California School Of The Arts – San Gabriel Valley Concludes Its Inaugural Year With Season Finale On May 27

California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV) celebrates the success of its inaugural year with an exciting Season Finale, featuring 200 students onstage at the Haugh Performing Arts Center at Citrus College on Sunday, May 27, at 7 p.m. This energetic, culminating event features a showcase of spectacular presentations from talented students in each of the school's 10 arts conservatory programs including: acting, classical & contemporary dance, commercial dance, creative writing, instrumental music, integrated arts, musical theatre, production & design, visual arts and vocal arts. Students perform and exhibit highlights from the school's opening season, as well as pieces put together specifically for this outstanding show.

Presentation highlights include:

• The cast of CSArts-SGV's all-school musical "Pippin" perform a medley of songs from the show, including "Glory," "Corner of the Sky" and "Magic to Do."
• Broadway Actor David Burnham and students from the cast of "Performing with the Pros" sing "One Day More" from "Les Misérables."
• Commercial Dance Conservatory students dance to "Singin' in the Rain" as clips from the classic film play on large screens in the background.
• Premier performance group FUSION revives its stellar performance of "Stars," which premiered at the VIP preview of Descanso Gardens "Enchanted: Forest of Light" last fall. The medley includes music by Coldplay and more.

Season Finale gives students a chance to demonstrate honed arts skills and new techniques learned during their first year at CSArts-SGV.

"Most of our students took a leap of faith coming to this school, with no real understanding of what would happen. How much they have grown and flourished in such a short amount of time, as a result, is something that is truly remarkable and will set the stage for all future generations of CSArts-SGV students," said Alison Dambach, the school's chair of dance and the creative director of the event.

CSArts-SGV has many arts and academic accomplishments to applaud this year. The academic program received accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Students excelled by taking more than 160 Advanced Placement classes and scoring 41 points above the State Average on the PSAT. In addition, 38 percent of students are finishing the year with a 4.0 GPA or higher. The school also presented more than 60 performances, hosted master classes with more than 40 industry professionals, and created partnerships with several arts organizations across the community.

Dambach said she felt it was important that Season Finale properly showcase each conservatory to ensure it represents the school at the highest caliber. This is achieved through collaboration among students, staff and conservatory directors.

"From the start of the school year, our goal here has been collaboration, and I think our Season Finale represents that goal perfectly," said Dambach. "Our work space was designed to promote collaboration and all the directors/chairs have focused quite a bit on that in our inaugural year. It makes it fun and exciting and also allows the students to appreciate one another's art forms and gain a deeper level of understanding and respect for one another."

CSArts-SGV's Season Finale takes place Sunday, May 27, 2018 at 7 p.m. at Citrus College, Haugh Performing Arts Center, 1000 W. Foothill Blvd., Glendora, CA 91741. Tickets are $35-$45 and are available to purchase at sgv.csarts.net/boxoffice.

About California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley

California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV) provides a creative, challenging and nurturing environment that offers bright and talented students unparalleled preparation for higher education and a profession in the arts. CSArts-SGV is the first satellite school to open in a network of public charter schools being established by the California School of the Arts Foundation, an organization created to replicate the award-winning, 30-year model established by Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA).

CSArts-SGV opened on Aug. 14, 2017 in a unique public-private partnership with the Duarte Unified School District, and is a tuition-free, donation dependent program for seventh through 12th grade students. CSArts-SGV students study in one of the 10 arts conservatories offered including acting, classical & contemporary dance, commercial dance, creative writing, instrumental music, integrated arts, musical theatre, production & design, visual arts and vocal arts. Students receive opportunities to participate in master classes, guest artist presentations, field trips and performances, as well as a variety of campus clubs and activities. Small student/teacher ratios in academic and arts classes allow for personalized attention to students.

CSArts-SGV is located at 1401 Highland Avenue, Duarte, Calif. For more information, visit sgv.csarts.net

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