NJPAC Sets Summer Programs for Young Artists

Middle school and high school students in search of their inner artist don't have to look any further than NJPAC when their classes adjourn. Creative minds are at work to make 2016's Summer Programs at NJPAC an unforgettable experience for young people involved in the performing arts.

Many of the country's most recognized performers in their fields are back to lead these popular, immersive sessions in acting, dance, jazz, hip-hop, musical theater, dance and comedy. Seasoned pros of Chicago's famed Second City will return to coach students in improv comedy, while building teamwork skills in the process. Jazz piano great Geri Allen will again head a faculty of ace musicians for the All-Female Jazz Residency, this year at Rutgers University in Newark in partnership with its Institute of Jazz Studies.

Participants often describe their experiences in terms of having fun, while receiving a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study with the masters.

"While learning the ins and outs of their chosen pursuit, our teens use the arts to express their creativity and their most authentic voice," says Alison Scott-Williams, Vice President of Arts Education at NJPAC. "Through this exploration, they make new friends, inspire others to share their art, and have a great time."

Summer Programs at NJPAC includes:
All-Female Jazz Residency
July 10-16, 2016
In collaboration with the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers-Newark, NJPAC's All-Female Jazz Residency offers a weeklong, one-of-a-kind opportunity for young women, ages 14-25, to study jazz. This residential camp, with students coming from across the country, presents a unique blend of instruction and mentorship as students are taught improvisation, musicianship, jazz theory and more. Geri Allen, celebrated Grammy-nominated pianist, is the program's artistic director and leads a stellar faculty including Ellen Rowe, piano and composition; Linda Oh, bass; Ingrid Jensen, trumpet; Bruce Williams and Tia Fuller, saxophones; Connaitre Miller, voice; Jeff "Tain" Watts, drums; and Stefon Harris, vibraphone. A final student showcase will take place along with field trips to jazz monuments and institutions. Auditions are not required.

Hip-Hop Intensive
June 27-July 8, 2016
Students ages 10-16 have the opportunity to study at NJPAC's Hip Hop Intensive with recording artist and U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassador Sheikia Norris, aka "Purple Haze." As Artistic Director, Norris will lead students in the art of hip hop, including MCing, DJing, graffiti, breakdancing, beat boxing, spoken word, and sound engineering. This hands on workshop will allow participants to come away with an understanding of how hip hop has become such a large force in modern American culture. A final showcase will take place at NJPAC.

The Young Artist Summer Intensive
June 27-July 29, 2016 (Advance Division)
July 11-August 5, 2016 (Apprentice Plus Division, Session One)
July 25-August 5, 2016 (Apprentice Plus Division, Session Two)
The Young Artist Summer Intensive (YASI) develops the student's skills in acting, dance, musical theater and vocal performance in a professional setting. The program is taught by professional artists in two divisions. The Apprentice division is for beginning and intermediate students ages 10-16, and will provide students with a cross-genre, two-week overview of the performing arts. The Advance division, for students ages 12-18, is an immersive five-week performing arts workshop. Students are accepted by auditions, and are offered the opportunity to focus on a single discipline (acting, dance, vocal performance, musical theater, and enrichment classes) for the length of the program. The final showcase takes place at NJPAC.
A completed registration is required to audition. The deadline to register is June 1.

The Second City at NJPAC
August 1-12, 2016: Teen Improv and Sketch Comedy Workshop
August 8-12, 2016: Adult Improv and Comedy Writing Immersion
August 8-12, 2016: From the Inside Out
NJPAC is excited to continue its collaboration with The Second City this summer to bring programs in improvisation and comedy to teens and adults alike. Teens will develop skills in creative thinking, self-confidence, team building, empathy and communication while adults can explore improvisation and writing.

From the Inside Out is a groundbreaking program for teens diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and/or autism. Teens, ages 14-18, will take class in improvisation that will explore relationships and social cues focusing on ensemble and team building. Taught by a team of teachers, all with special needs certification, the students will learn skills such as accessing emotions and storytelling in a safe and fun environment where they can explore and challenge themselves. The students are given the chance to break through barriers that block creativity and socialization.

The Second City is a world renowned comedy enterprise that has been based in Chicago since 1959. The Second City helped launch the careers of stars such as Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, Jimmy Fallon and Mike Myers.

NJPAC Arts Education programs are made possible by the generosity of: Merck Foundation, ADP, Women's Association of NJPAC, McCarter Foundation, Inc., care of Margrit McCrane, The Victoria Foundation, PSEG Foundation, Wells Fargo, BD, United Airlines and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.