Mainstage Center for the Arts

Mainstage Center for the Arts to establish new headquarters in downtown Blackwood

Ed Fiscella — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:43:44 +0000

On the first Sunday of each October, Mainstage Center for the Arts (MCA) transforms downtown Blackwood into a destination spot for thousands of visitors with the annual Blackwood Pumpkin Festival. This fall, Mainstage will make that area its permanent home, with a new headquarters at Academy Hall, 27 South Black Horse Pike. Academy Hall is located between the Blackwood Rotary Library and Chews Florist.

Mainstage will offer classes in acting, voice, musical instruments, photography, songwriting, and more in this location. In addition to classrooms and offices, Academy Hall will feature an art gallery. Mainstage plans to put the gallery to good use by hosting local artists’ exhibits.

“Most recently, our classes and offices have been located at Camden County College. However, the college is expanding and needed the space. We explained this dilemma to local businesses and government leaders. As a result, Gloucester Township officials offered us this wonderful opportunity at Academy Hall,” said Ed Fiscella, MCA Producing Artistic Director. “It’s truly a great location with high visibility that will enable us to schedule classes and workshops to match our teachers and students schedules. It also gives us the opportunity to add workshops in areas such as fine arts and jewelry making, which we’ll be looking into in the future.”

The historic township-owned building first operated as a girl’s school, the Academy and Female Collegiate Institute, in the 1850’s. Under Mainstage’s management, it will once again become a center for learning. The township is working on a restoration of the facility, which will enable it to host most of Mainstage’s classes.

“Mainstage adds so much to the fiber of Gloucester Township with its performing arts programs for youth and adults. It’s fitting that they have a presence right in the center of town along the Black Horse Pike,” said Gloucester Township Mayor, David Mayer. “They are an integral part of revitalizing downtown Blackwood.”

These revitalization efforts have already begun with the Blackwood Farmer’s Market held Saturday mornings in the summer, the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival, Holiday Parade, and new business in the area.

“The goal is that our classes, workshops, exhibits and events draw more people and business into this area of town so that it becomes a thriving district. I believe it has great potential, which I witness each year in the crowds that gather here for the Pumpkin Festival. Everyone at Mainstage is excited about the opportunity for year-round growth,” said Joe Bretschneider, MCA Executive Director.

For more information about Mainstage Center for the Arts, please visit www.mainstage.org or call (856) 227-3091.

Mainstage Center for the Arts, the parent program for Summer Stage, is a 501 © (3) non-profit organization committed to providing a creative, vibrant, and nurturing environment for youth and adults.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/ Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. This program is also made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey Cultural Trust.

Mainstage Center for the Arts, located at Camden County College in Blackwood, NJ is committed to making the arts experience enjoyable for all its patrons. In an effort to make the shows, concerts, events, workshops, classes, and offices accessible to as many as possible, Mainstage offers many services for patrons requiring assistance. For anyone in need of assistance, please notify the office at (856) 227-3091 at the time of purchasing tickets, or at least five days prior to the event you are attending.

Mainstage Unveils New Performing Arts Education Program; Introduces New Classes at September Open House

Ed Fiscella — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:49:02 +0000

Mainstage Center for the Arts holds its Studio open house Monday, September 10th, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. Academy Hall, 27 N. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood, NJ. A regional performing arts organization, Mainstage is spreading its wings with a vast number of classes in three locations. During the Open House, prospective and returning students will have the opportunity to meet current teachers and those new to the Mainstage family. The classes featured at the open house will include dance, acting and voice.

Mainstage now offers several genres of dance at its dance studio. Students ages three to 18 can take classes including: classical ballet and pointe, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern and contemporary. The Broadway and Kids in the Biz classes are designed to train students in musical theater dance and showmanship, as well as provide them with professional audition skills. The dance studio also offers Zumba.

The acting classes are designed so each student has fun, while learning the fundamentals of drama. These classes range from Creative Dramatics, where 4 and 5 year olds discover the world of acting, to The Soaring Actor, a class for 9th-12th graders that focuses on refining skills, auditioning, scene-study and production. Mainstage will also offer Acting for the Big and Little Screen, a class that will teach the ins and outs of acting for Television and Film.

In addition, Mainstage will continue to offer voice lessons in private and group settings. All classes work on developing healthy singing habits, career planning and audition preparation. Mainstage also offers vocal coaching that will help students really prepare for auditions and solos.

“The confidence and self esteem that is built when attending classes in the performing arts is the key to conquering the world’s number one fear, standing up and speaking in front of an audience. This skill is an important key to a person’s success in all walks of life,” says Anne Marie Weaver, Special Project’s Director, Mainstage Center for the Arts.

To learn more about these programs, attend Mainstage Center for the Arts Open House on July 24 at Camden County College’s Dennis Flyer Theater, 200 College Drive, Blackwood. For more information about the Open House, please contact Denise at (856) 649-5679 or denise@mainstage.org.

About Mainstage

Mainstage Center for the Arts, the parent program for Summer Stage, is a 501 © (3) non-profit organization committed to providing a creative, vibrant, and nurturing environment for youth and adults.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. This program is also made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey Cultural Trust.

Photos from Mainstage Center for the Arts performances Here

Ed Fiscella — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 02:24:41 +0000

Click here for Pictures from all Mainstage Center for the Arts

June 2012 – Present

Click Here: www.shutterfly.com/pro/mainstage/MCAPhotoGallery
Photos from All Mainstage Shows will be available here all year for you to look at and/or purchase. You can order prints or purchase the high quality digital image that you can place on your own computer to use as you like.

www.shutterfly.com/pro/mainstage/MCAPhotoGallery

Mainstage Center for the Arts acquires Kathy Henkel School of Dance

Ed Fiscella — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 18:37:27 +0000

Mainstage Center for the Arts, known for its popular Summer Stage program, show choirs, theatre productions and children’s classes, is growing by leaps and bounds as the new operator of the Kathy Henkel School of Dance, to be renamed The Studio at Mainstage Center for the Arts
– School of Dance. The change in management of the Washington Township school takes place June 13th.

“Washington Township is the home to a number of great dance studios. Mainstage Center for the Arts is happy to have acquired a top notch dance studio in the area,” said Joe Bretschneider, Mainstage’s co-founder and executive director. “We are happy that our headquarters will remain in Gloucester Township, our home for 24 years. Summer Stage, along with classes in acting, voice and musical instruments, as well as additional programs, will continue to be offered there. However, as a regional arts center, it is important for us to have a satellite location in the region. We are enthusiastic about this new, large satellite space.”

This opportunity for Mainstage came about when, after 18 years as a leader of dance education in South Jersey, Henkel decided to retire. At the same time, Mainstage was looking to expand its dance program. That program, currently housed at Camden County College, was limited by the amount of time Mainstage had access to the dance studio.

“We’re so excited about having unlimited access to the fully-functional dance facility at Cherry Tree Crossings, with its sprung floors, mirrors, Barres, and professional dance floor,” said Ed Fiscella, Mainstage co-founder and producing artistic director. “Perhaps even more exciting, is the fact that nearly all of Kathy’s instructors as well as our own dance instructors, are returning. This creates a very strong dance program at Mainstage Center for the Arts and will allow us to expand on the opportunities we offer to children in South Jersey.”

Mainstage will offer several genres of dance at the school for students ages three to 18 including: classical ballet and pointe, jazz, tap, hip hop, modern and contemporary. Its Broadway and Kids in the Biz classes are designed to train students in musical theater dance and showmanship, as well as provide them with professional audition skills.

“My husband, Klaus and I are extremely excited that Mainstage will continue operating the dance school that we established 18 years ago. Their values toward children and the arts are very similar to ours. We believe that they will enhance the business with more classes and

performing opportunities for our students. Their presence will surely benefit the arts in Washington Township,” said Henkel.

Mainstage Center for the Arts plans a free Summer Dance Preview of its program July 16- 18, 475 Hurfville-Cross Keys Rd, Sewell, NJ. This event will provide students with the opportunity to meet instructors and preview courses. For more information about the Summer Dance Preview or the Studio at Mainstage Center for the Arts – School of Dance, call (856) 227- 3091.

Renowned ballet team to manage The Studio at Mainstage Center for the Arts – School of Dance

Ed Fiscella — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:33:00 +0000

He’s graced stages from coast-to-coast, dancing with companies including The San Francisco Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Washington Ballet; founded and directed the Mt. Vernon Ballet Company of Baltimore; performed for President Lyndon B. Johnson; instructed at the Peabody Conservatory and University of Maryland; and taught master classes for studios from Virginia through Maine. She’s performed with the Ballet Austin’s corps de ballet, been a soloist with the Mt. Vernon Ballet, and has choreographed and taught for over 30 dance organizations in the Delaware Valley.

Now, Thomas and Jennifer Hanner bring their talents to Mainstage Center for the Arts – School of Dance, Thomas as the dance director and Jennifer as studio manager. In addition to managing the studio, both will provide ballet instruction.

The pair was already connected to the new school, formerly the Kathy Henkel School of Dance, because Thomas has served as a guest instructor there and had choreographed a few works with Henkel.

“We had heard so many wonderful things about both Thomas and Jennifer. When they expressed interest in co-managing the studio, we were delighted,” said Ed Fiscella, MCA producing artistic director. “Their experience and expertise will be a great benefit to Mainstage as we expand our dance program.”

Having traveled extensively in recent years as a guest teacher, Thomas looks forward to having a permanent home with Mainstage; although he will continue with some guest instruction.

“I’ve worked with many students in the South Jersey area over the years. I’m happy to have this opportunity with Mainstage to help expand their program and make a difference in the lives of local students. I want to help each of them build self-esteem and confidence.”

Jennifer added, “I feel it’s important that children can express themselves through the arts. It helps with their overall health and well-being. Dance enables children to develop a sense of responsibility to self and others, which benefits them their whole lives.”

Later this month, the Hanners will begin teaching summer dance classes at The Studio at Mainstage Center for the Arts – School of Dance, 475 Hurfville-Cross Keys Rd, Sewell, NJ. For more information, please call the studio at (856) 582-4422 or email thomas@mainstage.org. In addition, both Thomas
and Jennifer, along with other dance, acting, and voice instructors, will meet and greet current and prospective students at an open house for The Studio at Mainstage Center for the Arts on July 24, 6:30 p.m., Lincoln Hall, Camden County College Blackwood Campus. For more information about the open house, please visit www.mainstage.org or call (856) 227-3091.

Mainstage Center for the Arts partners with Glassboro’s Academy of Performing Arts

Ed Fiscella — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:21:38 +0000

When two sets of business partners formed two different organizations, both focused on enriching their South Jersey communities and nurturing students through the performing arts back in the 1980’s, no one knew what the future would hold. The first, Let’s Dance began in 1986 in Glassboro as the fruition of an idea shared by Kathy Woodside and Kim Bartolomeo. The second, Mainstage Center for the Arts (MCA), was founded in 1989 in Gloucester Township by Ed Fiscella and Joe Bretschneider, grown from a request by students in the Gloucester Township School District. Over the years, both organizations flourished. Today, they announce a partnership, in which MCA will teach acting classes at Glassboro’s Academy of Performing Arts, which is owned by Woodside, Bartolomeo, and Woodside’s husband, Scott.

The Let’s Dance owners moved into the new arts center at 111 E. High Street one year ago. Its state-of- the-art facility currently houses Let’s Dance, which serves 500 students annually and offers tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, hoofing, lyrical, Irish step, hip hop, clogging, combination classes and other areas of study; LaPierre Ballroom Dance Studio; The Resonance School of Music, which provides voice and musical instrument lessons; On Pointe Dance and Activity Wear retail store; Pulse Fitness Professionals; and the Studio 24 Scoops and More Café.

“We’ve sure come a long way since we opened 26 years ago offering dance to 35 students. As the years passed, we began offering many forms of dance and moved to more suitable locations. Then, when we had the opportunity to build and run this beautiful facility here, working with other like-minded individuals who provide performing arts and fitness education, we jumped at it,” said Woodside.

“We asked Mainstage to partner with us because we felt that we really needed drama to round out the program. And, they have a really great reputation as a leader in performing arts education in South Jersey. Also, the arts is one of the first places schools began cutting during the recession. We want to make sure that the opportunity exists for kids who are interested. Mainstage is committed to that,” said Woodside.

This is not the first connection Woodside has had with Mainstage. Anne Marie Weaver, MCA’s Special Projects Director and acting instructor, is also the drama director at Glassboro High School. Many years ago, Woodside choreographed a show there that Weaver directed. In addition, Ed Fiscella, MCA’s Producing Artistic Director, and Woodside once judged a performing arts contest together.

“I’m so pleased to have the opportunity to have a professional association with Kathy once again,” said Weaver. “My own children took dance classes with her and Kim back in their early days. They have the same philosophy of caring and nurturing for children as we do at Mainstage.”

“And, Mainstage is honored to join together with the Academy of Performing Arts, an important part of the revitalization efforts for downtown Glassboro,” added Fiscella. “It’s a perfect satellite location for us. Though our home base has always been and will continue to be

in Gloucester Township, as a regional performing arts center, we believe it’s important for us to branch out into satellite locations.”

In addition to Weaver, who has been an integral part of MCA’s Summer Stage since its inception 24 years ago and its long-time acting instructor, Christina Forshey will teach acting classes for Mainstage at the Academy of Performing Arts. Forshey holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Liberty University and is a certified teacher of theatre, having taught and directed theatre programs across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Virginia.

Mainstage will begin providing acting classes for children ages four through high school at Glassboro’s Academy of Performing Arts this fall on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. For more information about the Academy of Performing Arts in Glassboro, visit http:// glassboroperformingarts.com/ or call (856) 881-0467. For more information about Mainstage Center for the Arts, visit www.mainstage.org. or call (856) 227-3091.