BGC Brief Spring 2024

“The purpose of arts education is not to produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.” by Dana Gioia, Former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Boys & Girls Club’s Stage Door Academy created a home for performing arts more than 10 years ago by hiring two well trained and seasoned performance educators to create a “stage” which incorporated dance, song, acting, and leadership as an integral part of how the Club fosters new skills, knowledge, and self-confidence in the children entrusted to our care.

Deeply tied to performing community service and developing leadership, we created a special opportunity for kids to work together, create amazing performances to enrich the lives of friends, family, and community, while demonstrating that given the right environment, mentorship, and coaching…kids can accomplish anything and everything. This group, known as Music Fusion, committed to not only representing the Boys & Girls Club at its own events, but also lending their talents to other non-profits, causes, and community

events to entertain and inspire audience members.

We have seen our Music Fusion kids grow up and continue to use their craft personally and professionally in higher education, careers and circling back to support the next generation of Boys & Girls Club performers. Many of our kids have been recognized locally, regionally and at the national level for their commitment to improving the lives of others through performance and received college scholarships to support their education.

As all programs must evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of children, so has our vision of how to provide a robust performance experience now and in the future. Our instructors have expanded from two to five talented instructors to create a year-round series of workshops and licensed musical theater productions as part of a partnership with a well-beloved

local dinner theater. Leadership development and community impact continues to be an important focus of inspiring and motivating young performers. This year we have grown the program again by inviting several younger Club kids from our workshops to create a second cohesive team to hone their skills and delight our community.

When deciding what the name would be, it only made sense to choose something that reflected this new generation and our commitment to positive change, thus naming our group, “Evolution.” This talented and enthusiastic team of young leaders are building a new performance family that will grow their talents, skills, and community impact, while developing a social/emotional support system of peers, mentors, and Club affiliation. In addition to participating in on-going workshops, Evolution kids meet twice a week to focus cultivating skills and creating musical numbers that can be performed on stage, at events, and with our community partners.

Allow us to present…

Evolution, a youth team committed to improving the quality of life for our community through voluntary performance!