A Night of Dance and Puppetry

The School of Visual and Performing Arts (SVAP) in Stroudsburg, PA presented a holiday performance on Saturday December 10th featuring a puppet show and dance performances. The performance showcased the talents of their students and faculty as a gift to the community and those who support the school. The huge gathering of family and friends of the performers combined with the joy of experiencing the excited energies of those performing successfully created an atmosphere designed to delight the child within each attendee. 

The evening began with a puppet show titled “What’s for Christmas?” with the majority of the skits written by Aileen Fisher and directed by Jazmin Ospa. It featured puppets designed by the students who attended their puppet making classes and their young creators. The Show was Emceed by Robert Kash who also presented a skit titled, “Something in the Air” featuring Cat and Dog Puppets made and designed by Gabby Kash. As eluded to, the puppet show consisted of a number of skits which were selected by a bevy of eager children who picked the titles out of a Santa’s hat.

The first of these skits was titled, “Night at the Museum” which was Choreographed by Jazmin Ospa who also appeared as the Pterodactyls. The skit also featured Michaela Miller as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Daniella Turso as the Comet, Alex Osborne as the Caveman, Minnie Ospa as the Saber tooth Tiger, Zack Aniano as the Silver Knight, T. J. Salmon as the Gold Knight, Bella Hewitt as the Princess, Teri Salmon as the Handmaiden, Alex Aniano as the Fairy, and Christopher Barton as the Sleepy Guard. This skit was the audience’s introduction to the puppets created during the workshops and many were impressed by the details they embodied.

The remaining skits consisted of those titled, “Cartoon Heroes” which was Choreographed by Jazmin Ospa who also appeared as Turanga Leela and Amy Long along with Den Kayer who appeared as Mario and Luigi. This was followed “Christmas Dreams” featuring Christopher Barton and his puppet, “Not Taking Any Changes” featuring Alicia and Daniella Turso and their puppets, and “Speaking of Presents” featuring Alex Aniano and his puppet. The performances were enjoyable and did well to showcase the talents of the children who participated.

“What’s for Christmas?” concluded with Ben Krayer sharing a message from Santa saying he wanted to be there but was too busy Christmas Shopping. However, Eric Mark donned the garb of the jolly old elf and was accompanied by Alicia and Daniella Turso as his elves. The children did not mind on bit they were in the presence of a surrogate Santa as Eric and his helpers brought joy to the gathering.

After the intermission in which the audience were moved to a larger room, the Holiday Performances continued with dance performances by Kathy Kroll Dance and Paper Theater, Paula and Robert who combined Martial Arts with Dance, The Northeast Ballet Ensemble who performed sequences from “The Nutcracker” under the direction of Diane Verdi, The SVPA Senior Dance Class, and Welcome to Salsa. All the performances were well done and involved a number of dancers ranging from toddlers to those who are experiencing life from a more mature perspective. The entire event led to an enjoyable evening in which one can happily include in their list of holiday delights. You’ll find more photographs in The Performing Arts 2011 Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150517235885421.429950.636000420&type=1&l=4bafae6105.

The School of Visual and Performing Arts is located in Stroudsburg, PA and is #a Non-Profit Organization dedicated to exposing, inspiring, and educating the public in the arts. They offer classes in Dance, Theater, and Art along with a space to present special shows and to display art. Please Explore The School of Visual and Performing Arts Website at www.schoolofvisualandperformingarts.org or call 570-817-3453 for more information about the school, how to register for their classes, and all they offer to the community.