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Under the watchful eyes, encouraging nods and trained patience of instructors at the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts, students are diligently practicing for a curtain call at 6 p.m. Friday, July 30 at the East St. Louis Senior High School, 4901 State St. 

The performance, which is free and open to the public, will mark the end of the program’s summer session. 

“Our students are ready and looking forward to showcasing what they have learned this summer,” said Performing Arts Director Homer Simmons. “‘The City of Champions’ was the theme of our summer session and the title for our concert. Our children are part of a long and rich legacy of legends and greats who have hailed from East St. Louis. The audience will be delighted with the talents that our students will bring to the stage.” 

Students, ages 6-17, participated in the summer session that taught piano, guitar, violin, African drumming, keyboards, hip-hop, ballet, Dunham Technique, West African, jazz, chorus, arts and crafts, and more. 

A sample of the July 30 performance includes: 

• “Back to School” – a suite featuring hip hops songs and dance with students ages 6-8, choreographed by McKinley Smith 

• “Stronger Together – a suite featuring musical theater songs and dance with students ages 9-12 and 13-17, choreographed by Ta’Shayla Montgomery 

• “Becoming: A Tribute to Michelle Obama” – a suite featuring contemporary ballet songs and dance with students ages 13-17, choreographed by Montgomery 

• “Reflection" from the Disney movie, Mulan, on chimes with students ages 13-17, directed by Mary Jo Pembrook, PhD 

• “My Girl,” guitar trio with students ages 13-17, directed by Pembrook 

• Piano duet, “Ode to Joy” with students ages 9-12, directed by Pembrook

Other performing arts instructors include Phil Ring, Esau Toombs, Gerald Williams and JayKayla Winford. 

Students also spent the summer session making arts and crafts, under the supervision of SIUE alumnus and art teacher Andra Lang Jr. Lang earned a bachelor’s in studio arts in 2020. He and students will do the set design. 

“Three words come to mind about where we have been and where we are going,” reflected Simmons. “Pandemic. Pandemonium. Possibilities. When you look at the talents and gifts of our students, their possibilities are endless. Our children are walking in the light of such trailblazers as Miles Davis, Katherine Dunham and the Hudlin Brothers, and we need to support them in any way that we can. That’s why we are celebrating ‘The City of Champions.’”

For more information and details on fall registration, contact Simmons at hosimmo@siue.edu. 

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. 

Photos:
Students from the SIUE East St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts program practice for their July 30 performance.