Dance Your Dreams! Spring Recital

Dance Your Dreams! Spring Recital: Sunday, June 14 at 4 p.m.
Tickets: $15, all proceeds benefit the program

We are so very proud to present our Dance Your Dreams! Spring Recital and honor these special children who continue to amaze us every week.

As many of you know, this program is the cornerstone of Merrimack Hall's outreach, and to date we have given back more than $40,000 to the community through Dance Your Dreams! alone. Each week, children with a range of special needs from Cerebral Palsy and autism to cancer and Down Syndrome come to our dance studio and participate in a dance class suited to their needs. All dancers are paired with their own volunteer who helps them execute the movements they would otherwise be unable to perform. All classes, costuming and dance attire are provided to these families at no cost to them.

This recital will showcase these beautiful dancers, and also feature performances from other local arts organizations like the Alabama Youth Ballet, Heidi Knight School of Dance, and Susan's School of Dance. Both Dance Your Dreams! classes will perform two numbers each: "Rockin' Robin," "A Whole New World," "Under the Sea," and "Going to the Chapel."

Please come show your support for these amazing children and their yearlong achievements. All tickets are $15 and proceeds will directly benefit the Dance Your Dreams! program.

Tickets may be purchased on our website at www.merrimackhall.com

Master classes & OPEN AUDITION with Chris Tyler

We are proud to welcome back Nashville-based choreographer Chris Tyler for a weekend of master classes at Merrimack Hall! Chris will also be holding an open audition for his talent agency, DDO Artists Agency.

He was trained by and has worked extensively with acclaimed choreographer Shane Sparks, of the FOX smash hit “So You Think You Can Dance,” and he was chosen to teach with Shane at "The Pulse On Tour."

Chris and Jenny Belsito will teach both Hip Hop and Contemporary classes during the weekend of June 13-14, 2009. Spaces are $35 per dance for two classes. In addition to the master classes, Chris will select local dancers from the master classes to be part of a special lecture/demonstration at the Dance Your Dreams! Spring Recital on Sunday.

Chris and Jenny will hold an open audition Sunday after the Dance Your Dreams! recital. There is no fee to audition, and the audition is open to dancers, singers, and actors.

For more details and a full schedule of classes, visit our website.

Camp Merrimack

Merrimack Hall is proud to present Camp Merrimack, a summer arts camp for children with special needs. Our camp is open to children ages 3 through 12 with special needs including Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, autism and others.

With the success of our Dance Your Dreams! program, we are excited to offer more artistic opportunities for students. Classes will include music, theatre, dance and visual art. With our positive approach, engaging philosophy and 1:1 staff-to-camper ratio, our overall experience is different from any other. Camp Merrimack provides our students with opportunities to build social skills and creates an environment where they are sure to succeed!

Join us for Camp Merrimack July 27-31, 2009. Classes are limited to 15 children per age group and spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Children ages 3-7 will attend camp from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and children ages 8-12 will attend from 1-4 p.m. Enrollment for the week-long camp is $40 per child.

Please contact Hayley Smith for questions about the Camp Merrimack program at hsmith@merrimackhall.com.

To inquire about financial scholarships, please contact Debra Jenkins at djenkins@merrimackhall.com.