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The JCYS Northwest Family Center Gets Its Grove On!
Since the JCYS Northwest Family Center (NWFC) opened its doors in 2000, tots, tweens and all those in between have been dancing, singing and acting their hearts out through the Center's Performing Arts Department. The Department - which has grown tremendously in recent years - is known throughout the Northwest suburbs for its expert instructors and enriching programs.
On Your Toes
One of NWFC's most-esteemed curriculums is found in its On Your Toes Dance Studio. Led by JCYS Dance Director Louise Taitz, who holds advanced diplomas in ballet, modern, and jazz, "On Your Toes" helps instill a love of dance in its young performers, while helping develop confidence and dedication. In just seven years, the Center's dance program has grown from 50 to more than 250 dancers, and to more than 25 classes! The program features a variety of dance genres, and a traveling and competing Dance Company.
This year, the program introduces the American Academy of Ballet's "Performance Awards" - a series of distinctive choreographic compositions that students perform before an audience of parents and friends. NWFC's On Your Toes Dance Studio will be the first in Illinois to teach this syllabus to ballet dancers in first through eighth grades.
Hooray for Hollywood!
For children hoping to make their big-screen or stage debuts, NWFC offers a variety of theatre classes. The Center's theatre classes help cultivate self-esteem and creativity, and improve singing and acting skills.
Laural Reinhart - a professional actor who is in her sixth year performing with Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences and holds a master's degree in Children's Theatre and Creative Dramatics - "directs" the Center's drama line-up. Classes include Preschool Fairy Tale Theatre, which allows children to use their own imagination by creating dramatizations of well-known fairy tales; and Kindergarten Goes Broadway, which "puts on a show" from start to finish encompassing informal auditions, rehearsals, and simple costume and stage design. In addition, Laural directs the NWFC Buffalo Grove Kidstage, Inc. troupe.
Another Encore Performance!
The NWFC is also home of the Integrated Theatre Program - a collaboration between JCYS, THE CENTER for Enriched Living and the Lookingglass Theatre Company. The program provides a unique opportunity for a group of inspiring teens to go beyond the curtains and learn what the theatre process is truly about. All participants - which include teens with and without developmental disabilities - are equal players, and learn basic drama skills enabling them to gain self confidence while exploring their creativity and imaginations. The 12-week program just began its fourth season, and the buzz is that this year's class is going to be a hit!
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