SIUE East St. Louis Center for Performing Arts Holiday Recital Brings Joy
A group of parents sat enraptured, commented favorably and cheered enthusiastically during the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts Program Holiday Recital on Wednesday, Dec. 19 in the Multipurpose Room at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus.
Performing Arts student, ages 6-16, displayed their creative gifts in the form of dancing, drumming, piano and guitar playing, and performing in the chimes choir.
“I started this recital party two years ago as a chance for students to learn and perform holiday music,” said Mary Jo Pembrook, PhD, Performing Arts Program piano and chimes instructor.
Some of the night’s offerings included Pembrook’s piano students’ performance of “Jolly Old St. Nicholas,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” “Silent Night,” “Feliz Navidad.” Instructor Dan Bearden’s students featured a guitar interpretation of “Jingle Bells.”
Dancers, trained by instructors Gerald Williams and TaShayla Montgomery, delighted the audience with choreography scripted to themes of black history, West African culture and Christmas, according to Desiree Tyus, director of Youth Programs and Initiatives at the SIUE East St. Louis Center.
“The recital is great fun for the students, and a happy time for the parents to see what their children have learned,” said Program Director Jack Williams.
The SIUE East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts has a long, rich history. The legendary dancer, anthropologist, and social activist Katherine Dunham founded the Center for Performing Arts at the SIUE East St. Louis Center in 1964. At its peak in the 1990’s, the East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts provided year-round instruction to more than 1,000 youth and became a training ground for professional artists of all disciplines. For decades, the East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts provided performing arts classes to students and community members to develop local talent and to cultivate a love of the arts. Classes often culminated in musical and theatrical productions.
Photo: Mary Jo Pembrook, PhD, Performing Arts Program piano and chimes instructor leads the chimes choir East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts Program Holiday Recital.
