Youth Catalog / Fall 2017

Registration now open for Fall Youth Classes!
Art, Music, Theater, Dance
Great Scholarships and Discounts Available

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View or Download Here:

2017 YOUTH FALL CATALOG FINAL LQ

Always Something Fun and New Saturdays and After School at the Centers!

New classes include:
Adventures in 3D Printing
Art Discovery Zone
Cookonomics: Tasty Tacos
Steel Drums
Theater Tap
Puppet Workshop
Stage Combat
And more! 

Culinary Battle for the Arts

Iron Chef blog

K2 Kitchens and K2 Design Group open the doors to its 2,000 sq.ft. kitchen showroom for a culinary battle between Bonita’s top chefs to benefit the Center for the Arts Youth Education Programs. Join us for inspired creativity and a little friendly competition, as four local chefs are challenged to create a dish incorporating a basket of “mystery items”. With guest judges and audience voting, it is up to the attendees to decide who takes home the trophy as the battle begins at 7! View featured art by some of the children while you enjoy wine and signature dishes by each of the chefs and bid on your favorite auction item during our Silent Auction starting at 6PM.

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Competing Chefs 

Kristina San Filippo – Chef & Owner of Purple Spoon Culinary
Jeremy Hatfield – Chef Partner at C Level Wine Bar & Bistro
Lisa Fidler – Executive Chef at Fine Mark National Bank & Trust
Sebastian Mancera – Chef & Owner of Juicelation

Be there Thursday, April 20th, 6-9pm and find out who can stand the heat of the kitchen! Proceeds benefit the Center for the Arts Youth Education Programs, providing art, music, theater and dance to thousands of local kids throughout the year.

For more information please call the Centers for the Arts at 239-495-8989 or email cfabs@artsbonita.org

What: Culinary Battle for the Arts
Where: K2 Kitchens & K2 Design Group, 25081 Bernwood Drive, Bonita Springs
When: Thursday, April 20, 2017 6 – 9pm
Cost: $50 per person

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Empty Bowls Event Benefiting CFABS Youth Programing

Guests at Empty BowlsThe Depth Cues Exhibition Opening Reception features an Empty Bowls experience in outside courtyard at the Center for Visual Arts Campus. Guests can purchase a beautiful handmade pottery bowl and sample varieties of delicious soups provided by local caterers. Funds from Empty Bowls benefit Meals on Wheels of Bonita Springs to help fill their annual Food Pantry, AMI Kids and the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs Youth Scholarship Program. As part of the experience, enjoy musical entertainment, delicious soups created by local caterers and chefs while helping those in need. Empty Bowls donation is $10 for adults and $5 for youth.

Special Thanks to our Soup & Bread Roll Providers:
Russell’s Clambake, Cafe of Life, Meals on Wheels of Bonita Springs, Gabriela’s Special Soups, AMI Kids Big Cypress, Publix & Panera.

What: Empty Bowls Event
Where: Center for Visual Arts- 26100 Old 41 Rd.
When: Friday, April 7, 2017, from 6-8pm
Cost: Donation of $10 for Adults and $5 for kids.

Graciously Sponsored by
Henderson Franklin (large) logo

Potters of the World Unite for Empty Bowls

Throwing Dates/ Session Times 10am-3pm
Tuesday & Thursday, December 27 & 29

Calling experienced potters!!!   Join our faculty, Sandy Lawson, Rinny Ryan & Steve Kravec at the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs and donate your time and talent by making bowls for our Empty Bowls Charity Event!  All proceeds go to support raising money and awareness in the local fight against hunger.

Clay provided by CFABS, as well as lunch.
For more information & to Sign Up, please call 239-495-8989

Be SuperHero, Volunteer!


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There is no secret that today’s super heroes are seen on TV as characters with super strength, laser vision, that can fly and even leap tall buildings with a single bound, but we never see a super hero with the best super power… The power of Volunteering!!!

Yes, volunteering is in fact a super power and here at the Centesr for the Arts we have a league of super heroes using their super powers every day.

They use it to help our staff with daily tasks that have to be done in a flash, they help with stage and lighting production with amazing strength and precision. They help our instructors with super hearing and anticipating all the little summer camper’s wants and needs.

Yes, being a volunteer for the Centers for the Arts is a SUPER and POWerful way to dedicate your time. Volunteering promotes positive leadership skills for our teen volunteers, offering everyone the opportunity to learn amazing new skills, and get the chance to make a difference in our community and in doing so, inspire others to also volunteer.

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So, if you want to be seen as a community super hero, consider volunteering at the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs.

For more information on becoming a volunteer and other CFABS community events, please visit www.artcenterbonita.org.

Who: Local Community
What: Volunteering
Where: Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs
Visual Arts Center – 26100 Old 41 Rd.
Performing Arts Center – 10150 Bonita Beach Rd. SE
When: All Year Around

 

MAKE THIS YOUR MOST ARTFUL SUMMER EVER Art-Theater-Dance & Music Summer Camps at the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs

Summer Camp Art Classes at CFABS

By Patrice Shields

The Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs (CFABS) are poised to make this a summer to remember for hundreds of local youth with art, dance, theater and music Summer Camps that begin June 8 and run through August 12, 2016. Full and half-day, week-long camps offer opportunities for students to attend one or more their 130 creative camp offerings for children ages 4 and up. Small age specific camp classes of 15 students or less provide opportunities for children to explore classes that include “Ready Set Sew,” “Intro to Acting,” “Cookonomics,” “Wheel Throwing,” “Graffiti Art” and many more. CFABS mission is to provide affordable opportunities to experience the arts and offer generous scholarships and discounts to families so children can enjoy a summer full of art.

“Our goal is to provide a safe, nurturing environment for children in our community to experience the arts without financial constraints,” says CFABS’ Youth Education Director Alana Nanz. “We offer generous discounts and scholarships to everyone who applies. Applying for a scholarship is simple and confidential. Last year we awarded over $100,000 in scholarships, making experiences in the arts a possibility for hundreds of local children.”

Families with young children can chose a themed “Young at Art” class. Designed for children four to five years old, “Young at Art” opens up an art and craft closet full of activities including singing, movement, storytelling, art, crafts and game playing. There is something new each day your child arrives at camp, making drop-off a tearless experience.

Some of CFABS’creative camps include:

Theater:

  • Musical Theater Master Class
  • Intro to Improv Skills
  • Improv Skills and Performance
  • Intro to Acting
  • Stagecraft: Set & Costume Design
  • Stagecraft: Light & Sound Engineering

Dance & Music:

  • Create Move and Relax
  • Dance and Acrobatics
  • Dance Around the World
  • Dance and Acrobatics
  • Music Lab-Beginner & Intermediate
  • Makin’ Music

Painting & Drawing:

  • Art Show
  • Color My World – Paint with Watercolor
  • Cartooning
  • Paint Like Picasso
  • The Art of Pastels

Film & Photography:

  • Digital Photography
  • Clay Animation
  • Movie Makers

Clay:

  • Clay Creations
  • Cool Clay
  • Wheel Throwing

Design:

  • Graphic Design
  • Digital Drawing and Animation
  • Fashion Design Elements
  • Trashin’ Fashion

Other Camps include:

  • Robotic Arts
  • Artful Architect
  • Gardening & Garden Design
  • Brick by Brick Legos
  • Cookonomics
  • Duct Tape Everything
  • Graffiti Art
  • In a Galaxy Far, Far Away
  • Steamroller Printmaking
  • Ready, Set, Sew

Your child’s summer will be alive with the sound of music when they audition for CFABS Free Youth Theater production of “The Sound of Music Jr.” The production is open to children ages eight and up and there is no cost to participate. Auditions are being held June 7 & 8 from 4:00-7:00pm and can be scheduled by calling 239-495-8989. Performances are August 19-21.

Morning classes run from 9:00am to noon and afternoon classes start at 1:00pm and end at 4:00pm. There are classes designed to inspire and engage budding artists as young as four years old and classes challenging and interesting enough to inspire teens. The Center’s summer art camps are designed so that families can choose just a 3-hour morning class for their child to attend while running errands or for working parents and those looking for a full day of enrichment for their children, morning and afternoon classes are offered with a supervised lunch in the middle for an additional $15. You can also drop your camper off as early as 8:00am or take advantage of the after-camp that includes games, drawing and videos in a supervised setting up until 5:30pm. After camp cost is $25 per week.

Stop by the Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs and pick up a catalog or go on-line to www.artcenterbonita.org for a listing of classes for children and adults. Great scholarships are available.

Those who join the Centers for the Arts for the first time as an individual member receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6- week class (includes Summer Camp Classes), and those who join for the first time as a family member receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6- week class and two free tickets to a Live! performance. The Centers for the Arts offers this benefit for first time members and it is for a limited time only. The class and performance must be used before December 31, 2016.

IF YOU GO:

WHO: The Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs
WHAT: Summer Art, Theater, Dance and Music Camps
WHEN: June 8- August 12. Morning Camp: 9am-Noon, Afternoon Camp 1-4pm. Early morning drop off: 8am, Lunch: Noon-1pm, After camp 4-5:30pm
WHERE: The Center for Performing Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs 34135
PRICE: Varies per session. Great discount and scholarships are available.

 

“WILDLIFE UNLEASHED” SANDY SCOTT: A RETROSPECTIVE Meet the Artist at the Opening Reception and Campus Open House Friday, October 2, 6-8pm at the Centers for Visual Arts Bonita Springs

Cut line: "Requiem for the Fallen” (2014) Bronze © Sandy Scott a Retrospective Exhibition, October 2 - December 31, 2015 at the Center for Visual Arts Bonita Springs
Cut line: “Requiem for the Fallen” (2014) Bronze © Sandy Scott a Retrospective Exhibition, October 2 – December 31, 2015 at the Center for Visual Arts Bonita Springs

By Patrice Shields

Two mallards untangle from each other and explode into flight. A grizzly bear claims a salmon from a stream and warns with his eyes that this is a meal he is not sharing. Stallions display their superiority to rival onlookers as a four foot tall swine sits appearing to be in “hog heaven.” Those are just four of the 45 sculptures on display at SANDY SCOTT: A RETROSPECTIVE Exhibition on display at the Center for Visual Arts Bonita Springs October 2 through December 31, 2015. This national exhibition which also includes 35 of her etchings and drawings, opens in conjunction with a campus wide open house on Friday, October 2, 2015; 6:00-8:00pm. GuestCFABS Shows & Exhibitions Director Erin Gerhardt and Artist Sandy Scotts will have an opportunity to meet the artist Sandy Scott at the opening reception.

“SANDY SCOTT: A RETROSPECTIVE is a dynamic collection of work that reaches deep into the expressive and emotional characteristics of sculpture,” says Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs Shows and Exhibitions Director Ehren Gerhard. “Visitors will experience the intensity of a moment and the drama of a gesture through the eyes of Sandy Scott”

Born in Dubuque, Iowa in 1943 and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sandy Scott currently works in Lander, Wyoming in a studio near the foundry that casts her bronzes. Scott maintains studios on Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada, and in the mountains of northern Colorado and is an avid outdoorswoman who loves to hunt and fish. Scott has made 16 trips to Alaska and to Europe, Russia, China, South America, and Africa to visit the world’s great museums. She believes wildlife artists should be in the field to accurately present their subject to the viewer.

CFABS Shows & Exhibitions Director Erin Gerhardt and Artist Sandy Scott

A lifelong interest in aviation has been invaluable to Scott’s work as an artist. A licensed pilot for 50 years, she says, “I believe my knowledge of aerodynamics has been helpful in achieving the illusion of movement in my bird sculptures,” said Scott. Her knowledge of aerodynamics was particularly evident in Mallard Duet, a sold out sculpture that won the Ellen P. Speyer Award at the National Academy of Design in New York. This sculpture is in the permanent collection of Brookgreen Gardens and the National Museum of Wildlife Art.

Sandy Scott is IMG_8996on the teaching staff of the Scottsdale Artists’ School, and the master sculpture workshops at Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. She is a member of The National Arts Club New York, NY, the Society of Animal Artists, a fellow in the American Artists Professional League, and a fellow of the National Sculpture Society.
Meet the artist at the opening reception on Friday, October 2, 2015; 6:00-9:00pm. Engage your family in the arts by attending a Free Family Activity Day offered for children and adults at the Center for Visual Arts Bonita Springs. Families will enjoy a quick guided tour of this fun and educational exhibition and complete art projects. Family activity dates are Saturdays from 1:30-3:30 and will be held October 3 &17, November 7 & 21, December 5 & 19, 2015.
SANDY SCOTT: A RETROSPECTIVE is a major traveling museum exhibition produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C. Serving as Curator/Tour Director is David J. Wagner, Ph.D. The exhibition is graciously sponsored by The Sansom Foundation and SWFL Arts & Attractions Grant.

Those who join the Centers for the Arts for the first time as an individual member receive two free tickets to a Live at the Center Performance. The Centers for the Arts offers this benefit for first time members and it is for a limited time only. Some performances are not included in this promotion and promotional seating is limited.

A full listing of classes offered at the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs is available at http://www.artcenterbonita.org or by calling 239-495-8989.

IF YOU GO:
WHO: The Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs
WHAT: SANDY SCOTT: A RETROSPECTIVE Exhibition Opening Reception and Campus Open House
WHEN: Opening Reception: Friday, October 2, 2015, 6pm-8pm (On display through December 31, 2015)
WHERE: The Center for Visual Arts Bonita Springs, 26100 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs, FL 34135
PRICE: Free and open to the public

The kids may be back in school, but the summer fun continues at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.

Education Art Bonita

The kids may be back in school, but the summer fun continues at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs. 

 Now through August 25, 2011 the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs’ August exhibition, “Mix It Up”, is open to the public during regular business hours at CFABS. The transition from summer to fall offers the perfect opportunity to “Mix it Up.”.  “Mix it Up” is an exhibition of mixed media and multimedia artworks created by regional artists.  The exhibition is open to all artists and all media, this exhibition features artworks that combine more than one medium.  This can be a combination of pencil and paint, or possibly clay, wire, wood, metal, etc.  It can be 2D or 3D.  This exhibition offered area artists the opportunity use collage materials that have been tucked away, dried tea bags, old love letters kept in a beautiful box in the garage, natural found objects or reuse items that have been discarded.  Come see what the artists have created!

 Now that the kids are back in school, it is time to treat yourself to the creative outlet you deserve.  On August 22, adult art classes begin.  So don’t forget to pick up a full list of workshops and classes.  Classes include Oil and Acrylic Painting as well as Mastering the Potter’s Wheel.  If your children need an after school activity, then look no further than the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs for fun things to do.  After School and Saturday classes for children ages 4 and up begin on September 6, 2011 and include fun activities like, Print Making & Silk-Screening, Cookonomics, Acting for TV & Film, Wheel Throwing Pottery, Movie Makers, Cartooning and every type of Dance you can imagine.  There is even a class called “Mommy & Me” for children ages 18 months through 3 years.  So don’t allow the words “I’m bored,” in your house this fall, send them to CFABS for afternoons filled with the word “fun.”

 “Cinemaistas” can find a haven with like minded movie buffs by attending the Center for the Arts Film Society’s “Films for Film Lovers” at the Promenade atBonitaBaybeginning on Monday August 15 at 7:00pm.  The series offers 22 films and runs through June of 2012.  Don’t sit at home alone waiting for your next Netflix movie to arrive, enjoy great films at CFABS cozy space at the Promenade to watch films on their giant 9’ by 12’ screen.  This year’s series brings you the best in films from around the world.  August 15, kicks off the series with “Black Book” a film from theNetherlandsabout a young Jewish woman who becomes a spy for the resistance during WWII.  “Ginger and Fred,” a film fromItalyfollows on August 22, 2011. CFABS Promenade Theater is furnished with comfortable chairs and tables.  Wine, non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are available to enhance your movie viewing experience.  Bring a group of friends or come alone and make some new friends.  You can join in the lively, fun and entertaining discussion after each film, led by a Film Society Chairman and a Film Society Member.  General admission is $8 per person.  You can become a member of the Center for the Art’s Film Society and chose from any of the following packages that offer great savings and VIP seating as well as advance notice of film events, screenings and schedule:  22 Films (the full series) for $126.50, 11 Films (half-series) for $66 or 5 Films (starter-pack) for $35.

 Learn an ancient art while having fun on August 16, 2011 from 5:30-8:30pm at “Raku and You.”  Raku is a centuries old pottery glazing and firing process. The technique produces a lustrous, often metallic, finish. Raku & You is an evening devoted to this ancient process.Attendees choose from a number of bisque fired pots and are introduced to the history of Raku while glazing their pot in a simple or extravagant manner.

While the outdoor kiln heats up to the correct temperature; attendees enjoy a picnic-style meal. Then the fun begins as red hot pottery is plunged into metal containers filled with combustible material. The containers are lidded and the pots rest for a few moments before being quickly cooled with water. The results are spectacular and everyone is invited back into the studio to view each piece. Everyone goes home with their very own raku masterpiece.  The cost is $40 per person.

 Budding actors and actresses are in for a treat this fall with the Youth Theater Department of the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  If a Mime gets murdered at a fancy bed and breakfast, does he make a sound?  What if there is no murder at all, just a lot of laughter. Auditions for this “Who didn’t do it” comedy will be held September 7 & 8 by appointment. Auditions are open to ages 12+. The Youth Theater Department is free. Those who are selected to be in the performance will rehearse throughout the fall and will perform on November 4 & 5. Join director Craig Price for this fun musical theater production where students learn not only how to act and sing but also the basics of set and costume design and show promotion.

 Thursday, August 25, 2011 from 4:00p.m.-7:00 p.m., catch an evening summer breeze as you stroll through the Center for the Arts Studios at the Promenade viewing Center for the Arts Member artists at work in their studios.  Painters, sculptors, photographers and glass artists, display their work in various storefront locations at the Promenade atBonitaBay. Artists Studios are open Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. New exhibitions, and artists, occupy the studios every 30 to 60 days. The last Thursday of each month kicks off a new group of artists and exhibitions in an evening Studio Walk, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., accompanied by musical entertainment, light hors d’ oeuvres and wine.  This event is free and open to the public.

 Friday, September 2, 2011; join fellow art lovers from 6 to 8 p.m. for The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs’ “Portrait and Figure Exhibition,” opening reception.  Come see what area artists have been creating as they seek to capture the complex and amazing human form.  Peruse works in abstract and realism; enjoy paintings, photography, sculpture and more. Join the artists for hors d’oeuvres, wine and conversation at the opening reception as we learn what inspires them. The exhibition is open to the public during regular business hours at CFABS from September 2 – 29, 2011.  Admission is free.

 Thursday, September 15, 2011; 5:30-8:30 p.m., grab a group of friends and join artist Patty Kane at “Alla Prima, Alla Fun.”   Learn to paint in one sitting and have fun with friends at the same time. At Alla Prima, Alla Fun, painter Patty Kane will walk guests step by step through the painting process. Join friends for pizza, wine and painting. Since Alla Prima is a style of completing a painting in one session, guests will have a masterpiece to take home with them at the end of the evening. The cost for the evening is $42 per person and includes paint, brushes, canvas, aprons, wine, pizza and guidance. This month the painting selection is Flip Flops.

 AsSouthwest Floridaheads into fall, find a date and head to Live! at the Promenade.  The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs is proud to present internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Kelvin Fischer of Love Hunter for an evening of acoustic music from his new CD “Drawn to The Light”, as well as other favorites from the band Love Hunter.  The show takes place Thursday, September15 at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15 for members of the Center for the Arts and $20 for non-members.

 For those who join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 will receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

 For more information on any of these events call us at 239-495-8989 or visit us www.artcenterbonita.org or join us on Facebook at Center for theArtsBonitaSprings.  The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs is located at 26100 Old 41 Road,BonitaSprings.

Endless Summers at The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs

Activities for children in Bonita Springs

Spoiler alert!  Summer is coming to an end and school starts in Bonita Springs on Monday, August 8, 2011.  The smiles are starting to come back to the faces of mothers across Lee andCollier Counties, but the grins are fading on the sun kissed faces of children everywhere.  Summer camp may be a dwindling memory for some, but at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs, an endless summer is available with summer camps running until August 19, 2011 and after school classes starting up as soon as September 5, 2011.

Endless summer fun is still available in with classes like “Things That Fly,” a camp for children ages 6 to 8 years-old at CFABS.  Last week, campers explored the mysteries of flight and made art too.  “This is actually a really technical class that challenges students to use a different part of their brain while engaging in art,” offers Jordan Smith, Youth Education Director at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  Each day of camp the students created a new air craft, designing, decorating them and then watched as their creations took flight.  Starting in September, students can continue the fun with “Anything But Flat,” where 3D comes to life as students explore different materials like paper, clay and almost anything students can get their hands on.  “Students will be learning about composition, visual balance, motion and tension, taking inspiration from trees, architecture, animals and people,” adds Smith.

While some campers were launching rockets into orbit, others were putting the finishing touches on art they had created for “Art Show,” a class taught by Amy Jensen.  Students created a variety of art from acrylic painting to clay sculptures and displayed them in their own exhibition space.  Students ranging in ages form 9-11 leaned how to assemble a simple portfolio and transform the classroom space into a playful art show complete with music and hors d’oeuvres.  Amy helped the students make invitations for family and friends who attended the show on Friday.  “Amy taught students to create art from recycled objects like soil and pencil for this show,” say Jordan Smith.  “She treats the students with respect and is able to bring the best out in each. Amy has the ability to identify the student’s individual needs and adjust her teaching accordingly no matter what age or experience level.”  Students can continue learning with Amy in September when she teaches “Cookonomics.”  Move over Emeril, because here comes the next generation of celebrity chefs.  In this scrumptious course, children learn about the preparation and business of food from selection of ingredients to catering

As young artist discussed their work, a beastly looking contraption that looked like it came from a post apocalyptic future was rolled out onto the deck at CFABS.  Students ranging in age from 12-15 were glazing the pots they made in”wheel Throwing” with the ancient art of Raku.  This fall students can learn to make jewelry with “PMC Metal and Clay Jewelry” for ages 12 and up.

So put down those back to school supplies and visit http://www.centerforthearts.org, to learn more about the classes offered at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs this fall.  School may be inevitable, but the summer fun is endless in art class.

Who:   Center for the Arts ofBonitaSpringsSummer and Fall Classes for Children Ages 4-18.

When:  Summer Camps continue through August 19, 2011. FallAfter-SchoolClasses begin September 6, 2011.

Where: Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs26100 Old 41 Road,BonitaSprings, FL 34135.

Cost:    Varies.  Great Scholarships are available.

Join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 and receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class (including theater classes) to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

A full list of Center for the Arts classes is available online at www.artcenterbonita.org or by calling 495-8989.

Angela Hicks Teaches Fairy Princesses How to Write their Own Happy Endings…

Angela Hicks Visual Performance ArtistPhotograph by Shelly Salter

“I can’t,” laments a four-year old girl in a pink tutu.  “Yes, you can,” answers Angela Hicks resolutely.  “You just need to bend at the knees.”  On this Tuesday afternoon, Visual and Performing Artist, Angela Hicks is teaching more than just ballet to a group of three year old girls attending a “Ballet Fairytales” class at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  Angela is teaching seven tiny dancers that they are the choreographers of their lives story.

“Through dance I have achieved self-discipline as the greatest lesson to guiding me through life. When I practice I am literally looking into a mirror to see where my body moves and imagining where it needs to be.  I apply that to my career and personal life; constantly reviewing where I am today and think what can I do to bring myself where I want to be, need to be,” offers Angela.

“Angela is such a unique talent and teacher,” explains Craig Price Performing Arts Director at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  “She is accomplished in so many disciplines of dance and is able to teach all of these styles to such a broad range of age groups, from young children to adults.”

Angela Hicks teaches Ballet Fairytales at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs

Angela has been dancing since she could walk. “The house I grew up in and my parent’s jewelry store were my first studios. Just counting training in dance schools, I have been dancing a total of seventeen years. At age five I started ballet in a dance academy. I then continued into Pointe, jazz, hip-hop, modern, ballroom, Latin, and Polynesian. Along side of that, I also practiced belly dance from the instruction of my grandmother. She was a belly dance performer and instructor at a belly dance school that was next to her etiquette school in Michigan in the 70’s,” explains Angela.  “When I was thirteen years old, I was dancing behind my instructor in ballet, closely following her steps and thought, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, be a professional dancer.”

When Angela is not teaching dance she is performing at cultural fairs, Zorba’s Greek Restaurant inBonitaSprings, and special events through outFloridaandLos Angeles.  Angela has performed her sword balancing act at an exclusive vintner dinner for the Naples Winter Wine Festival, where attendees paid a minimum of $8,500 per couple to enjoy the festivities.  Angela’s captivating sword balancing dance, performed with her sister Jessica, mesmerizes crowds and was born from her desire to overcome aichmophobia, the fear of sharp objects.   While studying the different styles of belly dance and the props used for shows, she came across the idea of dancing with a sword. Initially Angela dismissed the idea due to her fear, however, one week later Angela had a sharp double edge Turkish Scimitar Sword in her hands and she was ready to break free from her fear. In 2001 Angela began the self-training process of sword balancing, using her grandmother’s old school etiquette technique of balancing books on her head for posture and grace.

 Angela places golden tiaras on the heads of the seven tiny ballerinas sitting cross-legged in a circle around her.  “Now what was that story we were telling?” Angela asks the group.  “Rapunzel,” the tiny voices echo in chorus.  Rapunzel was saved by a prince, however the lesson Angela imparts on her ballerinas is a different one learned from her sword dancing, “You are the most important person you can depend on…make that person strong.”

To lean more about the dance classes Angela Hicks teaches at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs call: 239-495-8989 or visit: http://www.artcenterbonita.org  You can learn more about Angela on her website: http://www.swordbalancer.com/

For those who join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 will receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.