Dancing to Dvorak!
A few years ago, I sent my daughter, Katie, to the OPUS camp telling her the usual things. You will meet new friends, expand your chamber music knowledge, and have fun! Indeed, after she came home each afternoon, her daily recap included the many benefits of playing chamber music (teamwork, problem solving, multitasking while playing, etc). I was pleased.
What I didn’t anticipate was the impact of the “arts connection” time during which students can explore music through other art disciplines. Much to my surprise, she signed up for interpretative dance. Upon hearing her enthusiastic comments about the teacher and collaborative and interactive planning process, I had to remind myself that this was the child who informed me at age 5 that one session of ballet lessons was more than enough.
On Friday, after just 1 week of preparation, I joined other parents in the audience at the art connections showcase program. The energy and excitement emanating from the students amazed me. Project after project was rewarded with supportive, enthusiastic applause. During the interpretive dance performance, I was simply astonished at the newfound confidence displayed by my daughter as she danced to Dvorak through the auditorium and received accolades from her peers.
Needless to say, I was thrilled! In addition to her interpretative dance, her clarinet, cello, guitar, and violin quartet presented a delightful, rarely-heard Giovanni Bottesini piece at the “Young Artists” concert. After her fabulous week, I now encourage all budding musicians to take advantage of the OPUS camp.
Mara Gallagher,
OPUS Music Director