More Than 1,100 Students Experience
Culture First-Hand During Centre Kids’ Kick-Off Performance

(l to r) Charlie Siemon, Centre for the Arts board member; Boca Raton Mayor Steve Abrams; Kimberly Trombly-Burmeister, Centre for the Arts Director of Programming and Operations; Wendy Larsen, Chair, Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park.

The Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park recently kicked off its popular Centre Kids cultural series with more than 1,100 elementary school kids from 15 different schools in Palm Beach and Broward counties enjoying a performance of “Peter and the Wolf and The Sound Mall” at the Count de Hoernle Amphitheater.

The performance by the Hudson Vagabond Puppets from New York City was the first of four Centre Kids performances scheduled through April 2005.

“Seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces made it all worthwhile,” said Allison Garcia, chair of the Centre Kids Committee and member of the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park board of directors. “There’s nothing like a live performance. It stimulates a child’s imagination. It’s a wonderful learning experience.”

(l to r) Allison Garcia, chair of the Centre Kids Committee and member of the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park board of directors, Ann Kelman, Centre Kids and committee member and Karen Wallach, volunteer.

And it’s good for the schools, too, added co-chair Libby Rombro: “We provide curriculum guides to the classes. It’s more than just a field trip.”

J.C. Mitchell Elementary School teacher Manuel Levin agreed, saying live performances make an indelible impression on children and spark an interest in the participating in music and drama.

“Performances like these inspire kids to pursue the arts,” said Levin. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some of these students in an arts school studying music or theater someday.”

(l to r) Charlotte Robinson, Centre Kids committee member; Boca Raton Mayor Steve Abrams; and Libby Rombro, co-chair of the Centre Kids Committee.

Classes from the Community Child Care Center and S.D. Spady Elementary School in Delray Beach were able to attend through scholarships provided by Office Depot, Inc., which recently signed on as presenting sponsor with a contribution of $80,000 to help provide for performance fees, production costs and publicity for this year’s productions.

Introduced last year, the Centre Kids program was developed to promote the performing arts among pre-schoolers, public and private elementary school students through 12th grade and home-schooled children in Palm Beach and Broward counties. To maximize the educational value of the program, each show has a targeted age group and study guides are provided to teachers when they register to prepare them for each performance. All of the productions are performed by national touring companies.

Children of the Community Child Care Center in Delray Beach attended the recent Centre Kids performance of “Peter and the Wolf and the Sound Mall” through a scholarship provided by Office Depot, Inc., presenting sponsor. The show was the first of four performances presented by the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park at the Count de Hoernle Amphitheater.	Children from S.D. Spady Elementary School in Delray Beach attended the recent Centre Kids performance of “Peter and the Wolf and the Sound Mall” through a scholarship provided by Office Depot, Inc., presenting sponsor. The show was the first of four performances presented by the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park at the Count de Hoernle Amphitheater.

The Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park is inviting teachers from throughout the area to bring their classes. Tickets for each performance are $3 per student or adult. The Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park requires one chaperone for every 10 students attending. There is no charge for the chaperones.

“Scholarships are available for each show and no children have been turned away,” said Garcia.

Advance reservations are required for all performances, which begin at 10 a.m. with pre-show entertainment at 9:30 a.m. All shows are rain or shine and tickets are non-refundable. Tented/covered seating is provided for all Centre Kids programs at the Count de Hoernle Amphitheater.

Following are the three remaining performances scheduled for the 2nd Annual Centre Kids series. Target age ranges are listed, but everyone is encouraged to attend:

• The Snow Girl, performed by the Birmingham Children’s Theatre, on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 at 10 a.m. First Grade through 6th Grade is the target age;
• Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, performed by Theater IV, on Thursday, March 17, 2005 at 10 a.m. with 3rd Grade through 12th as the target age;
• Fly Dance, performed the FLY Dance Company, on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at 10 a.m. Kindergarten through 12th Grade is the target age.

Additional sponsors for this year’s Centre Kids series include the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, Palm Beach County and the JKG Group, which provided printing services for the Centre Kids brochure.

The Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating a cultural heart for the entire South Florida community. For more information about the Centre Kids program or to make reservations for individuals or groups, contact the Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park at 561-368-8445 or visit the web site at www.centre4artsboca.com.