The Kravis Center To 'Bring Down The House' With Online Live Performing Arts Classes

The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts has created Bring Down the House, a line-up of fun and engaging online live performing arts classes for theater-loving students looking for something they'll love to do or else they might actually bring the house down! The virtual classes will take place from June 1 to June 26 via the Zoom platform with class sessions starting at 10 a.m. for students interested in singing, dancing, acting and behind-the-scenes production.

The highly interactive, 45-minute classes are limited to eight children per class and tailored for 9 to 12-year-old students. Bring Down the House is designed for all facets of performing arts and has a new topic each week.

"We are delighted to provide hands-on, online learning to performing arts students from some of the best instructors and technicians in the business, even if we can't physically be together," said Tracy Butler, Director of Education for the Kravis Center. "All of us at the Kravis Center miss teaching and preparing students for their next steps in the theater world, and these classes are just one of the many things we are doing to stay connected to them."

Bring Down the House dates, topics and instructor descriptions are as follows:

• June 1 - 5: Acting Up

Monologues, taught by Niki Fridh

• • Fridh, a multiple award-winning actress based in South Florida, leads this class for children who were born to be performers! Fridh provides a fun and educational class to help students sharpen their skills through interactive theater games, improvisation and scripted performances. Students will learn to use their voices, bodies and imagination to create interesting and fun characters for the stage!
• June 8 - 12: The Play's the Thing
  Playwriting, taught by Matt Stabile
  • The Play's the Thing is perfect for young creatives looking to take their stories from the page to the stage! Stabile, artistic director of Theatre Lab, the professional resident company at FAU dedicated exclusively to new plays for the American Theatre, leads this exciting class in creating original work using the basics of playwriting. Drawing inspiration from existing fairy tales and classic children's stories, Stabile will guide students through the process of generating an idea, creating a character, writing and rewriting scripts, and performing their original monologues and scenes!
• June 15 - 19: Dance it Out!

Musical Theater Dance, taught by Lindsay Bell

• • Bell is a dancer, actor, singer and choreographer who has performed, toured and choreographed at many prestigious theaters and stadiums in America and Canada. She provides an active and engaging musical theater dance class where you will not only focus on dance technique, but students will explore various dance styles used in Broadway shows. The young artists will get to train and refine their performance skills, all while paying special attention to connecting to the audience and telling the story through movement and emotion. This class is perfect for the young performing artist who wants to further their passion and talent for the stage!
• June 22 - 26: Stagecraft

Instructors include Kravis Center Technician and Designer Shawn Lawson and professional Costume Designer Penny Williams.

• • In Stagecraft, kids will get a behind-the-scenes look at the technical elements of theater that make all of their favorite shows possible. Working with several technical theater professionals, they will learn about lighting, set design, costuming, sound and stage makeup through fun activities using everyday items around the house!

Students can sign-up for one week of virtual classes within a specific discipline for $100 or they can register for all four weeks for $400. To register for Bring Down the House, please visit the Kravis Center website at www.kravis.org/classes and students will receive a unique web code for the virtual performing arts classes.

The Kravis Center is also offering private coaching and voice classes for Bak Middle School of the Arts and Dreyfoos School of the Arts auditions in theater, dance, communications, piano and vocal performance, Monday through Friday, per the teaching artists availability. Any child can participate ranging from elementary to high school students.

The coaching classes will be done one-on-one via the Zoom platform and are $65 per one hour of coaching. To sign-up for the coaching classes, please visit www.kravis.org/classes to register.