School Year Kids Programs: Art, Dance & Theatre

School Year Kids Programs: Art, Dance & Theatre: The North Castle, Bedford and Chappaqua recreation departments offer a host of school year classes in the arts but if you are looking for private lessons or more advanced programs these local studios and stages can take you from pre-K to pre-professional in ballet to hip hop, drawing to Manga animation, acting and musical theatre to animation and cinematography,

ARC Stages, Pleasantville: ARC houses three theatre companies under one roof: a professional theatre company, a community theatre, and an Educational Stage that offers acting, singing, stage dance/combat, technical theatre workshops, and musical theatre programs for pre-K–grade 12. Plus a 24 Hour Musical Workshop where kids write and perform their own musical, adult Improv Comedy Class and Tony-winner Joanna Gleason’s Master Class. (147 Wheeler Ave., Pleasantville, 914.747.6206; www.arcstages.org)

Armonk Center for Dance: Cynthia D’Angelo, who has been with the Armonk Center for Dance for seventeen years became its owner in 2016. She was a soloist for the Albany-Berkshire Ballet, has worked with Bill T. Jones and was an adjunct Professor at the University of Missouri. Armonk Dance offers programs for the recreational dancer to the dancer looking for serious training in Acro, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Boys Hip Hop and Tap. (28 Kaysal Ct., Armonk, 914.273.2623; www.armonkdance.com)

Bedford Arts & Music, Bedford Hills & S. Salem: Susan Lawson’s, Music Together classes at American Gymnastics in Bedford Hills and the South Salem Presbyterian Church is a music and movement program where mother’s bond with their child in musical play! Susan performed on Broadway with Tom Wopat in The City of Angels and toured with Michael Crawford in the Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber. (845.628.0895,  suzanne@bedfordartsmusic.com; www.bedfordartsmusic.com)

Breaking Ground Dance Center, Pleasantville:  Here’s 8,000 square feet of dance studios  in Plasantville. BGD’s programs include Boppin’ Babies, Spin and Sparkle, Beautiful Beginnings, Core and Intensive classes in Acro, Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Pointe and Tap for ages 2-adult. Recitals are held at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. Plus Yoga, MuZe Workout & Saber Guild Empire classes (think Star Wars) for adults. (101 Castleton St., Pleasantville, 914-747-3150; www.breakinggrounddance.com)

Dance Emotions, Chappaqua: Dance classes in Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Tap and Musical Theatre for beginners to advanced, ages 2½–adult. There’s a Company class program for dedicated students and an annual Nutcracker production – auditions required. (75 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua 914.238.8974; www.danceemotions.com)

Edge of Dance, Armonk: The Edge of Dance offers a complete dance curriculum for all ages and abilities. Their newly renovated facility offers dance studios with Harlequin sprung floors with vinyl marley surfaces, shatterproof mirrors, and barres around the perimeter of the studio. They have competitive dance companies and performance groups do their recitals at the White Plains Performing Arts Center.  (100 Business Park Dr., Armonk, 914.305.6706; www.theedgeofdance.com)

Katonah Art Center, Mt. Kisco: Our area’s go to place for art classes offers 182 classes in 34 different visual arts media from Clay to Animation, Drawing and Painting to Digital Photography, Sewing and Fashion Design, 3D Printing, Sculpture, Oils Acrylics and Pastels, Manga (Japanese Cartooning) for ages two through adult. KAC also offers art socials with their popular Kids Pizza & Art nights and adult Mud & Merlot and Pinot & Painting nights. (40 Radio Circle, Mt. Kisco, 914.232.4843; www.katonahartcenter.com)

Kidville, Mt. Kisco: Kidville offers art, dance and music classes for young children new born to age 5. Including My Big Messy Art and My Masterpiece; Ballet Tea Party, Yoga and Zumbini; and Circle and Sing and Rockin’ Railroad. Plus, science and gym classes, birthday parties, camps and a Pre-school Alternative. (145 Kisco Ave., Mt. Kisco, 914.458.1909; www.kidvillemtkisco.com)

Logrea Dance Academy, Ossining: Under the instruction of Beth Fritz-Logrea and Jean Logrea, the Academy dancers have, upon graduation, moved on to prestigious ballet companies including The Stuttgart Ballet, The San Diego Ballet, Ballet Washington, Ballet Charleston, and Ballet Austin. Students from the Academy have received high-ranking status into the best national and international ballet intensives as well as Ivy League colleges. Beth and Jean are also Co-Directors of the Westchester Ballet Company. Plus classes in tap, modern and jazz. (2 Dale Ave., Ossining, 914.941.2939; www.logreadance.com)

Media Arts Lab, Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville: This is the place for future Coppola’s & Scorsese’s. JCB’s Media Arts Lab offers a wide variety of classes for grades 3-12 in cinematic fiction and non-fiction storytelling and related subjects. Lab classes offer hands-on training in animation, cinematography, editing, directing, screenwriting, sound, and production where students make their own films. Plus theory classes on Elements of Film Style, Form and Film Language. (405 Manville Rd., Pleasantville 914.773.7663; www.burnsfilmcenter.org)

Purchase College Youth Program in the Arts: Famous for their extensive Summer Youth & Precollege Programs in the Arts camps for grades 3-12, SUNY Purchase also offers courses and workshops during the school year. High School seniors with a proficiency in English, may also register in college level classes for credit, upon approval of the Purchase College registrar. Their Summer programs range from Acting, Musical Theatre, Singing and Filmmaking, to Architecture, Creative Writing, Songwriting, Journalism, Visual Arts and a host of creative Technology offerings. (735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; 914.251.6000; www.purcase.edu)

Random Farms Kids Theatre, Elmsford: Created in 1995 by Anya Wallach, a 16 year old Greeley HS student, RFKT is the resident Children’s Theater program at the Tarrytown Music Hall. Their popular Workshop Programs for grades 3-8 culminate in a musical theatre production. Auditions are held in February for their large-scale, high-budget, Summer MainStage Productions for grades 3-12. They offer an Edge program for high school and college students, Jelly Beans for K-2, Headshot Day, Industry Showcase auditions for agents/casting directors and private lessons. (77 Executive Blvd, Elmsford, 914.741.1010; www.randomfarms.com)

Standing Ovations Studios, Armonk: Home of the award-winning Lighthouse Youth Theatre, SOS offers private lessons, and acting and dance classes. Their fall and winter/spring musical theatre workshops perform at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. They offer one-week musical theatre summer workshops with staged performances each week, SOS offers programs for pre-K-12. Auditions are required for their Protege Troupe for dedicated students in grades 9-12. (1 Labriola Court, Armonk, 914.741.4205; www.standingovationsstudios.org)

The Pulse Performing Arts Center, Bedford Hills: The go to place in Bedford Hills for instruction in all dance genres from Acro and Ballet, to Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, and Hip-Hop for pre-school through grade 12. Their nationally ranked Competitive Edge troupe is open to all dancers who wish to participate and enters five competitions each year. They also have Company programs that perform at local events including their Tap Orchestra and  Nova Jazz, a selective company that performs at high visibility venues. (196 Rte. 117 Bypass Rd., Bedford Hills 914.241.0200; www.performthepulse.com)

The Steffi Nossen School of Dance, White Plains: The Steffi Nossen Method is an age and developmentally appropriate curriculum that teaches modern dance technique in the form of dances or patterns, rather than repetitive exercises. These patterns become more complex as students’ progress—making it ideal for beginners to pre-professionals. Nossen, an associate of Mark Morris and Alvin Ailey, developed her method in the 1930s. Today her school teaches all dance genres and musical theatre for pre-K to adults, and offers performance groups, pre-professional groups and special needs groups – wheelchairs welcome. (The Music Conservatory of Westchester, 216 Central Ave., White Plains 914.328.1900; www.steffinossen.org)

Westchester Art Studio, Pleasantville: World-renowned artist Alan Reingold teaches step by step techniques in Drawing and Painting for Teens (ages 11-adult). Reingold has over twenty years experience teaching at Parsons School of Design, RISD, and MICA. Amy Shaw, a graphic artist, painter and art teacher introduces students to a wide variety of art styles and techniques in her Kids Create classes (ages 5-10). Both classes are offered as summer camps and Amy Shaw offers a President’s Day workshop.  (Pleasantville Community Synagogue, 219 Bedford Rd., Pleasantville, 914.238.5252; www.westchesterartstudio.com)

Youth Theatre Programs, WPPAC/Westchester Sandbox Theatre, White Plains: The White Plains Performing Arts Center, in partnership with Sandbox Youth Theatre, invites all students in grades 5-12 to audition for their Youth Theatre productions of popular Broadway and off-Broadway musicals. Following a 6-8 week rehearsal period the Youth Theatre stages it’s productions at WPPAC in White Plains. Rehearsals are held at Sand Box Theatre in Mamaroneck. (11 City Place, White Plains, 914.328.1600; wwwwppac.com)

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