A little bit exchange program, a little bit Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a little bit theater boot camp and a lot of laughs – that describes the remarkable new program launched by Patel Conservatory’s Acting Director of Community Engagement and Education Programs Alice Santana and theater instructor Matt Belopavlovich. Inspired by Hillsborough County Schools’ PEERS program, […]
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Fifteen-year-old Patel Conservatory student Meghan Lock: “learning drums is my life.” Meghan Lock’s formal musical life began like most, with piano lessons at the bright, young age of five years old. But, when her parents realized she was spending more minutes in time-out for not practicing than minutes she was playing, they took a different […]
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On the far side of the indoor basketball court, a line of wobbly-kneed elementary school kids stomps through a sequence of shuffle-step, shuffle-step with their dance teacher clapping time. Their shiny, tiny tap shoes clobber the gymnasium with sounds, their faces an endearing mix of intense concentration and unadulterated joy. Out of context, this line […]
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“I’m Amanda, and my movement is this!” A young woman with long brown hair and a big smile circles her arms.
Their teacher, Patel Conservatory theater education faculty member Sarah Berland, her dark curls bouncing, laughs along with the group, pushing them gently during this theater game to try something new, to express themselves in a different way, to make sure they are following instructions.
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Rebecca Jacobson’s family owned the cast recordings of Hair, Pippin and Man of La Mancha. As they did for many Broadway-loving families, these musicals wove themselves into the Jacobson identity. The songs bookmarked memories, linking themselves to cherished people, intertwining grandparents, parents, grandchildren through music and story. Today, the opening notes from “The Impossible Dream” […]
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Take a drive down Cypress Street until you see the tidal marsh, and you’ll find one of Tampa’s hidden gems. The building literally happens to be a hidden gym. The Applied Science & Performance Institute (ASPI), an unassuming brick building with spectacular views of Tampa Bay, holds within it a mind-boggling array of high-tech exercise […]
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