CES Regional Center for the Arts

For everyone who is here today: WELCOME!
For everyone still to make a first appearance: WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!
Here is a quick look at what's happening on this "first day."

Bridgeport students WILL come to RCA today in spite of the half day. Buses will run from each school to RCA.

RCA is OPEN today, Thursday, August 25! First day = exciting! If your school district starts next week, you are still welcome to come to RCA today at 1:30 (no transportation provided). If not, don't worry. We will see you when your school starts!

We posted video highlights from yesterday's Senior Showcase earlier and now here are a few photos. You can see more at https://www.ces.k12.ct.us/news2/galleries/rca-galleries/senior-showcase-2022.

We understand that Bridgeport Public Schools have an early dismissal today (May 31). RCA is still open! Students who can get here are still welcome to come and we would love to see you. However, students without viable and safe transportation are encouraged to take their regular way home. Bridgeport students will be excused today if you cannot get here.

Important Reminders:
Last day of RCA = June 2
Dance Showcase = May 18 + 19
Film Fest = May 25
Sights and Sounds Performance = May 26

Warming up for tonight’s concert at RCA. It starts at 7:30. $5 at the door. If you can’t make it tonight, there’s another show on Thursday.

Ready for some live music? Then come out next Wednesday and Thursday for our jazz concerts at 7:30 p.m. both nights. Students will play songs made famous by Natalie Cole, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, Mike Stern, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Cole Porter, George Harrison, Britney Spears, and many other renowned artists.
Admission is $5 at the door for general admission seating. All proceeds benefit RCA programs.
RCA is at 23 Oakview Drive in Trumbull. For more information, visit www.cestrumbull.org/rca or call 203-365-8930.

Don't miss "THE WEDDING SINGER" at RCA this weekend.
Sneak preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94HdZfSdxQM
We are so excited to welcome back audiences to our lovely theater. Relive the 80s and come see our talented kids perform this awesome, fun musical based on the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie.
If you can't come see it live, we are offering a live stream at the cost of about two adult tickets. See our website for more details: www.cestrumbull.org/rca/performances

Great job by the RCA Jazz Combo (and their instructor David Uhl) performing Saturday night at the annual gala for the CES Foundation, which raises money to provide grants for RCA and the other CES schools and programs.
And we also want to recognize the outstanding efforts of Theatre Department Chair Krissy Dorn, who spoke at Saturday's event about the grant she received to support her outstanding program, the Written Word in Performance.
The CES Foundation was created in 2007 and has generously supported many programs for RCA students over the years. To learn more, visit www.cesfoundation.org.

7:30 am Update:

AUDITIONS ARE ON!

Award-winning performance this morning by Mr. Nyquist!

The RCA Spirit Wear store is now open!!!!
The online sale will only run about two weeks so order yours now. There are hoodies, T-shirts, flannel pants, and sweatpants.
And parents: These are obviously great gifts!
Visit the store at https://newtownapparel.com/collections/rca.

If you know of any students or parents interested in RCA next school year, tell them about our Open House this Thursday at 7 p.m. or share this post.
No registration necessary. There's more information at https://www.ces.k12.ct.us/rca.

An ordinary day is not something we do here at RCA, especially on the last day of classes before Halloween. A few photos from yesterday are posted here, plus there's another version of the "Thriller" dance video at https://youtu.be/2r10psVJGuY.

We had a great time all through July during the first Taste of RCA summer camp that was attended by 30 students, who mostly attend middle schools from around the region. Thanks to the great RCA staff who taught during the camp. ... We plan to offer it again next summer!
See more photos from the camp at https://www.ces.k12.ct.us/news2/taste-of-rca-2021.

CES Regional Center for the Arts updated their website address.

CES Regional Center for the Arts updated their website address.

Make Music Day returns with live performances across the state

Good luck to the students performing flowerpot music at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo on Monday as part of Make Music Day 2021!
https://www.newstimes.com/entertainment/article/Make-Music-Day-returns-with-live-performances-16251952.php

Make Music Day returns with live performances across the state More than a dozen cities and towns across the state will be participating in Make Music...

We would like you to meet the next principal at RCA!
Let’s give a big welcome to Eric Nyquist, who will be replacing Dr. Mark Ribbens when he retires at the end of June. For the last six years, Eric has been the director of Fine and Performing Arts for Hamden Public Schools and before that, he was a theater teacher and artistic director at Hamden High for 12 years.
Eric is a graduate of Bunnell High School in Stratford and earned an English degree from Fairfield University before receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting and Theatre from Carnegie Mellon University. His performance background includes theater work at the Moscow Art Theatre during grad school, tours and Off-Broadway productions, and acting roles with Connecticut Free Shakespeare and Downtown Cabaret. He also plays guitar, sings and composes scores.
In addition to leading RCA, Eric will be the Open Choice coordinator for CES.
Read more at www.cestrumbull.org/news.
(Performance photos courtesy of Judith L. Barbosa)

Great news for middle school students in the Bethel area!
RCA is hosting its first summer camp, "The Curtain Rises: The Story of a Show," during July at the Bethel facility Workspace. Students from any town are welcome to take part.
The free summer program will allow students to use a variety of spaces at the facility to learn how a stage performance comes together. Experienced teachers will guide them from the research stage in the beginning all the way until the curtain closes at the end of a show.
The camp is weekdays July 6-30 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. It ends with a live performance in front of an audience. Enrollment will be limited to 40 students and the deadline to register is June 1 or until the enrollment cap is reached. Workspace is at 16 Trowbridge Drive in Bethel.
To register, visit http://bit.ly/rcastoryofashow. For more information, email RCA Principal Dr. Mark Ribbens at [email protected].
If you know anyone who would be interested, share this with them.

The Executive Director of CES Dr. Charles Dumais is sporting the special T-shirt on a special day -- Teacher Appreciation Day!
Thanks so much to all of the RCA teachers who continue to make the opportunities and experiences for our students so unique and valuable.

Please share so your friends hear about our great news!
...
The Regional Center for the Arts and CES are proud to announce a new program for middle school students that allows them to discover the performing arts in our high school’s remarkable facilities, including the main stage.
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A Taste of RCA is a four-week program in which students will have the opportunity to learn about theater, dance, music, and creative media taught by the teaching artists of RCA, a part-time arts magnet high school operated by Cooperative Educational Services. The free program will be 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday from July 7 through July 30. A performance on our theater’s mainstage will cap the final session.
...
Visit www.ces.k12.ct.us/fs/form-manager/view/81abe74d-d6f3-4043-b9cb-213aa7055c71 to register for the program.
...
Students will rotate through classes each day. Theater work may include improvisation, tableau and scene work. In dance, they will focus on creative movement and an introduction to modern, contemporary, and lyrical dance. The focus in music would be on drumming, movement, and rhythmic awareness. All of these exposures to various disciplines will be used during the final performance.
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After a year of remote and hybrid learning, the goals of the program would be to give students an opportunity to re-engage with the performing arts, to work with similarly interested students, and to learn a little more about the Regional Center for the Arts and our teachers.
...
To learn more about RCA, visit www.ces.k12.ct.us/rca.

On a beautiful afternoon Mr. Dart decided on an outdoor rehearsal.

C.E.S. - YouTube

The RCA Unplugged Live Stream is LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6eI4v5sPCg9LBOubK1Uw-g

C.E.S. - YouTube Cooperative Educational Services provides educational supports and services to schools and communities. Our mission is to identify and provide quality educat...

C.E.S. - YouTube

RCA Unplugged is tonight Live Stream is at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6eI4v5sPCg9LBOubK1Uw-g

To Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=D6QJSM6PMFH7G

C.E.S. - YouTube Cooperative Educational Services provides educational supports and services to schools and communities. Our mission is to identify and provide quality educat...

Rehearsing for the RCA Unplugged Live Stream scheduled for tomorrow night, March 12 at 7:00 pm! Find it here at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6eI4v5sPCg9LBOubK1Uw-g and donate to the PoPs scholarship at: https://www.ces.k12.ct.us/rca/livestream

It's a Comedy Thing 2021

Our acting students participated in a six week Stand-Up Comedy workshop and performed their work on February 25th. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/Fa-kuWGrTsU

It's a Comedy Thing 2021 February 25, 2021

RCA Unplugged will be Friday March 12 at 7:00 pm.
Follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6eI4v5sPCg9LBOubK1Uw-g to watch and make a donation to RCA scholarships!

RCA Unplugged is back!! Save the date: Friday March 12 at 7:00 pm! More details to follow!!

Do you know anyone interested in joining us at RCA next year and performing in this theater? The application for new students is available on line at www.ces.k12.ct.us/rca and is due Friday March 12!

RCA is remote today Thursday February 18. Dr. Ribbens was spotted in the building with a copy of "Hamlet" saying he finally had a chance to practice a soliloquy. Do yourself a favor and- Stay Home! See you all on Monday.

RCA is fully remote today. Dr. Ribbens was seen entering the building with a violin. That means he is either trying to recreate an old Henny Youngman routine, or actually going to practice. Do yourself a favor, stay away!

Thanks to one of our teachers, Rich Dart, who works with him, Mickey Dolenz from the original Monkees visited RCA today! He told us about his experiences as an actor/ musician. He also gave his perspective on the business. Thanks for linking us up Rich!

Due to a number of factors, we are postponing our "RCA Unplugged" livestream to a later date to be determined!

We'll be remote on Tuesday February 2

RCA will be remote tomorrow February 1.

Stay safe!

We were saddened to learn about the sudden death of Nyasia Destyny Pizarro an RCA graduate. She is seen here dancing at our Senior Show in 2016. She was a talented hard working and driven performer, who was taken much too early. The whole RCA family mourns her passing. Rest In Peace.

Do you know of anyone interested in joining us at RCA for the 2021-22 school year, and want to learn more? Join us for a virtual Open House on Thursday February 4 at 7 pm! Ask your school counselor for more information and the link or contact RCA at 203 365 8857, or email Mrs. Hannon at [email protected]