Category: Dance

Diversity Family Concert, Sunday, September 24

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date September 6, 2017

The entire family is sure to enjoy this concert celebrating diversity and nature featuring Mason’s Wind Symphony led by Prof. Mark Camphouse. Highlights include narrators from Acting For Young People, a 5th grade guest ‘Maestro’ from Potomac Arts Academy, and the premiere of Mason Grad. Student Composer MJ Halco’s ballet “Together, Triumphant!”

WHAT: Diversity – A Gift of Nature Family Concert
WHEN: Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 3 PM
WHERE: Center for the Arts at Mason in Fairfax See Map
COST: $5 Youth, $10 Adults, $5 Seniors
PARKING: Free parking in Lot K, or $8 in Mason Pond Parking Deck

Presented together by Mason’s School of Music and Potomac Arts Academy, this special Family Concert will include:

Musical performances from the Mason Wind Symphony, conducted by Professor Mark Camphouse (including Camphouse’s original work Yosemite Autumn)
A special guest conducting from Bailey Pavitt-Graff, a 5th Grade music student attending Mason’s Potomac Arts Academy
A special piece titled “We, The People” narrated by young students from Acting For Young People, the Academy’s theater division
The world premiere of “Together, Triumphant”, a collaborative ballet composition by Mason Composition Graduate student MJ Halco which includes select dancers and choreographers from Mason’s School of Dance, visual art scenes from Potomac Arts Academy instructor Nathan Loda, and narrative by Acting For Young People’s Zachary Wilcox.

Let’s all come together to support diversity in our community and enjoy an incredible afternoon of music and the arts!

GET TICKETS THROUGH THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

School groups – contact Mason’s Potomac Arts Academy for special offers! Call 703-993-9889.

Family Concert Flier

Acting Dance Events Music

“The Soldier’s Tale” Special Concert June 29th

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date June 23, 2017

You are invited to a FREE concert at the NOVA Annandale Campus on Thursday, June 29th, as a wonderful cast of performers – including several Mason professors and Potomac Arts Academy instructors – present Igor Stravinksy’s “L’histoire du soldat” (“The Soldier’s Tale”).

WHEN: Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 8 PM
WHERE: Ernst Cultural Center on NOVA Annandale Campus See Map
COST: FREE and open to the public
PARKING: Free parking in the “B” lots on campus

The concert is performed by seven musicians, two actors (a soldier and the devil), a narrator, and a dancer. The story is about a soldier who makes a deal with the devil…he trades his violin for a magic book that it supposed to bring infinite wealth. After the trade, the soldier realizes this was a mistake and he tries to get his violin back. He encounters many interesting adventures during the performance as he tries to defeat the devil’s enchantment.

Performers names in The Soldier's Tale

This program is presented by the Northern Virginia Community College. For more information, please contact Lisa Eckstein at leckstein@nvcc.edu .

Acting Art Dance Film & Video Music

Helpful Tools For Summer Camp Schedules

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date February 3, 2017

Filling your child’s summer with imaginative and educational summer programs is a rewarding task, but it can also be a bit hectic. Pouring over program information, family calendars – not to mention the financial budget – can get overwhelming. We have a few handy tools to help you navigate our many creative offerings.

FILTER BY AGE
Why sift through teen programs for your 10 year old? Cut to the chase, and use our “Summer Camps By Age” webpage. All you have to do is select the age your child will be when summer hits, and you will be guided to an age-specific selection of summer programs.
See Summer Camps by Age

FILTER BY CALENDAR WEEK
Why get excited about a program if it happens during a week you will be on vacation? If you know which weeks on the calendar you will be available, use our “Summer Arts Calendar 2017” to see which programs are available for specific weeks.
See Summer Arts Calendar 2017

FLIP THROUGH OUR CATALOG
Our colorful “Summer Arts at Mason” catalog is a great tool to visually take in all of our different programs, where you will find our five “categories” (Acting, Music, Film, Art and Photo) color-coded for your convenience. We have an animated digital version (be sure to have your audio on to hear the pages “flip”!) or you can request to have a hard copy mailed to you by emailing the Academy at potomac@gmu.edu .
See Summer Arts Catalog 2017 Online

We hope that these tools and resources make your summer planning a little easier. We would love to have your family participate in these great arts-based learning experiences at George Mason University this summer!

SEE FULL SUMMER PROGRAM LIST

Acting Announcements Art Dance Film & Video Music

Summer Planning Just Got Easier

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date March 25, 2016

Managing and coordinating your family’s summer calendar can be nothing short of Olympic! We hope that our helpful new “Summer Arts Calendar 2016” tool will assist you. It breaks down which summer programs are running each week.

Summer Arts Calendar 2016

Most of our programs are one-week camps, but there are exceptions. Please take special note of any two-week (or more) program dates. The majority of our programs are also “full day” camps (meaning 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 / 4:00 p.m.), but again there are exceptions. Please take note of any “half day” (or extended) program times.

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As a reminder, we also have a handy “Summer Camps By Age” listing, where you can simply click on the age your child will be when summer arrives to see which specific programs are available to him/her.

See “Summer Camps By Age” Page

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If you still have further questions, or just need some advice, don’t hesitate to email or call the Academy staff.
Email: potomac@gmu.edu
Phone: 703-993-9889

Happy planning!!

SEE FULL SUMMER CAMP LIST

Dance

Testimonies from SummerDance Students

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date March 4, 2016

The evidence is in – SummerDance delivers! Recently, four former SummerDance participants revealed to Director Karen Reedy how their experiences with the program transformed their lives and helped them navigate their higher education decisions.

“The summer dance program played a huge role in deciding which direction I wanted to take my future; I wouldn’t be as comfortable pursuing a BFA if I hadn’t had previous experience taking the same classes I take now during the intensive,” said current Mason Dance sophomore Sydney Gorena. “The summer dance program offered me a safe and positive space to explore several different techniques that challenged my body and mind.”

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“Summer dance at Mason was an incredibly helpful experience to have had when making my decision for where to attend college,” said current Dance Major Beth Whelan. “The faculty at Summer Dance were enthusiastic, creative, and helped every dancer push their limits. After two weeks of dancing with Mason, I felt I had a good feel for the company as a whole and was inspired by the work ethic and prestige that was expected. My experience was challenging, motivating and a great way to cultivate not only my technique but my artistry before coming into the college scene. Summer Dance at Mason made me certain that I wanted to spend the next four years dancing here and I have not regretted my choice for one second!”

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“I would say that the biggest take away from the Mason Summer Dance program was not only being challenged technically and pushed out of my comfort zone, but also being surrounded by so many dedicated peers,” said Mason Dance student Tori Gray. “The positivity that surged throughout the participants was beyond powerful and gave me a glimpse of what the dance world is truly like. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that I made lasting friendships at the Mason Summer Dance program.”

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SummerDance alum Casey Landon, currently a Dance Major at Point Park University, summed it up like this: “I cannot thank you enough for teaching me so much about musicality and stage presence. Memories with you are ones I will never forget.”

This year’s SummerDance program is July 10-24, 2016. Applications with a $250 deposit* are being accepted now! If accepted, full tuition cost is $1,350 (includes deposit) plus $1,125 for Room & Board (which the majority of participants choose, as activities go from morning until night). Activities focus on ballet, repertory, modern and conditioning, plus students will each produce a solo audition DVD. The two-week intensive culminates in a student public performance in one of Mason’s professional theaters!

Reedy “While the snow is still falling and the temperatures are brisk, we are excitingly looking forward to July at Mason!” says SummerDance 2016 Director Karen Reedy. “Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about our program.”
Email: artofit@gmu.edu

GO TO SUMMERDANCE WEBPAGE

SEE ALL SUMMER ARTS PROGRAMS

Acting Announcements Art Dance Film & Video Music

Summer Is In The Air (No, Really!)

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date January 29, 2016

It may be wintry and snow-clad outside, but Summer is on our brain around here. We have posted our Summer Arts at Mason camp line-up and are taking registrations. Our popular programs start filling quickly, so get a headstart on your summer planning!

We have weekly camps running from end of June through mid-August. The majority of our camps are full-day programs (9am-3/4pm), with some exceptions. A selection of our programs now have a new overnight Residential option, where older kids can stay in the campus dorms and enjoy special evening activities.

Check out this photo slideshow from the 2014 Composition & Songwriting Workshops:

Reserve your spot today! You can also take advantage of our Split Payment option during registration – pay half when you enroll, and the other half won’t be charged until June 1st.

SEE FULL LIST OF SUMMER PROGRAMS

Overwhelming to look through? Check out our handy “Camps-By-Age” tool!

Acting Announcements Art Dance Film & Video Music

Summer Arts at Mason 2016

Post author By Matt Geske
Post date January 22, 2016

With programs starting from age 4 all the way to 18, Summer Arts at Mason is sure to have something for your whole family. Fill your summer with acting, music, computer game design, visual art, filmmaking, and more!

Our summer programs begin at the end of June and continue through mid August, with multiple programs running each week. Camps are generally one to two week, full day programs (with some exceptions). Certain programs also have a residential/ overnight option. The majority of our summer programs take place at the George Mason University Fairfax Campus and Potomac Arts Academy Fairfax locations.

SEE FULL LIST OF 2016 SUMMER PROGRAMS

Full color summer catalogs are available upon request. Please send your name and mailing address to potomac@gmu.edu .

We also have a helpful Summer Camps by Age tool to help you find possible activities for your child(ren) quickly.
See List of Summer Camps by Age

Get a headstart on your summer planning now!