Originally published on 3 April 2018 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
Arcadia High School students will call attention to social issues, including poverty and homelessness, at the Arcadia Poetry Slam which will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, April 29, at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center (APAC).
To benefit Foothill Unity Center, it will also serve as a launching ground for students to get their voices heard. Whitney La Barge, assistant general manager of APAC, coordinates the event with Arcadia High School.
“We want to bring more students into the space,” says La Barge. “Right now we do orchestra, band concerts, dance and theatre shows. Arcadia Poetry Slam gives other students, who wouldn’t otherwise have, the chance to be a part of the center as well as the foundation.”
Anthony Sigman-Lowery, APAC operations manager, says further, “This will be the inaugural Poetry Slam and it’s meant to encourage students to use their voices through poetry. We have a black box with 99 seats: it’s a small intimate environment for students who may have stage fright. What better way to bring students who might not normally be performing here.”
La Barge expounds, “We announced the competition at AHS in mid-March and we’re giving preference to seniors since it’s their last opportunity to do it. We’re also limiting it to 30 students. It’s pretty open in terms of format because we want them to express their creativity. The only restrictions we have are that it is under five minutes long and it has to be school-appropriate so it can’t glorify violence, guns, or drugs. As it is benefiting Foothill Unity Center we’re encouraging students to touch on social issues like homelessness and poverty.”
To get student participation from neighboring schools, La Barge reached out to the English and Drama department teachers and shared the event poster with them.
“It’s an invitational and we’re hoping that each year we’ll have more and more schools involved,” La Barge states. “We definitely want AHS to be well represented because obviously we’re here on campus and we want to serve the school district. As it’s our first time, we’re keeping it small but we eventually want to turn it into an all-day competition.”
“We really wanted to hold this but we don’t know how to judge a poem,” relates Sigman-Lowery. “How do we keep it school appropriate without restricting people’s voices? So we partnered with L.A. Poets Society. They gave us the components by which the poems will be judged – content, stage performance, voice, and diction.”
La Barge adds, “We also asked for a statement from each poet of what they’re trying to accomplish with the piece, what they’re trying to say. The judges will then pick three poets who best accomplished their goal, whose messages came across effectively. For prizes, we’re giving away Beats wireless headphones courtesy of Beats. L.A. Poets Society will award writing journals and feature them in their website under the New Poet Section.”
Arcadia Performing Arts Center | Courtesy photo
APAC and Foothill Unity Center have been community partners for a while according to Sigman-Lowery. He explains, “We started working with Foothill Unity Center with our Sunday with Santa event in December. We collected canned goods and to encourage people to donate, each can served as a raffle ticket to win prizes. We liked working with them and we figured it was a good way of serving the Arcadia community since one of the big goals of the foundation is making art accessible.”
Raina Martinez, Foothill Unity Center’s development and donor relations director, confirms, “APAC’s executive director, Maki Hsieh, wanted to come up with a way to support the center as well as get the community involved, especially the youth. And poetry is popular with young people and is a great way to get their voice out there. We’re making it the thematic concept to incorporate poverty, hunger, and homelessness to bring more awareness about the center and, more importantly, about the issues.
“Our two sites – Pasadena and Monrovia – serve eleven cities in the San Gabriel Valley offering food, temporary shelter, case management, transportation, and vital health services for low income and homeless people. Additionally, we offer job training skills for youth and adults, and an internship program. We have an AmeriCorps program on the site where they can get clerical and warehouse type skills.
“One of the things we do well is developing partnerships. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, we work with other agencies. We connect our clients with other organizations who can provide them assistance. Donations come from everyone in the community – individuals, businesses, churches. It’s neighbors helping neighbors. And volunteers are a big component of our organization – we couldn’t do this without them. Last year we had 40,000 volunteer hours.
“We have two major events during the year. In addition to the regular food services we provide, we have thanksgiving boxes and the Christmas holiday distribution food boxes. For all registered children we have the Holiday Angel program that provides toys and gift items, and a popular Back-to-School event which we do at the Santa Anita Race Track in August. Children from kindergarten through college receive backpacks, school supplies, socks, clothing, haircuts, manicure, health screenings – everything they need to get them ready for school.”
Since its founding in 1980, Foothill Unity Center has remained the primary provider of food, case management/crisis help, and access to healthcare resources for people who are at or below the national poverty level. Each day it lives up to its mission ‘Helping People. Changing Lives.’
Through the Arcadia Poetry Slam local students will bring attention to Foothill Unity Center and the most pressing problems affecting the lives of those around us. It is art galvanizing social activism.
Originally published on 21 February 2018 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
Lunar New Year Production at APAC | Courtesy Photo
At the northwest end of the Arcadia High School (AHS) campus stands the Arcadia Performing Arts Center (APAC), a 40,000 square-foot venue that was funded by Bond Measure 1 which passed in 2006. The $20 million structure opened in 2012 and the non-profit Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation (APAF) was created to maintain and manage it.
It is the hub for Arcadia High School students who are taking courses in the various art offerings. Any time during the day kids can be seen practicing with their band in the parking lot while another group hangs out at the lobby waiting for their rehearsal to begin.
In the evenings APAC is transformed to host performances by renowned American and international artists. The 2017-2018 season, with its slate of 16 productions, draws an audience that comes to Arcadia from different cities in the San Gabriel Valley.
With its state-of-the-art facilities, APAC is an important cultural destination and is the venue for touring artist concerts, recitals, distinguished speakers, special events, and commercial filming. Booked for 257 days of the year, it is the busiest performing arts center in the area, surpassing even that of the Pasadena Playhouse and the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
It is also a youth talent incubator that makes great art accessible, a descriptor that Maki Hsieh, APAF’s Executive Director, would like the APAC to live up to in every sense.
Hsieh, who was installed in January 2017, spent her first hundred days in office doing an assessment analysis. She explains, “I worked from the inside out, meeting with key stakeholders including Arcadia philanthropist Micky Segal, Mayor Peter Amundson, former Mayor Tom Beck, AUSD superintendent David Vannasdall, the PTA president, and every single board member to get their private perspective on how things were going.
Then I met with other community leaders, community partners, guests, and patrons before venturing outward to other people in the industry, like the Association of Performing Art Centers, to see how we compare with them. I spoke with some of our competitors to gauge how we can do better and obtain dominant market share that would, in turn, help us attract donors, funders, and grant makers.
After that 100-day assessment period I decided on what I want APAC to look like as a foundation and determined our place in the region – from the component of the board all the way down to our staff, including their specific titles and compensation structure – by our 10th, 20th, and even 50th anniversary. I presented to the board our vision going forward together with plans for making changes.”
Arcadia Performing Arts Center | Courtesy Photo
When Hsieh speaks with her team she emphasizes the four pillars of a successful organization – people, product, process, and profit. She asserts, “These are not something I made up but came from a quote by Steve Forbes I read a long time ago in the Wall Street Journal. He said there are only three things important in business and those are product, profit, and people. While he made an excellent point, I think he’s got it backwards. I would put people first because they make the product; you have to customize your product around your people. I mean ‘people’ in its broadest sense – your guests, team, board, city, community, and the industry. Then the process has to be solid to have that fulfillment and delivery. The end is the profit and that’s the whole P&L aspect including expenses, operational issues, etc. You can track and calibrate these four components in a very dynamic way in order to succeed. That formula works for any organization from a coffee shop to a major corporation.”
Hsieh’s first year as Executive Director can be defined by the word ‘quality.’ She expounds, “This past year we increased the quality of our product, the front of house, the production understanding, our VIP events. Our VIP hospitality went up 50 percent and ticket sales increased 120 percent within one year. Ticket sales now cover 53 percent of our expenses while the industry average is 38 percent. That says a lot about the team for finding creative ways to cut costs.
We improved the quality of our marketing in the sense that we’re really starting to have a brand. Before we had four shows here and there, almost at random; there was no plan, no story, no infrastructure. Productions cost money to put on so how do you make money when there’s no fundraising or grant program in place? There were so many missing pieces and the quality piece was one of those.
Now we’re showing the community we have a passion for furthering the next generation and the future of the valley. We want to be known as an impact-driven social organization, not just a performance group. We do life-changing work; we’re here to touch every person who comes through our doors.
We’re determined to increase the quality of life of families and children in need. We donate tickets to underserved children so they can come to our shows; we give them raffle tickets to participate so they don’t feel like outsiders.
We’re enhancing the quality of life for seniors. For example there’s a senior center whose residents want to come to our show but they don’t have a driver to take them here every other month. We coordinated with them and offered assistance by providing a driver to drive their vans.
We’re extremely serious about our outreach. Working with Foothill Unity Center, we’re very actively raising awareness on poverty, hunger, and homelessness. We are donating a show to them called Arcadia Poetry Slam on April 8. High school students will compete for prizes.”
Continues Hsieh, “Going into my second year, in addition to quality I want all of us to focus on loyalty. By that I mean high affinity and returning guests. We want our guests to go beyond buying a $10 ticket; we want them to come back and not necessarily for a show. It could be in the form of a donation or support, sponsoring a show for a school.
I spent 80 percent of my time last year on marketing and operations and this year I will devote that time on fundraising, which is tied into loyalty. There’s a large corporation in our town that gives $1,000 for an ad to which they can easily add a couple of zeroes. They were able to do that for an Olympic sponsorship so surely they can invest in our community.
Their donation goes directly to our children. APAC has a $400,000 venue capital need for new microphones, speakers, and lighting which are now falling apart and are put together by duct tape. We also have an Arcadia Children’s Choir which we are ready to launch that gives children an opportunity to perform with a professional orchestra twice a year. And, finally, the school district needs to hire arts teachers from K to 5.
Tied into fundraising is looking for grants which are not easy to get. This year we will be collaborating with Rachel Repko to write grants. With her assistance we will create a grant program that involves getting one gift at a time. We won’t be seeing results right away but we will be increasing perception about the organization until people see that we’re building long-term sustainability.”
Another one of Hsieh’s initiatives is to attract bigger productions. She says, “Our General Manager for Programing and National Sponsors, John Nicholas, headed EMI Sales and Marketing before it was bought out by Universal. He has toured and worked with major artists in the industry including Katy Perry, Pink Floyd, Tears for Fears, and Rolling Stones. He will pitch the idea that APAC is a campus theater, a showcase for students, and serves all the children in the community. He will try to get performers at 50 percent off their price so we can, in turn, offer discounted ticket prices to children. Because he knows the artists, their agents, and managers they will be willing to negotiate with him.”
Hsieh (far left) with (L to R) Christine Lee, APAF board member; Connie Liao; Tim Lee; and Jennifer Yang, APAF board member during the Chinese New Year banquet | Courtesy Photo
All of Hsieh’s efforts are focused on offering children and young people a way to express themselves and gain confidence in their talent. She pronounces, “We were recently nominated for the ‘Make Change Award’ because the core of our work is dedicated to children. Helping children develop their artistic talent and perform at world-class level has always been the heartbeat of the foundation. We encourage the inclusion of arts in children’s daily school activities.
Students in the Arcadia Unified School District are integrated in all our shows. They’re an essential part of the production either as interns or volunteers; they work at the front of the house or as crew. Some of our interns are involved in our marketing process helping with concessions, handing out flyers, putting up posters.
We also provide them with a venue where they can showcase their talent. For the Chris Mann Gala Concert, which officially opened our 2017-2018 season, we integrated 165 students including Orchesis, which is the Arcadia High School (AHS) dance group, the AHS marching band, the AHS advanced orchestra, Arcadia Stage. All the resident youth companies of the center came together and performed at the event. For the Beatles Tribute Concert, held last Saturday, February 17, the Longley Way Elementary School Glee Club was featured alongside a professional tribute band.”
This greater involvement of students in the productions held at APAC is Hsieh’s deliberate effort to prove that the arts are fundamental components of a happy and successful school experience. She relates, “Since I came on board I have learned so much about the community. Arcadia has a 60 percent Asian population and parents want their children to focus on math and science. They send kids to ‘cram school’ to prepare for ACTs, SATs, APs and SAT IIs. Counselors at these schools tell their students they should drop their arts classes to make time for studying to get higher GPAs. They make it sound like arts courses are a waste of time which is simply erroneous.
Now all our shows will be opened by students from one particular school. Parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends can enjoy watching students’ accomplishments. Being on a professional production is something students can put on their resume as they build their portfolio for inclusion in their high school transcript. I want for families to recognize that participation in these events advances their children’s prospects for college and beyond.
But more than simply an entry in a college application, the arts occupy a far greater role. I am a firm believer in the positive impact of the arts in children’s development so much so that I have campaigned for the integration of visual and performance art courses in all the elementary schools in our district.
While the ancient Asian perception still carries on today, I am slowly hoping to change people’s minds about the importance and relevance of the arts in children’s lives. And my agenda is to make parents continue their investment in arts courses for their kids. That while they don’t see it now, their investment will yield positive results and change the perspective in our community.
APAC’s slogan is ‘Coming Together’ to highlight how the arts can be the bond that unites families in our community as it is the glue which connects us with other communities. We have strengthened our relationships with other school districts in the San Gabriel Valley.”
There’s so much going on at APAC it’s a hopping place. What’s surprising about that is Hsieh took the helm at APAF not that long ago. But what a change she’s made in that short time.
Maki Hsieh will debut her ‘New Moon’ album at APAC on March 24 | Courtesy Photo
To say that Hsieh is an overachiever is a colossal understatement. At the age of 15 she debuted at the National Recital Hall for Taiwan’s First Lady. She has also performed for Queen Paolo of Belgium. She was classically-trained at Peabody as violinist, concert pianist, and opera singer who performs in 12 languages.
Hsieh attended the Taipei American School where she earned awards in orchestra, choir, theatre, poetry, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Speechwriting Prize. She went on to Phillips Academy Andover and served as concertmaster of two orchestras and received the Andover Music Prize.
From there Hsieh went to Johns Hopkins University and graduated with a degree in pre-med majoring in Sociology. She won the Hopkins Provost Prize for her research on inner-city youth academic achievement and worked for Al Gore as part of her Hopkins fellowship.
Extending her record of stunning achievements to her professional life, Hsieh was responsible for closing over 6.6 billion in sponsorships, investment banking, and new business development during her 20 years in media, entertainment, and finance industries.
Prior to her leadership of APAF, Hsieh was Executive Director for the private equity company JTN Group. She also had extensive experience in executive communications for the Chairman of the Walt Disney Company, institutional advancement as Director of Development at the Gallo Center for the Arts, and asset management for Fortune 500 corporations including Visa and Deutsche Bank.
A consummate performer, Hsieh made a 2013 Skrillex remix which made number one for five weeks on Los Angles, U.S., and global electronic music charts. She has appeared in a Cannes Film Festival film and in over 300 red carpet events, performing arts centers, festivals, and arenas including the Special Olympics World Games, and singing the National Anthem at a Major League Baseball Division Series televised on FOX Sports Network. Fittingly, she will unveil her album ‘New Moon’ on March 24 at APAC.
Hsieh is propelled with a determination to succeed in her role as overseer of this outstanding organization that is equaled only be her desire to prove that the arts are essential to life. Her mission is to make APAC the home of arts and culture in the San Gabriel Valley. And given her fiery spirit, she will undoubtedly make that happen.
Filled with dance, humor, and soaring songs by Stephen Schwartz (‘Corner of the Sky’, ‘Magic Do’, and ‘Glory’), ‘Pippin’ tells the story of a young person’s journey to find his place in the world. This original production is set with a unique and imaginative steampunk aesthetic, offering a relevant edge and visceral quality that will leave the audience questioning what it truly means to be extraordinary.
Erik Altemus, an OCSA (CSArts-SGV’s sister school) alumnus who was an original cast member of the 2013 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of ‘Pippin’, came on campus during a master class and rehearsals leading up to the show.
It was a significant occasion for all the conservatory students who had the opportunity to hear Altemus speak about his experience auditioning for parts and how he finally realized his passion for the performance arts.
One student for whom Altemus’s words hit home was Christian Dorey, a ninth grader from Covina, who has the role of the leading player. He says, “Back in August when the show was announced during a CSArts-SGV growth retreat, I felt a spark within me. I was quite excited and decided that I wanted to be part of this show. To set myself apart from the other talented people who were also trying out for the same part as I, I practiced my audition song for quite a while – I made sure I was conveying the spirit of the song and staying in the right key.
It was a lucky coincidence that I sang ‘Corner of the Sky’ for a musical revue in middle school. I already knew the story of ‘Pippin’ and its characters, so I felt I already knew the essence of the characters. I also did my research and for my audition I chose the song from a another show choreographed by Bob Fosse.”
“Students went through a separate dancing and singing audition for an amazing casting panel. I chose to do the movement/dance audition first and it was to the opening number of the show, ‘Magic to do’. When I went to the song audition, I sang 16 bars of ‘Willkommen’ from ‘Cabaret’. I got a callback for the role of leading player and all potential candidates sang 16 bars of ‘Simple Joys’. The next day, the cast list was posted and I got an email that I had been chosen for the role I had been hoping for,” states an ecstatic Dorey.
Sierra Madre resident and ninth grader, Jessie Ellico Franks, is playing a starring role in this musical. She echoes what Dorey says, “It was a very well executed process that began with a vocal and dance audition which then moved onto callbacks. They had us read sides for certain characters and, if needed, sing a song from the show. It was nerve-wracking of a good kind and an easy process at the same time.
To prepare for the audition, I searched through repertoire books to see if there was a song that fit a character from the show I was interested in and one that was suitable and showed my voice range and acting abilities. For the dance call, I made sure I was warmed up and calm. And I made sure I had a water bottle with me!”
The choice of ‘Pippin’ came about intentionally. Explains Jay Wallace, CSArts-SGV’s Chair of Theatre, “Selecting the inaugural musical for our school was quite the deliberation. There were many considerations. We certainly wanted to mount a production that would set us apart from many traditional high schools. But, we needed to make sure that the show would be accessible to our student body, as well as accommodating to our current talent pool.
I wanted something with a bit of flare and energy. And something with an undercurrent of substance and carries a level of relevance. ‘Pippin’ provides so many creative opportunities. To a certain extent, it is a blank canvas. This show allows us to craft our own unique impression and perspective of the universal story of the search for one’s voice and purpose in life.
‘Pippin’ also allowed us the chance to provide multiple performance opportunities for singers, dancers, and actors. It is truly an ensemble production and that was an important priority. I was not looking for a star vehicle for our first production.”
CSArts-SGV students in formation during “Pippin” rehearsal | Courtesy Photo
This reasoning is a reflection of the school’s mission. Wallace states, “As Chair of Theatre, I lead the Acting and Musical Theatre Conservatories. Collectively, we are an ensemble of creative, empathetic, and collaborative storytellers growing together as artists and individuals. Empowered through musical expression and dynamic storytelling, our collaborative and goal-oriented performers will excel as professionals on stage and screen and impact society as innovative, passionate leaders. Culture is the highest priority and provides a challenging but nurturing environment for students to find their creative voice, build self-confidence, and develop into exceptional performers.”
Accomplishing its lofty objective requires a daily regimen for its students to adhere to – a full day of academic courses followed by two Conservatory courses. Acting and Musical Theatre students take four courses in their field of study per semester. They are also enrolled in year-round Acting Technique classes. Musical Theatre students attend a year-round Musical Theatre Repertoire and Technique course.
Additionally, there are classes that provide diverse opportunities for students to explore and develop specific skill sets. They get the chance to work with high echelon Master Artists who visit CSArts-SGV conservatories to inspire the next generation of artists. Students involved in a main-stage performance rehearse each evening until 8:30. A typical rehearsal production process lasts six to eight weeks that culminates in a presentation of their work for audiences.
This combination of a disciplined artistic program and rigorous academic schedule necessitates a balancing act for students. As Franks explains, “Quite a few people who aren’t aware of how conservatory-type schools work have asked me how I do it. And my answer is ‘motivation.’ If I don’t do well academically, I will not be able to take part in events that involve my art within my school. I am for my art, so I want to be a part of it as much as I possibly can.
I would like to attend a college in the future and high grades will help in that goal. So that motivates me to get my work done on time, to make sure it is executed in a way that shows my knowledge of the subject, and the end-product is something I am proud of.”
“My hope is that this school betters me both as a performer and a human being. The classes I am taking have already taught me so much about my craft – some information might have been things I had already learned but some are completely new – and I want to keep learning more!
So far this school is a dream come true for me. And while there are a few things which could be better, one has to make allowances for the fact that it is a brand-new school and it needs time to hit its stride. I hope good things are yet to come. But as long as I leave senior year proud of the work I produced and the performer I have become, I’ll be as happy as a dog with a bone!,” Franks concludes.
Dorey offers another aspect to the CSArts-SGV experience, “The teachers are extremely understanding of our busy schedules. They recognize the extent of my involvement not only in my conservatory classes but also in the musical production and in the performing group, FUSION. They have given me extended times to turn in and finish assignments.
I am very happy with what I have accomplished, so far. I have the most amazing teachers who are focused on what we are doing and who see our passion. They realize that this is what we want to do. But I’m still awestruck at the amount of time into what they’re doing with us. They truly want to not only make us into the best performers but the best people we can be.”
“There is a big emphasis on acceptance at CSArts-SGV,” Dorey says further. “The thing I love is that they don’t pick favorites here. All of us are treated equally as people and as performers. It is an environment that allows us to find ourselves.”
Christian Dorey, leading player, during rehearsal | Courtesy Photo
Lily Annino, an 11th grader from Arcadia, is a Musical Theatre student and assistant to the creative team. She has learned how to navigate this world, “I utilize office hours – 30 minutes between academic and conservatory hours – a lot. Sometimes I use my lunch time to finish work. I make sure to get all homework done the evening it’s assigned so I don’t have to worry about it on a day with different blocks.”
“I like what I’ve seen and done at CSArts-SGV,” appraises Annino. “There are so many very hard-working, professional students who are determined to make their experiences at this school matter. I expect that I will leave school fully prepared to audition for professional theatre companies and productions. And in the long run, help me grow into a well-rounded and professional individual.”
It certainly looks like Annino has already made a positive impact. Wallace describes her as “offering ideas, dictating notes, and generally bringing a wonderful spirit to the room.”
That is quite a validation coming from Wallace, who has spent the past 12 years working alongside the directors of the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) Acting and Musical Theatre Conservatories. Widely recognized as a leading school for the arts, whose alumni have gone on to achieve great fame on Broadway, television and in films, OCSA opened a sister school in the San Gabriel Valley to give the same opportunities to students in the region who are passionate in the arts.
“OCSA provides an excellent foundational model to align our programs after,” Wallace declares. “We share similarities in relation to curricular offerings. Each Conservatory proffers a comprehensive and progressive program designed to provide training in the specific areas of focus related to either Musical Theatre of Acting. We are looking to produce versatile, balanced, and informed young artists in these two fields of interest.
However, we are also striving to create our own CSArts-SGV Musical Theatre and Acting Conservatory identities. This will be crafted through our cultural approach as well as our production selections.
Through our production of ‘Pippin,’ we are establishing our own specific aesthetic by looking at the story stylistically through the lens of Steampunk. Our inaugural Acting Conservatory show was ‘The Yellow Boat,’ a powerful, dramatic piece based on a true story that carries a message with significant social impact.
It’s important to me that we create a healthy balance between entertainment and content that is socially aware. Likewise, it’s imperative that students are exposed to a wide variety of styles, genres, playwrights, and composers.”
The school location also provides a different atmosphere. States Wallace, “OCSA’s campus is in a much more urban environment. There is also a bit more sophistication due to longevity. CSArts-SGV’s locale tends to be a bit edgier and energetic while having a more traditional campus setting. Both campuses thrive off passion for the arts and a desire to achieve excellence. As our conservatories evolve, the sophistication will take hold.”
Wallace asserts, “We expect our Musical Theatre and Acting Conservatory students to be their best each day. We are an ensemble growing together as artists and individuals. We must always be prepared, be willing to take risks in our work, support one another, and value each opportunity. This is just the beginning of the journey. But, I look forward to seeing every one of these young artists to achieve their true potential.”
Those confident words are a source of inspiration for Annino, Dorsey, and Franks. They are an assurance that through their individual hard work and concerted efforts they will one day realize their dreams. Aspiring to greatness is, after all, what compels everyone to do their best.
Originally published om 5 September 2017 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly
DIAVOLO, fresh from its performances on NBC’s ‘America’s Got Talent’, makes its high-energy Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley debut at Arcadia’s Performing Arts Center on September 23, 2017 from 7:30 – 9:00 pm.
Featured during this maiden show is DIAVOLO’s groundbreaking masterpiece, ‘Trajectoire’, which will be seen in its entirety for the first time on the West Coast this year. Also performing on the stage are students of Arcadia High School’s ‘Orchesis’ and the Dance Conservatory of Pasadena.
This electrifying event is being presented by Jennifer Cheng, Artistic Director of the Dance Conservatory of Pasadena and Executive Director of DIAVOLO, and the Cheng Family Foundation.
“Jacques Heim, DIAVOLO’s Creative Director, and I wanted to bring the Aesthetic of Architecture in Motion to Dance Conservatory of Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley,” states Cheng. “Dance in Los Angeles is experiencing tremendous growth; L.A. is fast becoming a new and exciting center for this art form in the world. We want to share this extraordinary new phase in dance to Pasadena, Arcadia, and all of San Gabriel Valley.”
Cheng’s lifelong passion is dance. Growing up in Pasadena, she started ballet at the age of five with Yvonne Cusack. She then trained with Stanley Holden as one of his first students at the Music Center in Los Angeles and then later at his dance studio in West Los Angeles.
When she was 15 years old, Cheng received her Advanced Certificate from the Royal Academy of Dancing. She was also the recipient of the Ford Scholarship for the School of American Ballet. As a young dancer, she performed with Rudolf Nureyev and the Australian Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet, as well as dancing on various television shows like the ‘Brady Bunch’ and ‘The Odd Couple’.
However, Cheng’s parents didn’t want her to have the life of a dancer – eking out an existence in New York City, trying to find a job that was difficult to come by. So she attended Pomona College where she received her bachelor’s degree in art history. She then earned a law degree from UC Davis School of Law, and an MBA from UC Irvine School of Management.
Cheng went on to practice law but the dream of being in the dance world stayed with her all these years. In 2011 she quit the law profession and founded the Dance Conservatory of Pasadena (DCP) on Waverly Drive. Its mission is to provide the highest technical and artistic level of instruction for students to pursue careers as dancers, with an emphasis on offering performance opportunities.
“We started six years ago with just two teachers and grew pretty fast – we now have four studios and over 200 students,” Cheng describes. “Our classes are divided into the children division for three through nine years old; pre-professionals are 9 years to 18 years old; and advanced ballet for adults. Sessions are held after 3:00 from Monday to Friday and on Saturday. Adult lessons are held mornings from Monday to Thursday and Saturday morning.
My students perform and compete as well. We just finished the second year of competition and we won first place at the semifinals at Youth American Grand Prix in San Diego, which automatically qualifies us for the New York City finals.”
Adds Cheng, “While I established DCP primarily as a ballet school, we realized contemporary dance is an important component of one’s dance education to make it as a professional performer. I brought in DIAVOLO to DCP’s studio, and that enabled us offer two levels of contemporary dance courses.
DIAVOLO is recognized as a contemporary and physical movement dance company. We’ve been in existence for 25 years and are known all over the world. In February 2018, we’ll be performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., then touring the United States and internationally.”
DIAVOLO’s “In Flight” | Courtesy Photo
Established in 1992 by French-born choreographer and visionary Jacques Heim, DIAVOLO reinvents dance and reimagines theatre to create genre-bending stage performances with striking set pieces. It is a cultural pillar of the Los Angeles community and has performed for hundreds of thousands of concertgoers worldwide and for millions on television.
“My students at DCP perform twice a year and we do a summer program,” discloses Cheng. “We’ve presented ‘The Nutcracker’ as a full production ballet with 100 students participating. We needed a professional venue which can accommodate a large number of performers and I discovered the Arcadia Performing Arts Center where we’ve performed it for two years now.
I personally think that there is no major dance, music, and media center in the San Gabriel Valley. Most performing arts events happen at the Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills or the Broad Stage in Santa Monica and stop at downtown Los Angeles. This year I met with a couple of PAC’s board members and told them I believe this theater should serve as the center of performing arts in this area.”
Cheng’s involvement with DIAVOLO led her to organize events where her students will be performing its dance style; DIAVOLO’s debut at PAC is the result of that collaboration. And because PAC is on the Arcadia High School (AHS) campus, she thought it makes perfect sense to invite AHS’s dance company, ‘Orchesis’, to perform as well.
Robyn O’Dell, dance teacher at AHS, says, “Orchesis is the advanced level dance course at AHS. It is an art elective class for 10th to 12th graders and I currently have 30 students. We hold four performances on campus and we go to different events and festivals. Our biggest shows are Homecoming, the December Holiday program, and the spring dance production held in April.”
Continues O’Dell, “I teach a variety of dance techniques including contemporary, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, and modern. Each year we bring a cultural style so students learn hula and Bollywood. For our main show, which we gear up for every year, we perform 24 dances in an array of different styles and we bring in professional choreographers to work with the girls.”
“Ten of my students are working with DIAVOLO. It’s a volunteer course, they rehearse after classes, and they don’t get grade credit,” O’Dell declares.
The Arcadia Performing Arts Center, one of San Gabriel’s Valley’s premier arts and entertainment venue, is a cultural destination and youth talent incubator that makes great art accessible to all. Featuring a 1,163-seat main stage and black box theatre, this state-of-the art professional venue reaffirms the district’s 66-year legacy of arts excellence. AHS alums include Stevie Nicks, Van Halen’s Michael Anthony Sobolewski, NFL Hall of Famer marching band member Bruce Matthews, and Emmy award-winning producer of ‘The Voice’ Barton Kimball.
Maki Hsieh, Executive Director of PAC, pronounces, “It is the Center’s privilege to host world-class treasure DIAVOLO which exemplifies integrity of artistic vision through the creative direction of Jacques Heim, and the executive leadership of Jennifer Cheng. DIAVOLO’s infusion of power, precision, and passion in their groundbreaking performances, integration of up-and-coming artists, and global expansion are aligned with our Center’s focus on next-level immersive programing, and on advancing arts education in our new generation of cultural ambassadors.”
Ticket prices to the performance range from $15 to VIP $70; VIP Red Carpet is from 5:00 to 7:00 with appetizers, music, after-show meet-and-greet; and season passes at $10 – $45.
For Cheng, the event marks a step in the right direction for her, “I wanted to continue my passion and fulfil my dream. I can’t be a dancer, but I certainly can bring dance to Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley and to the United States, through DIAVOLO.”
A San Gabriel Valley Inquirer 