Program Spotlight

The Roxy Encourages Young Students to Enjoy and Excel in the Musical Arts

Published Friday, April 17, 2009

“One eench, ooh pleeese, just one eench. Why won’t you do it?” pleaded 17-year-old Monica Rosell in her best Puerto Rican accent.

Monica, playing Maria in The Roxy Theatre Group’s production of Broadway's legendary “West Side Story,” hoped to convince her best friend Anita to lower the neckline on the dress she planned to wear to the big dance. One “eench” seemed so tiny and insignificant – especially to Monica – who had come so far in such a short time.

Kevin Yungman as Tony and Monica Rosell
as Maria, the stars of The Roxy's Main Stage
production of West Side Story

Three years ago Monica enrolled in her first dance class at Roxy’s Summer Camp. She had always wanted to dance, but her family lacked the resources. A Children’s Trust scholarship to the summer program offered her the chance.

“The camp was super fun,” she remembers. Each day – every hour – of Roxy’s 10-week summer camp is different, and along with the other students, Monica took classes in tap, jazz, aerobics, voice, acting, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, belly dancing, musical theater and more. Other scholarships helped her continue her dance and theater training at The Roxy. Monica thrived in the classes and this year, for Roxy’s Main Stage annual production, she earned the leading female role. Facing her biggest performance challenge, the talented Southwest High School junior admitted she was a bit awed.

“The acting – getting the gestures right – was the most challenging,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot, and they push you here at the Roxy.”

Encouraging children and youth to enjoy and excel in the musical arts is what Roxy does best.

The Roxy Theatre Group opened in 2002 in the abandoned Cineplex movie theater across from the FIU south campus with 240 children. Under the direction of Program Coordinator Ana Andreu, the organization turned nonprofit in 2003 and has grown steadily. Today 550 students ages 3-17 participate in the program; 70 percent receive scholarship assistance, up from 50 percent last year. For 2009, The Children’s Trust supports Roxy programs with nearly $510,000.

“We’re trying to keep talent local,” explains Andreu, also manager of Main Stage for the Roxy Theatre Group. Born and raised in Miami, she was introduced to the Roxy space while studying in FIU’s Theater Department. In addition to homework help, Roxy provides 72 hours of classes in the performing arts Monday through Saturday. Most instructors are graduates of the FIU program, and a handful who have left Miami to forge successful performing careers, such as Cathyrn Kramer who dances with the Martha Graham Company and Danny Pino, an actor on “Cold Case,” offer workshops and master classes at the Roxy whenever they’re in town.

The atrium of the Roxy is a big well-lit room with sunlight streaming in from skylights above. A massive glass trophy case high on the wall and another case at floor level are filled with trophies, a tribute to the success of the performers and the program.

One afternoon, children dressed in leotards lounge on the floor in the carpeted hallway doing homework in groups. Others sit at metal tables with books open and pencils scratching as they await the start of dance or music class. In the “homework room,” children sit atop canary yellow and lime-green plastic chairs with tutors at their side to help with assignments.

For Rosana Parodi’s voice class, a group of 6-7 year-olds “conga” into the room, hands on each others’ hips and bouncing to the music. The children settle quickly into their seats and instruction begins for the hour-long class. Next door, in the tap class, the music is turned up loud. Seven girls and Joel Santana, a 10th-grader at South Miami High School, clack and pound their heels on the wood floor in a fast-paced routine. Crouched at the front, Jillian Torgas urges the class on: “You have to be ready to go!” Heads bob with the music, bodies spin and the dancers race forward and then collapse as their tap routine to “Devil’s in the House” finishes.

Sandra Gonzalez, mother of 7-year-old Syndey and 4-year-old Samantha, is waiting for class to end. A friend told her about the program, and she enrolled Syndey last August. “She really enjoys it, and it’s just so much better for her than to be home watching television,” Gonzalez said.

Children’s programs everywhere strive to keep busy parents informed and involved, and the Roxy has special challenges due to its population. Many parents of children at The Roxy are newly arrived in the United States and don’t understand the importance of musical arts.

“A lot of parents don’t get it. What is it that you do? They ask. They show up to pick up their child while we’re still rehearsing and they want to go,” Andreu says. The remedy? “We have to send a lot of memos,” she laughs.

The Roxy maintains a busy schedule of performances and other opportunities for the students to expand their horizons. Last year, after fundraising for two years, a group of 80 kids traveled to New York City with dance teacher Jillian Torgas to attend the week-long New York Dance Alliance. They took master classes and competed with high-caliber performers from around the country.

“In Miami competitions we always fare well, but in New York they saw that they were not the top. That’s what Jill wanted,” Andreu said.

Though Roxy students compete in dance and other competitions, the program’s main thrust is for children to enjoy the musical arts. “We do this because we have a passion for the arts and to help kids who have a passion, especially now that programs are being cut in the schools,” Andreu said. She and her husband, Theater Arts Director Charles Sothers “pretty much live here.” The small staff works together closely to share responsibilities, and volunteers – lots of them – donate time and talent to the program.

Nora Onate has been a board member since The Roxy opened. Her son takes tap dancing lessons and “loves it,” she says. “Cuts are key to us in the arts. There are lots of talented kids with no place to go,” Onate said. “The Roxy provides a viable alternative. It keeps the kids out of trouble and channels their energies in a positive way.”

Written by Michael R. Malone