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• PRIME TIME SUMMER ARTS SHOW (July 15, 2011) ON MONTCLAIR TV34! - Click The Link Below To View It!

http://origin.peg.tv/pegtv_player?id=T01411&video=25246

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• Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts (SMAPA) will be accepting scholarship (tuition assistance) applications for the fall semester. Applications will be accepted through August 20, 2011 and all recipients will be notified before the start of classes. Preschool (Ages 2-5), junior (ages 6-11) and prep division (ages 12-18) students are eligible to apply. Fall semester begins Monday September 12, 2011.

• To obtain a scholarship application form go to our forms page and download and complete our application.

• SMAPA Awarded a Total of $70,000 in Grant Funds! - Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts (SMAPA) was awarded a $35,000 grant from the Geraldine R, Dodge Foundation in support of a dance residency in ten elementary schools in the East Orange School District. In addition, the Victoria Foundation has also awarded SMAPA a $30,000 grant with an additional $5000 challenge component in support of a yearlong residency in Newark’s Quitman Street Community School. If SMAPA is able raise a total of $5000 through new donations, the Victoria Foundation will match that amount with an additional $5000. SMAPA programs not only enrich children’s lives through dance but also reinforce learning and are designed to integrate and reinforce academics. With the support of foundations such as Dodge and Victoria, SMAPA can continue providing teaching artists and teaching concepts that educate, stimulate and motivate our children toward critical, reflective thinking and a love of learning.

• Good News! SMAPA, once again, is the recipient of a $25K grant from the Stone Foundation in support of the Performance Workshop Ensemble. This grant will allow us to continue the work we have begun with these talented young dancers and to increase the outreach to recruit new members. In particular we hope to have a Boys Only Ballet class on Saturdays beginning in the fall that will be by audition and be free for all those boys 8 & up who are selected.

• SMAPA was awarded a $35K grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation in support of its East Orange Public School initiative. SMAPA is currently providing 5 master dance classes from March to June to every 3rd grader in all ten elementary schools in the district. This initiative was made possible by stimulus funds designated by the district board for this specific purpose. The Dodge grant will help make it possible to increase the number of children served to include 1st, 3rd and 5th grades.

• This comes on the heels of drastic budget cuts which prompted the Montclair School district to discontinue all SMAPA provided dance programs from next year‚s curriculum. Although these programs at the Renaissance School and four of the five elementary schools were quite successful, no funds were available to continue them. But, as the Montclair program ends, the East Orange program begins. One door closes and another opens.

• We would like to welcome several new teachers to our roster – Jennifer Manino, our new ballet/pointe teacher comes from New York City and is delighted to join the SMAPA faculty. She will also be teaching a pre-ballet class and Dance With Me (our mommy & me class).

• We have to say good-bye to one of our dearest ballet teachers who is leaving to get married…so sadly we say good-bye to Suzy Borden, but we wish her all the best in her new life!

• Coming this summer will be several more new teachers who will continue in the fall. Erin Burton will be teaching Ballet. Charis Moses will also be teaching ballet and in the fall will also teach her specialty class “Turns, Tricks and Leaps”. And last but not least, Donna Murray will join our faculty to head up our Prep Division and teach Modern, Contemporary Modern Jazz, and Composition (Choreography) class.

• Despite these challenging times, the arts continue to survive. We are sincerely grateful for your continued support!!