A Shakespearean Sonnet for Bode Miller by Angelina

 Angelina was inspired by her favorite Olympic athlete, Bode Miller, to write the Shakespearean sonnet that won the Hope Academy sonnet writing contest. Congratulations, Angelina!

 A Sonnet for Bode  by Angelina

Some know him as the fastest man on snow

Bode, the commonly alluded name
The Silver Metal champion we know

Going for gold in the Vancouver games

Such as the impression of his skis

he found his life escalating downhill

Sasha Rearick took the dream he had seized

For he was partying instead of drills

With his spot on the Olympic team gone

Sasha awards Bode a second chance

His love for skiing still continued on

from there he has done nothing but advance

Undisputedly the best on the team

Bode will never give up on his dream

Carnival!

We came... we ate... we danced... we limbo-ed... we dressed in funny costumes and hats... we partied last night and celebrated a belated Carnival/Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras. Thanks to ELPC's Worship, Music and the Arts Committee for a fantastic evening. And to the hearty souls who were determined not to let a little snow stop them from having a good time. Check out more photos here.

SAT February 27 - WE'RE OPEN

Yes, we are open today with classes and private lessons as usual (unless something changes, weather-wise -- check back later for updates). Six inches is nothing!

FRI February 26 - Classes and Private Lessons Cancelled

Fountain East Liberty Presbyterian Church
Saturday, Feb 6 - First day of Snow 2010 

Twenty days of snow, sleet, wind, rain, shoveling, salting, no parking, school closings and rescheduling... it seems as if it will never end. Once again, classes and private lessons are canceled for today. Stay safe and warm. Memorize your lines, practice your music, write a song or a sonnet. Make something. See you all tomorrow (hopefully).

Mardi Gras/Carnival this Saturday!

Thaw out with us this Saturday at our Hot, Hot, Hot Carnival -- rescheduled from two weeks ago and better late than never!

Carnival fun and frolic will be had by all as we transform the Social Hall into an island paradise. Dress in your most colorful outfit showing off your warm-weather island wardrobe -- ditch the down coat and dig out your favorite shorts, flip flops and Hawaiian shirts -- and enjoy dinner with a kid-friendly menu and some tasty Caribbean treats.  Entertainment includes a live steel drum band performing authentic Soul-Calypso (Soca) music.  Start limbering up for a Limbo contest (really, how low can you go?) plus crafts and activities for kids of all ages. Last year's Mardi Gras queen, Charlotte, in her German Fasching costume pictured above. More photos of last year's Mardi Gras here.

SAT February 27 at 4:30 pm (dinner will be served at 5:15)

Social Hall of East Liberty Presbyterian Church

Tickets are $6 for adults; $3 for children 12 and under, or $18 for an entire family. Call Norma Meyer at 412.441.3800 x11 to RSVP

This is how they do it in Trinidad - steel drum soca music

Bethan Neely Wins Duquesne Piano Festival Competition

Hope Academy student, Bethan Neely, is one of the winners of the first Duquesne Young Artist National Competition and Piano Festival. This festival recognizes and honors the achievements of piano students ages 6 to 18. Winners will perform in a Winner's Recital on March 6, 2010 at 11 AM in the PNC Recital Hall in the School of Music at Duquesne University.

Bethan studies organ with Dr. Richard J. Szeremany. She is also a member of our Voices of Hope vocal ensembles under the direction of Suzanne Polak and Anna Elder. Bethan is pictured, above, playing the organ during the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Community Engagement Concert student recital at East Liberty Presbyterian Church.

Congratulations to Bethan!

Suzanne Polak's Recital and CD Release

Tuesday February 23rd 

7:00 to 8:00 pm

Duquesne University - PNC Recital Hall (click for directions and campus map)

Hope Academy teaching artist extraordinaire, Suzanne Polak, invites everyone to join her tomorrow evening for a recital of her composition work and the release of her new CD, Unguarded Moments. You can listen to samples from the CD on her website here.

The recital will feature a wind symphony and brass choir, conducted by George Vosburgh, with violist, Marylene Gingas-Roy, and percussionist, Joel Panian.

A reception follows.

Congratulations to Suzanne!

Love and All That Jazz - This Week!

For more information click here

Student performers (Voices of Hope, EL CEO and HAT Co) click here

Friends, colleagues, family and fans of the Rev. Dr. J. Richard Szeremany, click here

(we would like you to come and sing with us!)

HA Closed Today - Wednesday, Feb 17

Hope Academy classes and private lessons are canceled today

Wednesday, February 17

 

The view from Ms. Linda's office

See the post below for links to all of the music and mp3s for the songs that many of you are singing this Saturday at Love and All That Jazz. Plus EL CEO music for the Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet.

Love, Twinkle, Prayer and Romeo & Juliet Music

Because our last two rehearsals were snowed out, you will need to practice the songs for Love and All That Jazz on your own at home. Here are mp3s of Love, Twinkle and Prayer.

And here is music to print out for All You Need is Love and Twinkle (for singers) and Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet for EL CEO musicians.

DETAILS FOR STUDENT PERFORMERS

Performance Date and Time: Saturday, February 20th @ 7 pm

Student performers must be at East Liberty Presbyterian Church by 6:00 pm (sign in and leave your coats in the Harambe room – across from the security desk -  and then go to Music Room for a warm-up and quick rehearsal all together). This includes all Voices of Hope singers, EL CEO musicians and HAT Co.

Performance Location: Sanctuary of East Liberty Presbyterian Church

Rehearsal: We will rehearse together at 6:00 pm on the evening of the performance. This is mandatory! 

What to Wear – LOVE-ly Valentines-themed Attire!

RED on the top (shirt or sweater or dress)

BLACK on the bottom (pants or skirt)

BLACK shoes

RED or Valentines-themed accessories -- jewelry, scarves, pins, ties, etc. 

Contact Information for Questions:

Linda Addlespurger, Hope Academy Director – 412-441-3800 x12

Norma Meyer, Hope Academy Administrative Assistant – 412-441-3800 x11

We need your presence and your voice!

Please come and sing at  
"Love and All That Jazz" for Dr. Z!

The grand finale of Love and All That Jazz will be giant sing-a-long of "All You Need is Love," see the video above, on the steps of the Sanctuary. If you are a friend, colleague or admirer of Richard Szeremany (Dr. Z) please join us!

Performance Date and Time: Saturday, February 20th @ 7 pm

If you are singing with us please be at East Liberty Presbyterian Church by 6:00 pm (sign in and leave your coats in the Harambe room – across from the security desk -  and then go to Music Room for a warm-up and quick rehearsal all together)

Performance Location: Sanctuary of East Liberty Presbyterian Church

Rehearsal: We will rehearse together at 6:00 pm on the evening of the performance. Here is a link to the music.

And here is an mp3 of the song:

 

What to Wear – LOVE-ly Valentines-themed Attire!

RED on the top (shirt or sweater or dress)

BLACK on the bottom (pants or skirt)

BLACK shoes

RED or Valentines-themed accessories -- jewelry, scarves, pins, ties, etc. 

Contact Information for Questions and to RSVP:

Linda Addlespurger, Hope Academy Director – 412-441-3800 x12

Norma Meyer, Hope Academy Administrative Assistant – 412-441-3800 x11

Please call or email to let us know if you will be singing with us (we would like to put all of your names in the program).

Intro to Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare students began their work today on Romeo and Juliet with the two households prologue, hurling insults, the opening thumb-biting scene, the holy palmer's sonnet and the balcony scene.

We watched a clip of the balcony scene from the 1996 Baz Luhrmann  film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. In this modernization of the play the balcony scene takes place in a pool. Here is a video of the making of that scene, including rehearsals and all of the technical details that went into filming underwater.



Shakespeare can be interpreted and presented in many different ways. Here is the Reduced Shakespeare Company's take on Romeo and Juliet.



For next week, the older group should continue working on either the opening prologue or the thumb-biting scene. Extra credit: write a sonnet. More about sonnets in the next post.

Bravo to everyone who braved the storm and made it to the preliminary round of the Pittsburgh Public Theater's Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest. The Showcase of Finalists is on Friday, February 19 at 4 pm at the O'Reilly Theater.

Sonnets from Romeo and Juliet

The word "sonnet" comes from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound." William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, not including those that appear in his plays, like the two households and holy palmer’s sonnets from Romeo and Juliet.

A Shakespearean sonnet consists of 14 lines. Each line has ten syllables written in iambic pentameter:

da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM

two HOUSE holds BOTH a LIKE in DIG ni TY

The rhyme scheme in a Shakespearean sonnet is a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g; the last two lines are a rhyming couplet.

Here is the text to the two households prologue of Romeo and Juliet, written in sonnet form:

Two households, both alike in dignity

(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Doth with their death bury their parents’strife.

The fearful passage of their death-marked love

And the continuance of their parents’ rage,

Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,

Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;

The which, if you with patient ears attend,

What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

You can read more Shakespeare sonnets here. 

LOVE AND ALL THAT JAZZ RESCHEDULED for SAT February 20 @ 7 pm

A love-themed evening of poetry, song and dance in the spirit of Valentine’s Day to celebrate Hope Academy's 10th anniversary! RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20

This family-friendly event features an eclectic mix of love-themed poetry, song and dance from around the world.

Performers include spoken word artist, Vanessa German (back by popular demand!); jazz singer, Tania Grubbs; guitarist and Hope Academy teaching artist, Michael “El Trini” Chapman, with some of Pittsburgh’s finest flamenco dancers; plus, Hope Academy's “Voices of Hope,” HAT Co, EL CEO  and more!

A cookie and punch reception to celebrate Hope Academy’s 10^th anniversary and honor founding director, Dr. Richard J. Szeremany, follows the concert.

Tickets are available at the door

Adults - $10

Seniors and college students - $5

Children and youth, 18 and under – FREE
 

Hope Academy students and others performing in the concert should arrive at 6:00 pm. Attire for performers is red on top and black on the bottom.

HA Back in Business on Saturday!

It's been a long week, filled with cancellations, but we are finally ready to open our doors again. Classes and private lessons will resume, as usual, on Saturday, Feb 13.

Unfortunately, we need to reschedule "Love and All That Jazz" from this Saturday (Feb 13) to next Saturday (Feb 20) -- see the post above.

The good news is that we will at least be able to get a few rehearsals in before then... if this snow ever stops and if East Liberty ever gets shoveled out!

The Shakespeare students performed brilliantly on Friday at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. Here is the group photo... more photos will follow later in a separate post.

More Snow! We are closed today and tomorrow...

Classes and private lessons are canceled for today, Tuesday, Feb 9 and tomorrow Wednesday, Feb 10. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we can dig out from all of this and that "Love and All That Jazz" will not have to be canceled as well. Check back later for more information about what you can be doing to rehearse on your own. We will post mp3s of the songs and lyrics.

Hopefully we will have more information about the status of the Pittsburgh Public Theater Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest... so keep posted.

Stay safe and warm!

The Blizzard is Coming! Cancelations for Friday and Saturday

All private lessons and classes are canceled for tonight (Fri. February 5).

All private lessons and the following classes are canceled for tomorrow (Sat. February 6)

• EL CEO (East Liberty Community Engagement Orchestra)
• Creative Movement
• Pre-Ballet
• Ballet 1

Shakespeare Workshop (from 12 noon to 3:00 pm) is also canceled. Instead, we will try to schedule individual coaching throughout the day for Shakespeare students who are taking part in the Pittsburgh Public Theater's Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest. Calls will be made to all students on Saturday morning.

We will also try to have HAT Co rehearsal from 10 am to 12:00 pm, weather permitting. for Love and All That Jazz. Please practice "Say a Little Prayer."

Finally, the Mardi Gras/Caribbean Carnival party, schedule for tomorrow night (Sat. Feb 6) has also, sadly, been canceled.