Row one (L-R) Megan Ackley and Ariane Stough
Row two - Mary Pittman and Rebekah Amarosi
Row three - Mercy Roberts, Jessi Cosgrove, Niki Liles
The 16th annual December Celebration will conclude tonight at Heartwood at 7 p.m.
Everyone is invited to attend this annual community event
which showcases the work of students and faculty of the Heartwood
Program. A highlight of the Celebration will be the return of
special guest artist Ilene Evans of Voices From The Earth.
The evening will include dancing, acting, singing, storytelling and a mask parade. Heartwood's Dance Company Level 2 (above) will join Ms. Evans and Norma Myers to present "Minuit". There is no admission charge but donations will be gratefully accepted at the door.
Ms. Evans performances will be the grand finale of a week-long residency at Heartwood, where she will teach a number of classes. A storyteller whose African, Celtic and Native American heritage enriches her stories, poems and music, Ms. Evans sings, speaks and dances through presentations which crisscross and bridge cultures.
This years' Celebration promises excitement, fun and surprises
including dancing, acting, singing, storytelling and a mask parade.
The Saturday evening performance will include a visit by the Heartwood Turtle, surprise guests and the awarding of certificates and prizes to the children and teenagers who participated in the Fall Program.
Mercy Roberts and Mary Pittman in ''Fire'' part of the mask parade
The line up of entertainment will include the remounting of ''Dancing
for You!'' a highly energetic piece originally choreographed by
Heartwood Artistic Director Jude Binder in 2000 for Heartwood's first
Dance Team. ''Dancing for You!'' will be performed this December by
Heartwood's Dance Company including three members who performed
the piece originally as 9 and 10 year olds and are now graduating
seniors of Calhoun County High School. Those performers are Rebekah
Amorosi, Jessi Cosgrove and Niki Liles.
Other members of the Dance Company performing include Megan Ackley, Mary Pittman, Mercy Roberts, Ariane Stough as well as Kristen Booher, Kendra Lipscomb, Sierra Paxton, Savannah Rogers and Laura Webb.
Heartwood will also be celebrating graduating seniors Megan Ackley who has been a Dance Company member for several years and Kendra Lipscomb. Dance Company students take ballet and theatre dance classes weekly during the program taught by Artistic Director Jude Binder and Niki Liles. The Dance Company will also entertain with a mask parade featuring many Heartwood masks and masks made by students during the Fall Maskmaking class taught by Gina Burns. Joining the Dance Company in the mask parade will be Kathryn Zuckett.
Jessi Cosgrove (L) in rehearsal with her 'Jester'
mask made during the Fall Program; (R) Mary Pittman
(foreground) and Mercy Roberts in their 'Fire' masks
The Dance Company will join the students of Amy Jacob's Introduction
to Movement and Theatre class to present ''Young and Positive''. These performers include Alayna Butler, Jake Butler, Makayla Davis, Shania Fischer, Sophia Steigleder and Aleah Dye.
On Saturday evening, members of the Creative Arts for Children's
Class will join in to perform ''The Rainbow Song'' and ''Hoe Ana''.
Students include Cole Bell, Gage Bunner, Nicholas Erlewine, Megan
Harding, Tiffany Harding, McKenzie Holbert, Michael Morgan, Shyanne
Morgan, Sally Morris, Elizabeth Nary, Emily Nary, Erica Newell, Brogan Richards and Haley Wilson.
In 1982 Heartwood Artistic Director Jude Binder and Heartwood's
co-founder Frank Venezia built Heartwood's first structure and opened
Heartwood without any public financial assistance. Jude and
volunteers ran the school until 1992, when the facility was expanded
and part-time staff was added. Additional guest artists have taught
music, art, theatre, and dance since then. Heartwood embodies the
ideal that the arts belong to everyone and the artistic gifts in each
person deserve nurturing.
Heartwood's mission is to ensure that everyone has access to Heartwood's programs regardless of their ability to pay. Heartwood's Board of Directors and faculty are dedicated to keeping class fees low and have worked tirelessly to raise money and find private as well as public funding to keep Heartwood afloat. Heartwood offers a warm, welcoming environment to people of different abilities and backgrounds. Every student gets an
equal opportunity to shine.
The December Celebration is one of Heartwood's major fund raising
events and a warm invitation is extended to all members of the
community to come and enjoy an evening of wonderful entertainment.
There is no admission charge but donations will be accepted at the
door. The performance is suitable for adults and children ages three
and up. Heartwood in the Hills is located off Route 16, five miles
north of Grantsville on Lovada Road.
Jessi Cosgrove and Kendra Lipscomb work on the
masks they will wear at the December Celebration
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