few lyric and key changes to facilitate high school productions.”

“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is based on Christopher Bond’s take on “The String of Pearls,” believed by some to be rooted at least partially in historical events. It opened on Broadway in 1979 with a cast that included Len Carious (Sweeney Todd) and Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Lovett).

Some consider “Sweeney Todd” a tale of ruin and revenge — but I’ve always been more partial to its tender, rather than tenderized, side. A family torn apart. A young man pining for a girl who’s out of reach. A motherless boy seeking to protect a childless woman from harm.

Nowadays, a click of the mouse will get you Johnny Depp when you’d really rather find Sondheim. Fond as I am of Depp’s portrayal of Todd in the 2007 film, I’d be sad to see a generation familiar only with Sweeney on the big screen. Best to enjoy “Sweeney Todd” on stage but get your tickets as well for “Dark Shadows,” where we’ll all be treated to a bit of dracula meets disco as only Depp can deliver it.

Before the musical, there was this book

A final word before you head out to support all those students charged with singing Sondheim — best to leave kids younger than middle school age at home for these shows. “Into the Woods” is best appreciated by adults, though teens also love the fractured fairy tale vibe. And “Sweeney Todd” has mature themes, including murder, that your little one don’t need swimming around in their heads.

I took Lizabeth to see the Arizona Opera production of “Sweeney Todd” when she was barely in the double digits. To this day, she’s fed up any talk about the worst pies in London.

— Lynn

Note: Folks who follow theater can click here for a list of recent Drama Desk nominations, and here for news of this year’s Tony Awards ceremony (nominations will be announced May 1).

Coming up: How groovy is that?

Update: “Sweeney Todd School Edition” is also part of Greasepaint Youtheatre’s 2012-2013 season — which also includes “13,” “Disney’s the Little Mermaid Jr.,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “Dear Edwina.”  Click here for details. 5/1/12

Cactus meets creativity

Artist Ed Mell, who most recently designed the Arizona Centennial Postage Stamp, was named Artist of the Year and ASU Gammage Executive Director Colleen Jennings-Roggensack and Museum of Northern Arizona Director Robert Breunig shared the Individual Award at tonight’s 31^st annual Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards at the Herberger Theater Center.

Several additional awards were presented as well, all after remarks by Governor Jan Brewer and others who spoke in unison about the importance of arts to Arizona’s economy, quality of life, education landscape and more. Here’s the rundown:

• Arts in Education-Individual Award: Beth Lessard, Tempe, former chair of the Arizona State University Department of Dance

• Arts in Education-Organization Award: Arizona School for the Arts

• Community Award: Arizona Cowboy Poet Gathering, Prescott

• Business Award: JP Morgan Chase

Arts advocate and leader Darryl Dobras of Tucson received the 2012 Shelley Award for advancing the arts through strategic and innovative work in creating or supporting public policy beneficial to the arts in Arizona.

SRP was the Presenting Sponsor of the 2012 Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards. Other sponsors for the event included Boeing, Arts Entertainment Sponsor; Resolution Copper Mining, Commemorative Program Sponsor; Southwest Ambulance, Artist Award Sponsor; and Herberger Theater Center, Venue Sponsor. Nicely done, one and all.

Honorees received specially created awards reflecting Arizona’s beauty and diversity — by Arizona artists Joe Ray of Scottsdale, Fausto Fernandez of Phoenix, George Gaines-Averbeck of  Flagstaff, Gennaro Garcia of Ahwatukee, Judith Walsh of Oracle, Catherine Nash of Tucson, Emily Costello of Superior and Julius Forzano of Scottsdale.

Nearly 500 arts supporters, advocates, business leaders and elected officials attended the annual event — which featured entertainment by Desert Dance and Friends (think percussion a la Samsonite), Childsplay, (think rap meets American history) and the Bad Cactus Brass Band (think Arizona with a twist of New Orleans). Also a silent auction beforehand and swanky dessert reception after. Think dainty little red velvet whoopie pies, coconut cupcakes and such.

More than 80 individuals, artists, businesses, arts education programs and community programs from about two dozen communities around the state were nominated for this year’s awards.

Here’s the scoop on 2012 honorees, provided by the fine folks who present the Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards…

Ed Mell. Born and raised in Phoenix, Mell has been a working artist in Arizona for more than 40 years. His work elevates the public profile of arts in the state through his unique blend of cubist forms that capture Arizona landscapes and depicts the brilliance of the Arizona sky. Mell left a prestigious career as an art director and illustrator in New York to accept a teaching position on the Hopi reservation in 1970 that reconnected him with the land he loved and that set his artistic course. He has produced oils, print series and bronze sculptures and has donated his work to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, the Arizona Cancer Society, to name only a few. His works are found in major public and private collections. Mell’s painting of Cathedral Rock in Sedona was selected as the artwork for the first-class stamp commemorating Arizona’s centennial this year.

Robert Breunig, Flagstaff. When Robert Breunig arrived as director in late 2003, the Museum of Northern Arizona was in imminent danger of closing. The museum had lost its American Association of Museums accreditation and its severe financial condition required that 20 items its collection be sold to pay for operating expenses and cover the deficit. Since those dark days, Dr. Breunig has guided the museum back on a path of financial stability and organizational credibility. The museum collection has grown to 3,200 fine art pieces and 15,000 ethnographic objects and its cultural anthropology collection totals 225,000 artifacts and research collections from 28,000 sites representing 12,000 years of native occupation. Before taking on the responsibilities at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Breunig had served as director of the Desert Botanical Garden from 1984 to 1995 and was deputy director at chief curator at the Heard Museum from 1982 to 1985.

Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Tempe. Colleen Jennings-Roggensack has been presenting the performing arts for 33 years and will celebrate her 20^th anniversary as Executive Director for ASU Gammage and Assistant Vice President for Cultural Affairs in June. Her leadership and her mission at ASU has been to “Connect Communities” by enabling patrons, artists and the entire community to discover new avenues of intercultural communication through the arts. Under her leadership, the Broadway series has grown into one of the top touring markets in the nation producing an annual economic impact of $40 million in the Valley. Jennings-Roggensack was nominated by President Clinton and served on the National Council on the Arts from 1994 to 1997. Since 2007, she has served on The Broadway League’s Board of Governors and she is Arizona’s only Tony Award voter.

Beth Lessard, Tempe. The chair of the ASU Dance Department from 1977 to 1993 and professor until her retirement in 1999, Dr. Lessard elevated the dual degree path for dancers interested in both teaching and creating and performing dance. Under her guidance, the Arizona Dance Education Organization was formed to provide resources, scholarships and educational support for Arizona teachers and schools to provide quality dance curriculum.  She also established the artist-in-residence program at ASU to bring national dance artists and companies to Tempe to teach, collaborate and perform with students and faculty.

Arizona School for the Arts. ASA is a high-achieving school for students who want to work with professional artists as part of the core school experience. Now in its 16^th year, students and the non-profit college preparatory/performing arts school spend their mornings immersed in core academic studies and their afternoons in the performing arts. The Arizona School for the Arts has been recognized by the US Department of Education, the state of Arizona Department of Education and the Kennedy Center.

Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering, Prescott. The Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering, the oldest in Arizona, will celebrate its 25^th anniversary in August to support its mission to educate, promote and preserve cowboy poetry, music and western heritage culture and history. The Gathering not only provides entertainment, but an opportunity for poets and bearers of cowboy oral traditions to assemble in a spirit of mutual appreciation and support and to strengthen ties with the ranching community and general public. In recent years, the organization has brought poetry into fourth-grade classrooms in the Prescott area to introduce students to poetry, the ranching heritage of Yavapai County and the music of the cowboy.

JP Morgan Chase Bank. JP Morgan Chase strives to increase community access to rich cultural resources that foster creativity, promote self-expression, celebrate diversity and strengthen the environment. An active supporter of the arts for more than 20 years, the company’s recent funding of Arizona Theatre Company offset expenses of producing a statewide education program connected to ATC’s America Plays! Celebrating Great American Stories Initiative. JP Morgan Chase also has been a consistent supporter of Childsplay, Ballet Arizona, Phoenix Symphony, Alliance for Audience and the Desert Botanical Garden, to name only a few.

The Arizona Governor’s Arts Awards are presented by the Office of the Governor, Arizona Citizens for the Arts and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. It’s lovely when cactus meets creativity.

— Lynn

Coming up: Celebrating National Poetry Month, Broadway trends

What’s the word?

WORD artists Betsy BretHarte and Mary Kay Zeeb outside the @Central Gallery at Burton Barr Public Library in Phoenix, where their exhibit runs through March 26

The word is L-O-V-E, according to Phoenix artists Betsy BretHarte and Mary Kay Zeeb, whose “WORD” exhibit at the Burton Barr Central Library runs through Mon, March 26. It’s a collection of black and white photos featuring all sorts of folks spelling the word “love.” There’s one photo per letter for each person pictured, and the library’s @Central Gallery is home to around three dozen sets of these babies for just another couple of days.

I stumbled on the exhibit several weeks ago while exploring other library fare, and did a double take when reading the artists’ statement accompanying the works — because I’ve known Zeeb for years, as one of Lizabeth’s teachers at Arizona School for the Arts. Turns out Zeeb is leaving ASA for pursuits in the healing arts after this semester. BretHarte teaches at New School for the Arts and Academics in Tempe.

Betsy BretHarte and Mary Kay Zeeb give me an "L"

BretHarte and Zeeb, who call the Coronado neighborhood of Phoenix home, met me at the gallery Thursday afternoon to share a bit about their journey into the world of “WORD.” The first four photos in their collection, which includes many more than the library gallery can hold, were taken by BretHarte in 2006 and feature her mother. As we chatted on Thursday, they eagerly showed me other sets depicting special people in their lives.

Betsy BretHarte and Mary Kay Zeeb give me an "O"

Still, most of their subjects are folks they’ve encountered along the way. Seems BretHarte often sports a camera, and Zeeb has the pair’s best people skills — so together they’ve developed the habit of asking those they meet while walking, bike riding and such to pose for their lovely work in progress. Most of the photos were taken outdoors, like the picture up top snapped just outside the gallery. You’ll see snippets of their work, and the reflection of a tree they both admired as we spoke, in the background.

I turned BretHarte and Zeeb loose with my primitive little point and shoot number, inviting them to snap one another’s picture in whatever way they saw fit. They headed straight outdoors, to a little seating area just off the gallery — where they ultimately decided they’d prefer a picture together. I was happy to do the honors, though it felt a bit like fiddling in front of Itzhak Perlman despite their gracious demeanor.

Betsy BretHarte and Mary Kay Zeeb give me a "V"

Once “WORD” leaves the library, it’ll need a new home. An art gallery would be lovely, they tell me — though BretHarte and Zeeb are keen on community spaces like the library that allow people to stumble on the work and feel the joy of finding something unexpected. They’re fondest of the photos taken closest to home, but lit up when I mentioned a note I’d read in a journal filled with comments from gallery visitors.

Betsy BretHarte and Mary Kay Zeeb give me an "E"

Apparently someone has already pictured them going global, which hardly seems a stretch. The photography is exceptional. The subject matter is endless. And the artists are true adventurers. I suspect there’s just a single word standing between these women and the wider world. It’s “funding” — and I fervently hope they meet a great deal of it one day. With every person they photograph, BretHarte and Zeeb get one face closer to capturing the beautiful diversity of humanity.

— Lynn

Note: To learn more about the @Central Gallery at the Burton Barr Public Library, e-mail iris.huey@phoenix.gov or call 602-262-6157. You can contact the artists at bbretharte@yahoo.com or marykhaos@hotmail.com.

Coming up: Nine young poets

Art classes for children and teens

Student at the Scottsdale Artists' School youth academy

As resources for school art classes continue to dwindle, art programs in our communities become increasingly important. Thankfully, Valley families can draw upon art classes offered by various community centers, museums and private studios.

In Old Town Scottsdale there’s something called the Scottsdale Artists’ School, which offers art classes for children and teens through its youth academy. It’s near museums, theaters, restaurants, shops and a lovely library so parents who drive kids to and from classes have plenty to do in between.

Teen taking an art class at Scottsdale Artists' Academy

“Inspiring Artists” classes for ages 6 & up are being held for a series of eight Saturday mornings Jan. 7-Feb. 25, 2012. Students explore a different project, and a different medium, each week. They’ll paint trees, create journal/map art, make pop art portraits, craft treasure boxes and more. “Inspiring Artists” classes meet from 9am-noon and cost $40/class — which includes all supplies (though students should bring their own sketchbooks).

A new “Young Masters” program for youth ages 11 & up takes place Saturday afternoons from 1-4pm during Jan., 2012. These classes are also $40 each, and include all supplies. Class themes include translating sketches into paintings, simplifying nature for impact, finding the pattern of light and exaggerating colors.

The “Underground Art Club” for teens ages 13-19 takes place Thursday nights from 6:30-9pm from Jan. 12-Feb. 23, 2012. These classes are offered on a drop-in basis to accommodate teens’ busy schedules, according to Linda Pullinsi, youth academy program manager for the Scottsdale Artists’ School — who says the club also holds periodic art shows at the school.

Student works on drawing during a class at Scottsdale Artists' School

Class themes include still life, live costumed model, portrait, landscape and more. Single classes cost $30 (a 3-pack of classes costs $25/class and a 5-pack of classes costs $20 class).

Scottsdale Artists’ Studio notes that their fine art program is taught by professional working artists, adding that it’s designed to help students “discover new concepts and master basic skills while gaining confidence, pride, and self-discipline through their efforts.”

Art classes give kids a chance to meet others with similar interests, express themselves in positive ways, enjoy breaks from everyday stressors and spend time free from technology. Ah, the power of the paintbrush…

— Lynn

Note: Click here to learn more about art classes for adults, and here for scholarship information

Coming up: Civil rights take center stage, Some enchanted evening

Fall musical a spring awakening

The musical “Spring Awakening” is about as dark and heavy as they come – filled with traumas of teen years endured amidst harsh and repressive German culture. Think suicide, incest, child abuse and abortion. It’s based on a late 19th century work by German playwright Frank Wedekind.

It’s hardly the stuff of typical high school musicals, but that didn’t stop Adam Berger from choosing it for his school’s fall musical. Berger directed Arizona’s first high school production of “Spring Awakening” for the Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics, a Phoenix charter school that’s part of the Sequoia Schools group.

Berger first saw “Spring Awakening” performed on Broadway during the summer of 2007. “It was,” he says, “a theatrical experience I’ll never forget.” Berger describes the musical as “a daring work of art that puts the struggles and feelings of teenagers at its forefront in a completely honest and often explicit way.”

It features book and music by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik. The touring production has twice been performed at ASU Gammage in Tempe, which had the benefit of a much larger stage. Despite the quality of ACAA’s production, some elements simply don’t transfer with ease to a smaller setting.

Going big with certain dance movements made them feel akward on the smaller stage, and the hand-held mics that visually reinforce the individuality of each character’s voice during professional productions of “Spring Awakening” were distracting at best — due in part to overall sound challenges during Sunday afternoon’s performance.

Some might say that my own German heritage is showing here — leading, as I am, with the things in my “needs improvement” column. I wish the vocalists had nailed more of the uber-high notes. I wish the scene with two boys exploring romantic feelings for one another hadn’t elicited giggles from the audience. I wish the movement work as characters explored their bodies hadn’t been more timid for the men than for the women.

But having said all that, performing a work of this magnitude with less than three months of preparation is quite a fete. It’s hard to imagine that many schools could have done it better. The cast clearly recognizes the signifiance of even being allowed to perform such a work, and wisely thanked their school principal, during closing remarks following a standing ovation, for letting them go there.

Three groups of people — the production team, the cast of 17 and the four-piece orchestra — were instrumental in pulling it off. Berger served as director, set and costume designer, sharing lighting design duties with Eli Zuick. “Set painting/decoration” was the work of “the cast.” The orchestra included Mark 4man (conductor/piano), Jonathan Nilson (guitar), Kenny Grossman (drums) and Erin Burley (violin).

The live music, especially solo guitar and violin work, was haunting. Vocals by the full cast and ensemble, especially during the final musical number (“The Song of Purple Summer”) were rich and powerful. My favorite vocal performances featured Chica Loya (“Whispering”) and Kimberlyn Austin (“Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind”).

The cast of “Spring Awakening” included students from ACAA and other schools, including Arizona School for the Arts, Brophy College Preparatory, Desert Vista High School and Notre Dame Preparatory. Two adults with community theater credits, Brett Aiken and Terri Scullin, performed adult men and adult women roles.

Every student cast member bio boasts prior on-stage experience, working with Arizona Broadway Theatre, Broadway Palm Theatre, Desert Foothills Theatre, Greasepaint Youtheatre, Mesa Encore Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Spotlight Youth Theatre, Theater Works and Valley Youth Theatre.

The acting performance of several students improved, as if slowly unfolding, over the course of the production. Namely Chica Loya (Wendla), Brad Cashman (Melchior) and Ian M. White (Moritz). Loya could have conveyed youthful innocence without resorting to the baby-like quality in her voice, but her performance was impressive nonetheless.

The scenes where you’d most expect high school students to stumble were some of the most beautifully executed ones. To some they’re dubbed “the switch scene” and “the swing scene.” Thankfully, “the self stimulation scene” included a blanket and a light touch of humor. The perils of puberty are central to “Spring Awakening,” and these thoughtful actors convey them well.

Plenty of people question the appropriateness of “Spring Awakening” for high school students, but a grandmother who saw Sunday’s performance told me she understands the lure of this work for youth — noting that its stories are their stories. “They have an intrinsic connection to this material,” reflects Berger, “that we adults can only look back and remember.”

— Lynn

Note: ACAA was careful to note the “mature” nature of this piece in event materials, even requiring a parent-signed permission slip for audience members under the age of 18. Nearly Naked Theatre will present “Spring Awakening” in association with Phoenix Theatre in June/July 2012 — click here for details.

Coming up: A Valley actor and college student shares his “Spring Awakening” reflections, “God of Carnage” on stage and screen, Opportunities for young playwrights

Dance roundup

It’s a busy week for Valley dancers as they prepare for all sorts of classes, performances and travels — including those noted below.

A Scorpius peformance of Catwalk

Scorpius Dance Theatre presents a “Summer Showcase and Dance Marathon Weekend” Aug 26 and 27 at the Metropolitan Arts Institute in Phoenix. The event includes “an intimate dance showcase” and “marathon of master classes.”

Artistic director Lisa Starry says she draws inspiration from “pop culture,” creating works that combine humor and drama with “both organic and technical movement.”

Funds raised through ticket sales will help the company travel to Whitby, England for a performance of “A Vampire Tale” at the Bram Stoker International Film Festival. I’m told discount showcase tickets are available at www.showup.com.

Previous Breaking Ground performance

CONDER/dance is searching for contemporary choregraphic work, dance films, site-specific work and art installations for their 5th annual “Breaking Ground” festival, to be held Jan 28, 2012 at Tempe Center for the Arts. Applications must be postmarked by Oct 15.

The adjudication panel for “Breaking Ground” 2012 includes Carley Conder (artistic director for CONDER/dance), Ashleigh Leite (artistic director for Ashleigh Leite Dance), Jennifer Tsukayama (director of performing arts for the Arizona Commission on the Arts) and Mary Fitzgerald (professor at ASU’s Herberger School of Dance).

The 2012 festival will include a matinee performance of student work and another performance for professional work. Artists enrolled in high school, community college, undergraduate or graduate university programs can apply, and will receive adjudicator feedback on their work.

A young student at Kriti Dance

Kriti Dance is once again providing halftime entertainment for the Phoenix Mercury. Folks who attend the Sept 3 Phoenix Mercury game at the U.S. Airways Center will see youth and adults from Kriti Dance perform Bollywood style dance, which can be hard to find in other venues.

Kriti Agarwal reports that they have a limited number of tickets for the Sept 3 game available for a reduced price –which also gets you a free foam finger and free ride on the light rail that day.  

My favorite bit of dance news for the week comes out of Scottsdale Community College. They’re starting a new dance class this Saturday designed for “individuals with and without special needs who are interested in creative movement and performance.”

SCC reports that their “Uniquely Abled Dance Class” is “a first of its kind at the Maricopa Community Colleges.” The class includes “creative movement practices, technique development, choreographic development and a performance.” Classes take place Saturdays between Aug 27 and Dec 10, and registration is required. 

— Lynn

Coming up: “Boys Are Dumb, Girls Are Mean”

Metro Arts museum tales

A Gretta Wallace work from the IMAGINING DANCE exhibit by Metropolitan Arts Institute students. The exhibit runs through May 1 at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

I often attend performing arts events at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, so I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy the current art exhibit in the young@art gallery several times already — though this Sunday will be my last chance.

The young@art gallery is housed in the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, though it’s a part of the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art just across the walkway.

One of my favorite pieces of artwork — a glass house of sorts — lives just outside the gallery’s entrance, and I look forward to sharing pictures with you in a future post.

But today the spotlight is on the Metropolitan Arts Institute in Phoenix. It’s a charter school, serving students in grades 7-12, which offers academic classes as well as diverse performing, literary and visual arts.

Think theater, dance and music. Film and creative writing. Drawing, painting, 2D/3D design and photography. And other fun stuff like algebra, geometry, calculus, biology, chemistry, anatomy, English, history and Spanish. 

The “Imagining Dance” exhibit includes paintings, sculpture, video imagery and more. There’s a large dancing dinosaur suspended from the ceiling, a whimsical birdcage housing colorful birds and other works easy for folks of all ages to appreciate.

The young@art gallery is a single room, making it a manageable way to introduce art to the very young. It’s in a venue that’s part of Scottsdale Civic Center — which features outdoor sculpture, colorful gardens and tables perfect for picnicing. Also water features, fun paths for exploring and more.

It’s all located near Old Town Scottsdale — home to plenty of galleries, shops and eateries. And just across the street from the Scottsdale Public Library, which has an engaging children’s area with lots of places to relax and read.

But the “Imagining Dance” exhibit alone is worthy of a trip to this neck of the woods. It runs through May 1, so don’t delay if you’re eager to check it out.

Laura Hales, associate curator of education for SMoCA, says the students’ work “suggests to me that they were very comfortable working with this theme.”

“Much of it shows humor,” adds Hales. “It is easy to see when teens are grappling to make sense of something: the work looks angst-y, dark, emotional.”

“This work,” reflects Hales, “looks light, humorous and inventive. I think working with dance as a subject was a good fit, met their interests and really did inspire them.”

Like all young@art gallery exhibitions, “Imagining Dance” works were created as part of the SMoCA education program — which has been in place (at different locations) for 21 years.

The gallery’s mission is “to showcase, celebrate and inspire the artwork of youth” and “promote strong youth art education programs around the Valley.”

The many exhibits we’ve enjoyed there through the years have been meaningful — and often magical.

It’s a lovely space to explore when you’re nearby for SMoCA or Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts events, or anytime you feel the need for a bit of art inspiration created by and for the young.

— Lynn

Coming up: Musings on “Billy Elliot,” Nursing tales, Mothers who write

A conversation with David Hallberg

I spoke with David Hallberg, principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, the morning after Natalie Portman waltzed away with a best actress Oscar for her performance in “Black Swan.”

Ballet on the brain

Having spent a decade or so as a ballet mom to my youngest daughter Lizabeth, part of my daily ritual includes reading dance-related stories in various publications, including The New York Times. Still, the number of stories I’ve read pales in comparison to the number of tightly-twisted ballet buns I’ve precisely pinned to a particular spot on the back of Lizabeth’s head.

I always take special joy in seeing photographs of one dancer in particular — David Hallberg, principal with American Ballet Theatre in New York. He was one of many older dancers Lizabeth looked up to during her training with Kee-Juan Han at Arizona Ballet School (now the School of Ballet Arizona), and also attended Arizona School for the Arts.

I came home Thursday evening to a press release from ASA noting that Hallberg will be a featured guest at an upcoming event honoring ASA’s 15th anniversary and recent expansion. The March 1 “Breakfast Club” is free and open to the public, but I’m guessing it will fill up quickly thanks to highlights like Hallberg and performances by current ASA students. Watch the ASA website for details.

Earlier in the week, I got news of Ballet Arizona’s 2011-2012 season — which includes two works based on popular children’s tales. A world premiere production of “Cinderella” choreographed by Ballet Arizona artistic director Ib Andersen will be performed in October of 2011, and the company will perform Andersen’s “Sleeping Beauty” in February of 2012.

Other exciting news out of Ballet Arizona includes the advent of Thursday night performances during the opening week for each show, the addition of early Sunday evening performances of the “full-length story ballets” and earlier curtain times in general. All but one production will be performed at Symphony Hall in Phoenix — featuring music by the Phoenix Symphony conducted by Timothy Russell.

My latest foray into ballet world was a delightful conversation with actor Rich Hebert. He’s performing the role of “Dad” in the touring production of Billy Elliot, which comes to ASU Gammage in Tempe April 26-May 8. Billy’s dad wears a hardhat, not a leotard — and the macho miner must come to grips with his son’s determination to dance rather than follow in his father’s footsteps.

I’ll share more about Hebert’s background and “Billy” musings in a future post titled “Being Billy’s dad.” Hebert actually awakens each day grateful to be five-year-old Neely’s dad (he shares the credit with Neely’s mom Natasha). Neely has yet to formally don the tutu, but Hebert tells me she’s already quite the performer.

Watch for more ballet tales in coming posts — and in the meantime, check out this review of the movie “Black Swan” written by Alastair Macaulay of The New York Times.

— Lynn

Note: Last call for glee club/show choir photos. Please include name of group, hosting school or organization, and person who took the photo (if available). Send to rakstagemom@gmail.com for possible use in a future post.

Coming up: My fondness for “Fiddler,” Get your “Glee” on!, Performing parents

Update: David Hallberg recently accepted the position of premier with the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia — www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/arts/dance/american-to-join-the-bolshoi-ballet.html?_r=2&hp. Visit www.balletaz.org to learn about this week’s “Ballet Under the Stars” offerings from Ballet Arizona. — 9/20/11

The arts, schools & tax credits

I’ll be attending two “Evening of Arts” performances by Arizona School for the Arts in “mommy mode” next week, as students from various music, dance and theater classes perform at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix.

The events are meant to showcase student talent for parents and community members, and to raise awareness of Arizona’s school tax credit program — through which qualified donations to public and private schools can earn tax credits for donors.

ASA is one of several charter schools for the arts showcasing student work in coming days and weeks

Our youngest child graduates from high school next year, so this will be our last year making these contributions with our parent hats on — but I expect we’ll keep giving for as long as the tax credit is around as a way to help schools fund various extra-curricular activities.

“Evening of Arts” is free and open to the public, but isn’t the only opportunity to enjoy student performing arts in the coming days and weeks.

This weekend you can enjoy performances by students at New School for Arts and Academics in Tempe (near ASU Gammage).

The NSAA “Winter Showcase” takes place at the NSAA campus Sat, Dec 4, at 5pm. It features “a mix of duets from [the] musical theatre class and duo scenes from [the] acting class.” Tickets are $7/adults and $5/students.

Students of Metropolitan Arts Institute in Phoenix participate in “First Friday” on Fri, Dec 3 — and Lisa Starry notes that you can save the dates Feb 11, 2011 and March 7, 2011 if you’d like to enjoy Metro Arts dance department performances.

Your neighborhood schools — public/charter or private — may also be holding special tax credit events, or simply inviting those interested in student programs to make donations through the tax credit program.

Of course, all of our schools — whether or not they have an arts focus — need individual, corporate and community support year-round. Donations. Volunteerism. Participation in events like these music, dance and theater showcases.

I hope you’ll attend at least one performing arts program at a Valley school this season, allowing our talented and hard-working students to share their many gifts with you as well.

— Lynn

Note: Click here to learn more about Arizona school tax credits

Coming up: This new daddy is an ogre…