Students with special needs from across the region lit up the bergenPAC stage as the Voices in Harmony showcase returned on May 7.
This was the fourth year of the awe-inspiring production after the pandemic forced a hiatus. Students from 14 public and private schools with different types of disabilities took the stage to sing and dance in front of their friends and families.
bergenPAC teaching artists help the students prepare during the year so they can be ready their day in the spotlight.
"I felt immeasurably proud of my students and their accomplishment. It's not easy to get up there on stage, yet they did with so much grace and joy," said Saloney Ginger, a bergenPAC teaching artist who has worked with The Felician School for Exceptional Children in Lodi since 2018. "I have had the pleasure of dancing with them weekly in preparation and started each rehearsal by asking, 'We are going to dance with our what?' and they would answer each time with a resounding, 'Our hearts!', and they certainly did."
Voices in Harmony is a unique program at the heart of bergenPAC's mission to make the arts accessible to everyone in the community.
"This is one of the most meaningful experiences bergenPAC creates. It's always a joy to see these students enjoy themselves creatively as they also build their confidence," said Becky Serico, Director of Education at bergenPAC's Performing Arts School. "We are excited to see its return and look forward to making it even bigger next year."
Voices in Harmony was supported by Visions Federal Credit Union.
Participating schools:
Bergen Boulevard School (Ridgefield)
Bergenfield High School
Felician School for Exceptional Children
Garfield High School
Lindbergh Elementary School
Lyndhurst High School
Lyndhurst Middle School
Palisades Park JR/ SR High School
Pompton Lakes High School
Ridgefield Memorial High School
Ridgefield Park High School
Shaler Academy (Ridgefield)
Slocum Skewes (Ridgefield)
Teaneck High School
Videos
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Monty Python's Spamalot Barn Theatre (5/15-6/06) |
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Hey! I Heard You're Black Unidentified Stages (6/05-6/06) |
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Bette Davis Ain't For Sissies Puffin Cultural Forum (6/26-6/26) |
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Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey Mayo Performing Arts Center (11/07-11/07) |
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Kalamazoo Robert Shackleton Playhouse (7/15-8/23) |
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Bees Deluxe at The Lizzie Rose The Lizzie Rose Music Room (7/31-7/31) |
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Ben Folds in Concert with New Jersey Symphony State Theatre New Jersey (6/14-6/14) |
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American Folktales The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (6/13-6/13) |
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Batman Returns in Concert New Jersey Performing Arts Center (3/06-3/06) |
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Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert Mayo Performing Arts Center (5/20-5/20) |
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