THE DEARBORN RECREATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES A SUMMER OF CULTURAL ARTS

Join Dearborn’s Cultural Arts Division for fun and enriching activities that will help make the best of your summer. Whether you enjoy acting, singing, creating art or dancing, the City of Dearborn offers many affordable, enriching possibilities for all ages during the summer season at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center.

Dramatically speaking, there are two opportunities this summer for performing on stage in the Michael A. Guido Theater. From July 14-18, Missoula Children’s Theatre, an internationally acclaimed touring company will be in residence at The Center for one week. Young people (six to 18 years old) can participate in this theater experience which ends with a full production of Hansel and Gretel. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in three special workshops during the residency.

Dearborn Summer Theatre Fest is a new program which is open to individuals of all ages for a summer of theatrical family fun. This summer, Disney’s High School Musical On Stage, directed by Mary Bremer, will be performed in the theater on Friday, Aug. 22 and Saturday, Aug. 23. Auditions are being held at The Center on May 30 and 31 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Rehearsals will begin on June 9.

Dearborn Summer Festival Chorus is open to individuals 16 years and older who love to sing. Under the Artistic Direction of G. Kevin Dewey, the chorus will be featuring Randall Thompson’s Frostiana: Seven Country Songs, a set of seven pieces based on Robert Frost’s poetry. The summer culminates in a concert in the Michael A. Guido Theater on Wednesday, July 23, at 8 p.m.

Creativity flows in summer, so why not have your child participate in our Children’s Summer Art Classes taught by Dearborn Public Schools art teacher Laura Brown. During the week of July 7, two separate art classes will occur at The Center.

Nature and Me will offer young students (four to six years old) the opportunity to work in clay, paint, printmaking and fabric to create artwork inspired by nature.

In “Pop”ular Art, 10 to 13 year-olds will voyage through the world of modern art while learning perspective, color theory and composition. As students explore the artwork of Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, George Segal and Magritte, they will create their own masterpieces using media such as paint, charcoal clay, plaster and ink.

During the week of July 21, seven to nine year-olds will travel Around the World in Four Days. In this class, students will discover the artistic traditions of various cultures while working in media such as pastels, papier-mache, paints and clay. The artwork of each of the three class sections will be on display the last day of class in The Center’s Padzieski Art Gallery.

If your child enjoys creative expression through movement, come join our Children’s DANCE camps for a week-long summer experience, exploring the techniques of ballet, jazz, tap, modern and Hawaiian along with music, dance vocabulary, choreography, anatomy, and mime.

During the week of July 7, two dance camps will be offered. The first camp, geared towards three and four year-olds and their parents, will explore creative movement and ballet through the story of Cinderella.

Participants in the second camp, for those ages nine to 13 years of age, will be exposed to the ballet Giselle during an in-depth exploration of many dance techniques.

During the week of July 21, five and six year-olds will learn various styles of dance through The Nutcracker, while seven and eight year-olds will discover the ballet Copelia.

An Adult Hip Hop Class will be offered on Wednesday evenings beginning on June 11 for ages 14 and up.

For more information and to register for any of these summer programs, contact the Cultural Arts Department box office at 313.943.2354. Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The Center is located at 15801 Michigan Avenue at Greenfield Avenue.