CHS Talent On Stage at NJPAC

While other teenagers are spending their summer days at the local pool, South Orange and Maplewood locals Kate Bartick and Josh Brandis spent the last month at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Summer Youth Performance Workshop (SYPW). This summer intensive program meets five days a week, from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. There are four disciplines in the program, acting, vocal, modern dance, and musical theater.

Kate Bartick, a rising junior at Columbia High School, majored in modern dance, focusing on the Horton modern technique, followed by a daily three-hour workshop session, where the dancers and teachers prepared for the final showcase.  "The morning technique class was very informative, and allowed me to expand my dance knowledge even further," said Bartick. "Especially coming from a strict ballet background, learning the Horton technique was new and challenging." The dance portion of the final showcase consisted of two dance pieces, each ranging from six to eight minutes in length. Teaching artists Ronnie Carney and Marcel Coalman choreographed the two pieces and Peter Saleh provided an original score.

Josh Brandis, a rising sophomore at Columbia, participated in the musical theater major at NJPAC. The schedule was similar to that of the dance program, where each morning was devoted to technique in acting, singing, and dance. Following the morning session, students worked on their section of the final showcase. Brandis performed music from Jersey Boys and Thirteen the Musical. Other musical theater numbers were "Mama Who Bore Me" from the musical Spring Awakening, and "You Can't Stop the Beat" from the popular show Hairspray. These numbers were staged by Teaching Artists Jannece Freeman and Okieriete Onaodowan.

After a grueling five weeks, the SYPW Showcase was a hit. Performing to a sold-out house, each major delivered about 20 minutes of material that showed off their student talent. Not only was each performer's talent apparent on stage, but the camaraderie between the kids was very noticeable as well. Bartick noted that the summer program provided not only education, improvement, and growth for each artist, but also nurtured friendships and connections that could last well beyond the summer.