Presence: The Winter Session

The Boden Center' 2011/2012 season "Presence" moves into phase two this coming Monday, January 9th. The foundation has been set. The students are beginning to understand the vision of the season's theme and the formation of expression towards that end. It will all come together in magnificent fashion come July. The early indicators from 2 Peek Weeks are amazing. They are doing recital level work now in December. But until then, we work diligently incorporating not only the disciplines of music and dance but the disciplines of life in general, making sure that our artistry never loses touch with the development of our everyday lives.

Admissions: There are limited openings in Ballet4Kidz. Auditions for Modern Dance (Monday Jan. 9th) are more stringent since a student coming in now would be behind the rest of the class. A student with prior experience and a focused commitment can do well in this second semester. First time students are encouraged to wait till September to enroll. While Guitar and Drums have limited openings, we're happy to announce the addition of new Bass guitar faculty. Applied Music continues to be Boden's largest, most affordable group class with plenty of space. Any musician can benefit from AM.

Calendar & Tuition: Due to the holidays that fall during the Winter session (MLK Jr. Day/Presidents Day/Easter), we will run 10 weeks instead and tuition will be adjusted to reflect the shortened session.

For any questions, please feel free to contact our office at Crossroads Tabernacle, Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm.

-JC

Peek Week! Monday, Dec. 12th

That's right. It's Peek Week and you're all invited. Our students have been working hard over the past 12 weeks and it's all coming together for what should be the best recital ever in July. But there is something besides "performance". There is "journey" and this too is something the students want you to experience with them. With every passing week is progress and development. And those movements require celebration. It is "celebration" that not only galvanizes a performing arts community, it also provides strength for the challenges of growth ahead. They can press harder because you have smiled on them and given them your thumbs up to the disciplines within the arts. So while it may just be a small movement for some and significant movement for others, all in all, it needs to be celebrated. Please...join us. Refreshments will be served.

Here's how it goes. Below are the viewing times for each group. Feel free to pick the one that interests you most or stay for as many as you like. They all run approx. 20 minutes.

Creative Movement (ages 3 &4) - 4:20PM

Ballet 4Kidz (ages 5-7) - 5:05PM

Ballet 4Kidz (ages 8-13, Level 1) - 5:50PM

Ballet 4Kidz (ages 8-13, Level 2) - 6:50PM

Modern4Kidz - 7:50PM

Modern Dance* (adults) - 8:40PM

*Because this particular showing is so late, Dunkin' Donuts will be served :-)

Drummers! Get Your Groove On At Boden

Boden is happy to announce, among the many new offerings of the 2011-2012 season, private drum lessons with Joseph Henry Cortese, its President. But can he play? His performance pedigree can be viewed here but he is proud to have graduated from The Percussion Institute of Technology/Musicians Institute in Hollywood (Class of '86). There he studied privately with Jeff Porcaro, Joe Porcaro, Ralph Humphrey, Casey Scheurell, Alex Acuna, Joe Brancato and Maria Maritinez.

Pastor Joe can be frequently heard at Crossroads Tabernacle on various Sunday mornings and the last Sunday night of the month at Audience Of One, a concert series by the performing arts community of Crossroads Tabernacle.

Students will be required to audition and own a drum set. Space is limited.

Applied Music: Because You Asked For It!

When is Boden going to have Applied Music again? That may be the most asked question over the past few years. While everything has a shelf life, it only takes a few minutes to realize that Garage Band and Fruity Loops do not make anyone a true musician. Those programs do help us to cut and paste the ideas of others into something that we might call our own, but that only lasts so long. That self deception is over.

We at Boden have been anxiously awaiting this moment. We knew the world would come full circle and we're here to help. Beginning on Monday, September 19th, Applied Music will return on Monday nights. It's more than a music class. It's a community of musicians including drummers, guitarist, pianists, bassists, woodwinds/brass players and singers who sharpen their skill set in the areas that apply to everyone in music. Here is a course description of what the hottest 60 minutes in Boden looks like:

Applied Music

Harmony & Theory: This session is designed to develop harmonic understanding, which would include a complete study of intervals, chord construction, chord voicing, harmonized scales and modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, Harmonic Minor and Diminished scales within an instrumental application.

Ear Training: Music is really all about hearing. An internal sense of pitch, rhythm, dynamics, etc. You use your ear to recognize notes, intervals, chords, major/minor tonality, scales and so forth. A musical ear is the single most important skill for musicians, but most musicians have poor aural skills because they do not practice ear training. Ear training develops greater musicality, confidence and enjoyment of music. You will experience that a musical ear helps you when you play music, sing, notate, improvise, compose and transcribe. Ear training will give you a better understanding of all the things you are doing with music.

Music Appreciation: Designed to introduce students to a wide variety of musical genres, productions and performances and encourage them to articulate their observations and maybe even present a piece of recorded music to the class and defend it and/or critique it. In addition, music history will be incorporated for the purpose of understanding the development and progression of musical styles and their roots.

Syncopation: A drill class where students learn to read rhythm. Students play several exercises and participate in dictation drills that can help them in sight-reading, regardless of their instrument. The session will also include identifying note names, key signatures, time signatures and rhythms.

Matthew Rushing Returns To Boden Center In A Modern Way

After being away for most of the 2010-2011 season, Matthew Rushing has announced his return to the Bronx and the Boden Center could not be more excited. Matthew has served as the director of dance at Boden for the past six years. But his new appointment as Rehearsal Director for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater caused him to take on new responsibilities and travel assignments that made it impossible for him to remain as regular faculty. But Matthew' presence has never been far, even when he is dancing across the other side of the globe. He continues to counsel and consult via the wonderful means of technology.

During his absence, Boden saw one of its own in Anica Scott Garrel step up to the challenge of a season with no supervising presence in Matthew, only to experience the very theme of the season, inspired by her own journey, called "Grace: The Beauty And Charm of Music & Movement". Anica now moves on to new a growing opportunities with The Disney Company for the 2011-2012 season. We anxiously await her return to Boden as well as she'll be sorely missed.

Matthew Rushing will teach Modern4Kidz (ages 8-12) and Modern Adult class (both by audition only) on Monday nights.

While Matthew remains a world class dancer recognized by the world wide dance community, it humbles us to think that he spends most of his time thinking about this small community called Boden..one that he calls home.

Welcome back Matthew!

Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images Europe

Presence: The 2011-2012 Season

The 2011 Fall/Winter season is just weeks away. The leadership and faculty have been working all summer long, taking a close look at the current program and seeking the consultancy of some of the sharpest minds in the area of arts and community to help us get even better. The results have been enlightening and exciting to say the least. Our desire is to do even more but not without the parallel movement of students and parents alike. So we've designed a mandatory orientation for all applicants to take place on Monday, September 12 (2 appointed times for maximum convenience: 5p.m. & 7p.m.) to bring you all up to speed. We ask that you please call or email us your time slot of choice.

During this orientation we will discuss our new theme, programs/objectives, standards and expectations. In addition, we'll introduce returning faculty & additional support staff that will help us stay connected all year long (in the same spirit as a parent coordinator). We heard your request for that need and we're responding. Finally, we'll answer any of your questions about the new season.

We look forward to seeing all of our returning students and those who are coming for the very first time.

Sincerely,

Joseph Cortese

Grace: July 8th-9th 2011

The 2010-2011 season was dominated by a word. Grace. It's meaning melts the heart and its variations are innumerable. We tasted every kind from grace extended to grace received. And we are celebrating its presence at Boden by centering the entire 2011 recital around it. We hope you will join us on July 8th & 9th and experience this grace.

Jessica Epting & Anica Scott-Garrell are getting the dance department ready with new expressions that are sure to make you leap with joy. Joe Knowles & Phil Hamilton are doing the same on the instrumental side of things. You'll experience the growth of those who have been at it for a while and equally surprised by some new students that have come in with a bang (look for the young woman on guitar that's become quite the new buzz).