HUNTER – Nestled in the heart of the Catskills lies an epicenter of art and creation, the Catskill Mountain Foundation. Purveyors of art, dance, music, and theater, CMF is proud to present their returning Youth Summer Programming. Comprised of the Sugar Maples Center for Creative Art’s Art Explorers program, the Maude Adams Theater Hub’s Theater Explorers, Groundwork Residency in association with Orpheum Dance Program, and the ODP itself; there is no shortage of creative outlets for children on the mountain top.
The Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts is run by Kulvinder Kaur Dhew, who incorporates the abundant nature around the property into her programming. The summer youth program, ‘Art Explorers: Look, Listen, and Land’ teaches children how to respect and admire the natural world around us, and how to imbue it into creative expression. From the microscopic, to tangible flora and fauna around us, and even the ancient worlds of trees and mountains, nothing is out of bounds for CMF’s experienced programmers. Open to ages 5 - 14 and running July 23 through August 10, this summer is certain to be a colorful one.
Hosted at both the Doctorow Center for the Arts, and the Orpheum Performing Arts Center, the Maude Adams Theater Hub returns with their Theater Explorers. This year's theme? “Fables of Fame and Infamy!”. This year, like last, will have two sessions open to different age groups. The first session, open to ages 9 - 13, runs the first week of August, and will focus on a broad and exciting range of theater arts, and culminates with an original piece of theater that is written, directed, and performed by the students! The second session, running August 10 through the 14th, will be open to kids aged 12 - 15 and will have a more intense and focused nature. There are volunteer counselor positions open for teens, as well as scholarship opportunities available, so anyone interested can come and “Break a Leg” with us!
Groundwork Residency, in association with the Orpheum Dance Program, is a two-week adventure centering around creativity and self-expression through various dance disciplines. Join choreographer Laura Coe for her morning technique classes focused on contemporary and hip hop, for the afternoon choreography lessons, or maybe just to have fun! Here, the students will learn a full range of dance styles and techniques. They’ll even get the chance to perform on the cavernous Orpheum stage, right on Main Street, Tannersville. Open to ages 9 and up, this program will run from July 16 - July 17.
Orpheum Dance Program summer classes return to the Red Barn in Hunter under the direction of Victoria Rinaldi, a former ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. This year’s dance program is open to all regardless of dance or ballet experience, and offers classes for everyone willing to learn and who are open to exploration through movement. From basic and pre-ballet for ages 5 - 6, to advanced en pointe for all ages, students will receive the highest quality of ballet instruction. Students are eligible to audition for the new Orpheum Dance Program production of Cinderella to be performed at the Orpheum Performing Arts Center August 1 - 2.
For inquiries regarding scholarships, volunteer and counselor opportunities, registration, and any other program information, please visit www.catskillmtn.org or call +1 (518) 263-2001
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About Catskill Mountain Foundation
The Catskill Mountain Foundation’s (CMF) aim is to provide educational opportunities in the arts for youth and lifelong learners, to bring the experience of the arts to the Catskill community, and to support artists and art organizations in the development of their work through residencies. Since its founding in 1998, CMF has presented hundreds of music, dance, and theater performances; screened over 1,000 films to tens of thousands of audience members; provided studio arts classes to thousands of students of all ages; and served thousands of art-loving patrons in the Catskill Mountain Foundation Gift Shop. The Catskill Mountain Foundation operates the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter, the Orpheum Performing Arts Center in Tannersville, and the Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts in Maplecrest, NY.
Since 1998, CMF has raised, generated, and invested close to $16 million in facility development and an excess of $42 million in programming operations, for a total investment in the Catskill community of over $58 million. Catskill Mountain Foundation is supported in part by New York State Council on the Arts, the Greene County Cultural Fund administered by the Greene County Legislature, The Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, The Royce Family Foundation, The Samuel and Esther Doctorow Fund, The Orville and Ethel Slutzky Family Foundation, Platte Clove Bruderhof Community, Bank of Greene County Charitable Foundation, The Greene County Youth Bureau, Marshall & Sterling Insurance, All Souls’ Church, Stewarts Shops, Windham Foundation, and by private donations. CMF believes that the arts can transform the lives of those touched by it and can transform the community. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.