Youthful notes
Broward Center kicks off public arts series
If your New Year’s resolutions include learning a new skill – classes at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts just might help you accomplish that.
Interested in improv? Got a teen yearning to sing like the cast of “Glee”? Through a series of spring courses in the arts, the Rose Miniaci Arts Education Center is offering instruction for all ages.
The center will host a free open house today where guests can participate in miniclasses and meet with teachers before committing to a course.
Family-friendly activities such as face painting and stories by ‘Princess Reads A Lot’ is likely to capture children’s attention. A prize wheel will be spinning all afternoon with a free spring class serving as the top prize.
The open house will also introduce the community to the education department with tours of the Arts Education Center.
Both are fairly recent additions to the Broward Center, said Education Coordinator Jackie Carlson.
“A lot of people don’t know we’re here,” Carlson said. But placing an educational program at the performing arts center makes sense, she said. Musical theater and other stage arts are the center’s specialty.
Although the center’s adult classes have surged in popularity the past few years, the largest segment of its courses are designed for younger ages, said Jan Goodheart, vice president of external affairs. An additonal adult acting course was added this year.
Class size varies depending on the amount of individual attention. An acting class may be as small as 10 students. Teen performing classes may top out at about two dozen.
To introduce the arts at an early age, classes for parents with babies and toddlers are offered.
“We teach parents the skills to share with their kids,” Carlson said.
The performing arts courses finish with a semester showcase to share with friends and family. Others require auditions for classes that are part of ticketed stage shows or community performances.
Occasionally, multiple generations in one family enroll.
“We’ll have a child doing a musical theater class, and the parent takes one, too,” Carlson said. “It’s fun to see.”
The Spring Open House takes place from 12:30 to 4 p.m. today at the Rose Miniaci Arts Education Center, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. For information visit BrowardCenter.org/education or call 954-414-6904.