SIUE East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts Brings Hollywood to Town with Summer Performance
With movie scores from “Star Wars,” “Jurassic Park” and “Shrek,” to musical numbers like “Just My Imagination,” “Girl on Fire” and “Hedwig’s Theme (1992),” students from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Performing Arts Summer Enrichment Program displayed Hollywood-inspired entertainment on Friday, July 19.
Family and friends packed the East St. Louis Senior High School auditorium for the Performing Arts students’ annual summer-end concert. Throughout the show, students age 7-17, thrilled the audience with their talent and hard work in Dunham Technique, West African, jazz and hip-hop dance, and on the piano, guitar, violin and chimes.
“The students and staff worked hard to give a first-rate performance,” said Jack Williams, Performing Arts coordinator, “and I’m glad to say we accomplished our goal.”
“The students were impressive,” said audience member Venis Manuel. “The program is invaluable and has a long history of providing top-notch exposure to the arts, which has been so helpful to our children. The staff is also great and dedicated to the students.” Manuel is the mother of Venezia Manuel, Performing Arts contemporary/jazz dance instructor and longtime program participant.
Other summer instructors included Mary Jo Pembrook, PhD, piano/chimes and music coordinator; Esau Toombs, band; Gerald Babatunde Williams, West African drumming and dance; Ta’Shayla Montgomery, ballet and contemporary jazz; McKinley Smith, hip hop; Dan Bearden, guitar; Cece Villegas, violin; and Gail Smith, choir.
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 1990s, 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. After a four-year hiatus, the Performing Arts Program was brought back in 2015.
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Students from SIUE East St. Louis Performing Arts closed out their summer program with a stellar performance.
