Summer - Miller Marley School of Dance and Voice

MILLER MARLEY School of Dance & Voice
NEWS | SUMMER 2012
C E L E B R A T I N G
5 0
Students Take Time Out for Some R & R
Y E A R S
I M P O R TA N T DAT E S
PARENT WATCH WEEK
WATCH WEEK #1
Mon. July 30 - Thurs. Aug. 2
ONLY Preschool 1, Preschool 2,
Kindergarten, Combo 1 and Combo 2
WATCH WEEK #2
Mon. Aug. 6 - Sun. Aug. 12
All other classes not listed in
Watch Week #1
SUNDAY, AUGUST 12
Last Day of Summer Classes
SUMMER INTENSIVE
WEEK #1
Mon. Aug. 20 - Thurs. Aug. 23
WEEK #2
Mon. Aug. 27 - Thurs. Aug. 30
On the hottest day of the summer these students took advantage of the deluxe accommodations
in the lounge area of Studio 5 to get some much needed rest and relaxation between classes.
Record Temps - Record Enrollment
Fortunately, the heat wave didn’t keep the dancers away. In fact, along with the high
temps, the studio attained a record enrollment for the Summer Quarter with 624
students. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome all our new students
and their familes to Miller Marley and to thank our returning students for joining us
this summer. Our school offers a full program during the summer session.
Continued year-round training is the key to building strength and versatility.
STAFF NOTES
Miller Marley voice instructor, Jay Coombes, is the
director for the Summit Theatre Group production
of The Music Man, which will be presented at Lees
Summit West High School July 27-29 and Aug. 2-4.
Ann McCroskey served as the choreographIr for
Theatre in the Park’s production of Urinetown. The
show is directed by David Hastings, father of
student, Anna Hastings. Show dates are July 20-22
and July 26-29.
Fall Classes Now Enrolling - Classes Begin on Saturday, September 8th
Check out both our Fall Schedule and Schedule at a Glance online for over 120 class offerings.
Let us help you pick the ones that are just the right fit for you.
MILLER MARLEY STARS SHINE ON BROADWAY
JANINE DIVITA
KAITLIN MESH
BRIAN SEARS
KAITLYN DAVIDSON ERIC HUFFMAN
J A N I N E D I V I TA S TA R S I N A N Y T H I N G G O E S
Three Miller Marley alumni were
reunited when they found
themselves together in the
Broadway revival of Anything
Goes. Janine DiVita joined the
cast in May and in June made her
debut in the starring role of
Reno Sweeny. Sadly, the show
closed earlier than expected, but
Janine was lucky enough to go on
as the lead.
Hayley Podschun joined the
cast last year as the replacement
for the role of Virtue. Kaitlin
Mesh will be on board as
Virtue’s replacement when the
first Broadway National Tour of
the show launches in October.
Janine DiVita, as Reno Sweeny, sings Anything Goes
in the show-stopping finale to Act I.
janinedivita.com
O. M . G . YO U G U YS . . . . I T ’ S H AY L E Y
Following her run in Broadway’s
Anything Goes, Hayley
Podschun headed to Colorado’s
prestigious Arvada Center where
she played Elle in the theatre’s
production of Legally Blonde (June
12-July 1).
Currently, Hayley is in rehearsal
for the new Broadway musical,
Chaplin, in which she will play the
role of Mildred Harris, Charlie
Chaplin’s first wife.
hayleypodschun.com
Hayley Podschun as Elle in Legally Blonde at the
Arvada Center in Arvada, Colorado.
HALEY HANNAH
ALEX MATTEO
Eric Huffman Lands
First Broadway Show
With the ink barely dry on his college diploma, Eric Huffman
was selected to perform in the Second Broadway National
Tour of The Book of Mormon, opeing in Chicago in December.
Eric recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University
of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with a BFA in Musical
Theatre.
Two Alumni Featured
in Tony Awards Presentation
Brian Sears is an original cast member of the Tony Award
winning musical The Book of Mormon and appeared with the
show in the opening number of this year’s Tony Awards.
Kaitlyn Davidson, currently in the Broadway hit, Nice Work If
You Can Get It, performed with Matthew Broderick and the
cast during the Tony presentation.
Haley Hannah
Bringin’ It On
Since the fall of 2011 Haley Hannah has been touring with
Bring It On The Musical, a teen comedy about competitive
cheerleading, based on the movie of the same name. Now the
show is headed to Broadway and is set to open in August. Haley
is a member of the ensemble and understudies the female lead
and two supporting roles.
haleyhannah.com
Alex Matteo
In The Addams Family
Alex Matteo is appearing in the Broadway National Tour of
The Addams Family. A cast member since 2011, Alex plays an
Ancestor and is a swing and the understudy for the role of
Wednesday. In July the show traveled to Kansas City’s
Starlight Theatre.
Mi d M
Mindy
Moeller b
becomes Mill
Miller M
Marley’s
’ fi
firstt
Rockette while aspiring Rockette, Noelle Bradley,
earns stripes toward fulfilling her dream
In its 50 year history Miller Marley has never
MINDY MOELLER
produced a Radio City Rockette. And now, all
that is about to change. In June, alumnus,
Mindy Moeller, was selected to fill one of the
coveted spots in the world-famous Radio City
Rockettes. Shirley Marley is estatic and upon
hearing the news Brian McGinness proclaimed,
“History has been made!” In our next issue we’ll
catch up with Mindy when rehearsals begin for
the Rockette’s legendary Christmas Spectacular, now
in its 85th year at the majestic Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Right now, being a Rockette is only a dream for 17 year-old Noelle Bradley.
But, one thing is for sure. This young lady is determined to work her way up
through the ranks and isn’t afraid of a lot of hard work. When Noelle entered
her freshman year in high school at age 15, she was 5’9 1/2” tall. And, those
who knew her often remarked that Noelle would make a great Rockette. After
all, with her many years of dance training, sharp mind and statuesque frame it
did seem that Noelle would be the perfect candidate.
Subsequently, Noelle and her mother found out about the Rockette Summer
Intensive, a program for aspiring Rockettes (ages 14 to 19) who, if accepted,
spend a week in New York City at the Radio City Music Hall training under the
direction of actual Rockettes. Noelle auditioned and was accITted. And, from
the moment she stepped through the portals of the Radio City Music Hall, she
was hooked. “I thought at first that I would just be doing some kicks. I never
realized the amount of control and strength that was needed for this unique
style. While the Rockettes make it look very easy, it is so far from that,” Noelle
said.
Every aspect of the Rockette choreography and staging is meticulous and
formulated down to the minutest detail. The work is very athletic and physically
demanding and the young women spend almost a year honing their craft and
building up stamina for the annual Christmas Spectacular which is albeit, their
Olympics.
Noelle went on to attend the following intensive (held last summer) and this
year was selected out of 1,000 girls vying for only 75 spots, to participate in a
special Invitational Week which is intended only for the creme de la creme.
Commenting on this experience Noelle said, “This year was much harder! We
trained at the level of the Rockettes and were expected to learn full-length
routines with twice the amount of choreography than in previous years. None
of the material was watered down and we had to work hard and fast to
perfect everything in time for the final Showcase. But, it was so worth it;
especially getting to perform their signature wooden soldiers dance.
Noelle Bradley (2nd from right) poses with Rockettes, Melinda (far left) and Karen (far
right) and Eileen Grace, Rockette Summer Intensive Director / Choreographer.
Spending the last three summers with the Rockette organization has given Noelle a
distinct advantage. As Noelle’s mother, Libby Bradley, put it, “This is great because
now they know who she is.” At the end of the Invitational Week, each participant
met with the faculty to receive an evaluation. This is a progress report and (in
Noelle’s case) contains information dating back to her first Summer Intensive in
2010. Noelle received many favorable comments along with some constructive
criticism. “They told me to work on maintaining a strong posture and to keep my
core engaged through all the moves; also just to attack everything sharper than
ever before.”
In recent years, Rockette Director, Linda Haberman, has strived to upgrade the
image of the Rockettes in an effort to dispel any prevailing myths that her dance
company is “just a line of pretty girls who can kick.” In an interview on the
Rockette website Haberman noted that the auditions have become much more
competitive. “We are beginning to attract talented technical dancers with extensive
backgrounds in serious professional ballet schools.”
2013 will be a pivotal year for Noelle. She will graduate from Olathe East High
School and at 18 years-old will be eligible to actually audition for the Rockettes. At
this point Noelle thinks that she will try out at the open audition in May. “It is
incredibly difficult to make the line at 18, but the audition is worth the experience.
600 girls audition each year and only a few make it through to the final cut.”
Despite the odds Noelle remains confident and manages to balance her optimism
with a healthy dose of reality. “I want to keep working hard because becoming a
Rockette is my dream. If I’ve worked my hardest and kept a really positive attitude
and still nothing happens, then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. I know what I
need to work on now and hopefully someday that will pay off in the end.”
Noelle Bradley (center) in her mock audition held during Invitational Week at the
Rockette Summer Intensive in July.
During the month of June Miller Marley
opened its doors to give Shawnee
Mission School District students the
opportunity to participate in a “Let’s
Move” camp free of charge. “Let’s
Move” was inspired by a national
campaign created by Michelle Obama
to motivate kids to stay in shape. The
camp, under the direction of Shirley
Marley and co-directed by Jill Hochman,
combined exercise with high energy
dance routines. Thirty Miller Marley
students (ages ten through high school)
gave of their time to act as mentors to
the 54 campers from first grade through
high school. Shirley Marley said, “We
were able to make a difference in the
lives of many kids whose families may
not have had the ways or means to
provide formal dance lessons for their
children. It wasn’t unusual to see four
and even five children from the same
family in attendance.” The “Let’s Move”
camp turned out to be much more than
a vehicle to promote physical fitness.
Jill Hochman said, “On the first day
many of the campers were scared and
apprehensive. But throughout the run
of the camp, the meaningful and
positive relationships that developed
became the catalyst that united us
and filled the air with positive
energy.” The program culminated
with a performance and awards
ceremony during which all the
campers received commemorative
t-shirts and medals. Funding for the
program was provided through
donations and the generous volunteer
efforts of our Miller Marley families.
Words cannot express our gratitude to
the individuals who gave their time and
talents to make the “Let’s Move” camp
such a rousing success.
PERFORMANCE COMPANY NEWS
Miller Marley’s performance companies
provided the pre-show entertainment for
all five shows at Theatre in the Park this
summer. In addition,The Entertainers,
MiniTainers, TiniTainers and Show Biz
Performers were invited to perform prior
to a special presentation of The Disney
Double Feature for Surewest Night at
Theatre in the Park on July 11.
The Show Biz Performers and the
TiniTainers entertained audiences with
pre-show performances on the Spotlight
Stage at Starlight Theatre. The Show Biz
Performers opened for The Addams
Family on July 6 and the TiniTainers, for
Peter Pan on July 25.
SUMMER INTENSIVE 2012
Aug. 20 thru Aug. 23 and Aug. 27 thru Aug. 30
There’s still time to register for Miller Marley’s Summer Intensive 2012. This is a
golden opportunity for intermediate and advanced dancers to study all forms of
dance with professional instructors who are specialists in their respective fields.
In order to grow, serious dancers must have exposure to a variety of teaching styles
and each member of our all-star faculty delivers a unique perspective and
cutting edge material to satisfy this objective.
For costs, scheduling and further information refer to the studio website at
www.millermarley.com. On the home page, click on Upcoming Events.
Adult mentor, Lori Morrison (right) poses
with camper, Brooklyn Hose. Lori is a
substitute teacher at Miller Marley and
works as a Physical Education Specialist at
Sunrise Point Elementary in the
Blue Valley School District.
CLARA S DREAM AUDITIONS
Each year, the Miller Marley Youth Ballet Company gives aspiring
young dancers at the studio the opportunity to act as guest
performers in their annual production of Clara’s Dream, an
adaptation of The Nutcracker. The auditions for guest performers
will be held on Saturday, September 2RH. Boys and girls from 1st
grade through high school and adults are encouraged to attend.
Adults will be cast as guests in the Party Scene, which takes place at
the beginning of the story.
Rehearsals for Clara’s Dream guest performers will begin on
Monday, October 1st. The performance will be held on Saturday and
Sunday, December 1st and 2nd with a matinee and evening show
each day. The guest performers will be double-cast and each group
will do two performances on either Saturday or Sunday.
Detailed information will be available when fall classes begin.
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www.millermarley.com