Father Ryan Arts Center Outreach Program | Fall 2012

by: Staycee Pearl, Program Coordinator & Gerard Holt, Mac Ballet Artistic Director

An Urban Christmas Carole: The Ballet

The Father Ryan Arts Center Dance Program provides movement classes and workshops within area schools and neighboring community organizations. This program is designed to consistently provide performing arts exposure and education to school-age children, it also encourages to participation in dance classes within the arts center.

This fall season, Mac Ballet and Father Ryan Arts Center Dance Program will collaborate to bring An Urban Christmas Carole: The Ballet, to the McKees Rocks community. Why An Urban Christmas Carole? The lessons in the original Charles Dickens novel take place in Great Britain during the1800s, yet, the lessons of charity, love, compassion, caring for your fellow man, the meaning of Christmas, hope and change, easily carry over into our 21st century and our communities.  By transporting this story into the 21st century, then setting it in our fabulously diverse city of Pittsburgh, we have the opportunity to liven up the original story, thus more effectively engage our local community.

With our in-school residency program, students learn basic dance technique and performance skills through our collaborative program. Our goal is to expose and educate our youth in dance and performing arts, while emphasizing universal life principals.

DANCE PROGRAM SCHEDULE / STO-ROX SCHOOL DISTRICT

Fall/Winter 2012

Lesson Focus: Urban Christmas Carole
Grades:  First and Second Graders
Dates:  October 22 – December 7, 2012 | Six weeks