Sharron Miller's Academy for the Performing Arts (SMAPA) Presents the 8th Annual "FUN-RAISER"

    MONTCLAIR, NJ, November 19, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On Saturday December 6, 2014 from 6:00PM - 9:00 PM, Sharron Miller's Academy for The Performing Arts (SMAPA) will host it's 8th Annual "Fun-Raiser" at 14 South Park Street, Montclair, NJ. For $5.00 per person, friends, families and community of all ages will gather in support of SMAPA's mission: to provide inclusive, comprehensive developmental training in dance and related theater arts to children, teens and adults.

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in free dance classes, auctions, food, and watch performances from the Performance Workshop Ensemble (PWE).

The Annual FUN-Raiser Supports SMAPA's Core Scholarships

- The General Scholarship Fund supports students in need with tuition assistance. The Fund raises $60,000 annually to serve 100 children.

- The Joyce Copeland Scholarship Fund, the Mildred Spain Scholarship Fund, and The Gonsalves Family Scholarship support individual children between the ages of 6-12 who demonstrate interest and ability in the art of dance, and for whom tuition assistance is essential to continue training.

- Performance Workshop Ensemble (PWE) Scholarship Fund is a merit-based scholarship that supports one full year of training for up to 15 gifted and talented young dancers between the ages of 12-18 who are on a pre-professional track in dance. In return for the full tuition scholarship, they give back to the community through arts in education performances at locations like the JCC MetroWest, the Montclair Public Library, and select public and private schools. For the past four years The Stone Foundation has graciously supported this group of young people with a grant of $25,000. The cost to train each PWE dancer amounts to $3,000 annually.

- Junior Performance Workshop Ensemble (JPWE) was created three years ago to give younger aspiring dancers access into the PWE. This apprentice program is free of charge. SMAPA relies upon its supporters to keep this scholarship program going.

- Free Ballet Classes to Young Males. The Stone Foundation also partially supports free ballet classes to boys and young men between the ages of 7 and 15 each Saturday for the full academic year. The annual "Fun-Raiser" helps to supplement this award.

Featured Performances by the Performance Workshop Ensemble (PWE)

The Fun-Raiser also boasts limited performances of the gifted and talented young people of the PWE and the Junior Performance Workshop Ensemble (JPWE) throughout the evening.

The Performance Workshop Ensemble (PWE) Scholarship Fund is merit based and supports up to 15 gifted and talented young dancers between the ages of 12 and 18. For the past four years The Stone Foundation has graciously supported this group of young people with a generous grant of $25,000. The cost of training for each individual member of PWE is $3000 for the entire academic year. In addition, the Foundation has made it possible to provide free ballet classes to young men between the ages of 7 and 15 each Saturday for the entire academic year.

Last year the Junior Performance Workshop Ensemble (JPWE) was created to give younger aspiring dancers access into PWE. This apprentice program is free of charge. SMAPA relies upon the support of families and friends to keep these scholarship programs going.

SMAPA Donation Opportunities

You too can play a vital role through your generous financial support! In addition to cash contributions, SMAPA welcomes donations of items to the evening's silent and live auction, and raffle prizes. All cash contributions and auction prize donations are deductible to the extent allowed by law. SMAPA is a charitable organization under IRS regulation 501(c)(3). As a thank you, those providing support will be listed as a SMAPA Donor on our website for six months. Participation in the arts can change a life. Your donations help keep these programs alive!

Donations may be sent to:

Sharron Miller's Academy for the Performing Arts c/o Conny Andres
14 South Park Street Montclair, NJ 07042

About Sharron Miller's Academy for the Performing Arts (SMAPA)
SMAPA is a not-for-profit organization that provides classes in jazz, ballet, tap, and modern dancing for students of all ages. SMAPA's skilled faculty members teach hundreds of students every year and conduct outreach to the community, engaging youth in the arts through school programs and impromptu performances in the daydreams of teenagers.

About Sharron Miller, Founder/Director of SMAPA
Sharron Miller has devoted her life to dance. She attended the Juilliard School and worked with the director of the Garden State Ballet. After completing her training, she danced as a soloist for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and appeared in seven Broadway shows. Sharron also taught at Renaissance Middle School for 13 years, where her dance and drama program for youth was praised by the State of New Jersey. Today, as the founder of Sharron Miller's Academy for the Performing Arts (SMAPA) she shares the skills she acquired throughout a lifetime in the arts with students from all walks of life.

Recently Sharron Miller, sat down with Joanna Gagis, host of NJTV's Life & Living with Joanna Gagis, to share her experiences as a Julliard School graduate, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater soloist and Broadway veteran, and discuss how she found her passion for dance, and how she continues to preserve the SMAPA mission. Click here or above to watch the video interview.

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