This summer, dancers will take to the Yellow Brick Road. Dancers ranging from hip-hop, contemporary jazz, lyrical and modern will take part in the 2014 Summer Intensive arts program produced by the Coronado School of the Arts Foundation together with the Coronado Cultural Arts Commission. The inaugural program will coincide with OZ CON, an international 10-day festival attended by Wizard of Oz experts and fans with festivities and events taking place in Coronado and San Diego. The intensive programs will culminate in a live public performance event “Oz Alive!” on August 2 produced by Ruben Monet Ludlow, aka Fusion. The Summer Intensive program will launch with two-week intensives focused on Dance, Film and Television Production.
“These summer intensive programs offer an extraordinary opportunity for film and dance students to gain real experience and build their resumes for college,” said Heidi Wilson, founder and co-chair of the Coronado Cultural Arts Commission. “The classes are unique in what they have to offer.”
The Summer Dance Intensive will take place July 21 August 1, 2014 and is open to all pre-professional level dancers or trainees and will be taught by world-class choreographers and dancers in a fast-paced environment designed to challenge and expand the repertoire of all participants. Dancers, age 13 and above, will take classes in hip-hop, contemporary jazz, lyrical, modern, and other dance forms taught and inspired by a team of nationally known choreographers. Courtney Miller Jr. is best known for his work on Michael Jackon’s “HIStory World Tour,” MTV Awards performances and his “Scream” video with Janet Jackson. Ruben Monet Ludlow, who is more commonly known as “Fusion,” has worked with Beyonce, Diana Ross, Pitbull, Will Smith and the Backstreet Boys. He and his family have ties to Coronado that date back to the 1920’s. He is also the co-founder of the Coronado Dance Fitness Theater, which offers classes year round and hosts performances around San Diego. Matt Carney has been dancing professionally for 15 years and is currently a company member with the San Diego Ballet & San Diego Dance Theater. He is also a faculty member of the Coronado School for the Arts. Chris Koehl launched his dance profession after appearing on the Fox reality show “So You Think You Can Dance” (Season 8) and has worked as a professional performer in all avenues of the dance industry. Katharine Ewait is the dance medicine consultant to the San Diego Ballet Company, San Diego Dance Theater and Malashock Dance Company. Dance performances and rehearsals will be incorporated into a TV Special to air in August on Coronado’s public TV station.
Special Event film and television production experience is offered for classes in Film and Live TV Broadcast Production held July 23 August 5, 2014. Executive Producer for Coronado Studios Tony Perri, whose experience includes work with Walt Disney Co, Warner Bros. Studios and CBS will lead the Film and TV classes. Mr. Perri is also the director at Coronado-based Surf’s Up Studios and has produced two award-winning films: documentary School of Thought – featuring Academy Award-nominated director, David Lynch; and the feature film, Serotonin Rising starring the Dalai Lama and Deepak Chopra. Students participating in this course will learn the full arch of producing a live-to-tape event. From pre-production to post edits, instruction begins in studio learning the video operations, sound and interview skills. They will go location to interview performers, film cover video “b-roll” and learn to set the perfect shot. The class will culminate with the recording of the actual “Oz Alive!” performance. During the post-production part of the workshop, students will learn to edit the footage into a professional production for airing on TV and online.
The “Oz Alive!” performance will be held August 2 at 7 p.m. in the Coronado High School Performing Arts Theater. The production will feature music from the Broadway productions Wicked and The Wiz and feature dance with a contemporary, edgy twist.
“Summer intensives are big business nationally,” explains Wilson. “Coronado has the potential to compete on that level. We’re bringing nationally-renowned artists and choreographers who are redefining the culture of dance right to our doorstep. We hope to be able to build on this program for years to come.”
For registration information, contact Tara Noonan ([email protected], 619-540-4155) or visit www.cosafoundation.org/summer.
The Coronado School of the Arts is a public arts conservatory for high school students that specializes in six performing or visual arts conservatories: Classical and Contemporary Dance, Digital Media, Instrumental Music, Musical Theater and Drama, Technical Theater and Visual Arts. The Foundation’s mission is to secure funds to perpetuate, improve and expand the school’s conservatory programs.
The Coronado Cultural Arts Commission was established by the Coronado City Council in 2011. It is a seven-member commission charged with providing recommendations and taking action to “foster the development and enjoyment of performing, visual, cultural, and other arts in Coronado.” For more information please visit www.coronadoarts.com.
——-
Mary Douglas
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
Have a story you want to share? Contact us.
