Tag Archives: Wildwood Park

Three weeks left for dance classes at Wildwood Park

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There’s only so much summer left – and only three more weeks of dance classes with Moriah Patterson to go!  There is still time to get to  Wildwood Park for the Arts for one of their exclusive theatre dance classes.

Teen Broadway Dance, 6:00-6:50 p.m.
This fast-paced class geared towards teens will accommodate both those with prior dance experience and those who may be new to dance. The goal of the class is to introduce the language of jazz and musical theatre movement while teaching positions, dance vocabulary, good technique, body placement, and musicality. In addition, focus will be placed on expression and interpretation. This class is perfect for the teen Musical Theatre student looking to further their skills in both dance and performance. Ages: 11-17

Beginner Broadway Dance, 7:00-7:50 p.m.
Want to have happy feet? This class begins at the beginning and teaches all of the basic terminology and steps you’ll need to feel comfortable dancing in a musical. Various styles of dance will be explored–jazz, modern, Latin, and more. Perfect for artists/singers who always wanted to audition for a show, but were afraid of the dance call! Ages: Adult
Proficient Jazz and Tap Technique, 8:00-9:00 p.m.
This adult musical theatre class is intended for more intermediate – advanced dancers, and will incorporate jazz technique (i.e. pirouettes, kicks, jetes, etc.) while staying true to Broadway-inspired choreography and music. Dancers will fine tune their performance and stage skills, while learning Broadway-inspired choreography and movement. The tap portion of this class, will emphasize rhythm, style, and sound. Students will study basic tap steps, combinations, and precision timing with an emphasis on developing proper tap technique and producing clear tap sounds. Ages: Adult

Johnny Cash’s Birthday

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Cleveland County, Arkansas, native Johnny Cash was the subject of the Oscar winning film Walk the Line.  Although he never lived in Little Rock, he was a frequent visitor throughout his career.

Born on February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas, as a young boy he moved with his family to Dyess.  After service in the military (in which he also had his first band), Cash moved to Memphis. It was there he broke into the music scene.

Among the venues Cash played in Little Rock were Barton Coliseum and Wildwood Park for the Arts.  On more than one occasion, he shared the stage with his friend and fellow Arkansan Glen Campbell.   The largest crowd for which Cash performed in Little Rock was in 1989, when he appeared at a Billy Graham crusade at War Memorial Stadium.

He is a character in the musical Million Dollar Quartet which the Arkansas Rep is producing later in 2019.

LR Women Making History – Charlotte Gadberry

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Charlotte Gadberry has long been a supporter of Little Rock’s various cultural institutions. She has both served on boards and consulted with boards in strategic planning.  Her major focus these past few years has been the founding of the ACANSA Arts Festival.

A trip to Charleston, South Carolina, amid it’s Spoleto USA arts festival inspired her to dream that Little Rock could play host to a similar endeavor.  Using her fundraising prowess and connections, she started to raise funds, friends and awareness for this idea.

In September 2013, the inaugural ACANSA Arts Festival was announced for September 2014.  Under her leadership, ACANSA (a name derived from an early Native American variation of what is now called Arkansas) incorporated both local cultural institutions as well as performers brought in for the event.

In the first four years ACANSA has featured theatre, dance, mime, puppetry, instrumental music, choral music, opera, jazz, painting, photography, history, lectures, and gallery tours.  It has worked with the Arkansas Arts Center, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Arkansas, Central Arkansas Library System, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, and Wildwood Park for the Arts as well as numerous galleries and performance venues.

Because of her efforts to found ACANSA and lead it, Charlotte is being honored with an Arkansas Arts Council 2018 Governor’s Arts Award on March 29, 2018.

Rock the Oscars: Johnny Cash

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Cleveland County, Arkansas, native Johnny Cash was the subject of the Oscar winning film Walk the Line.  Although he never lived in Little Rock, he was a frequent visitor throughout his career.

Born on February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas, as a young boy he moved with his family to Dyess.  After service in the military (in which he also had his first band), Cash moved to Memphis. It was there he broke into the music scene.

Among the venues Cash played in Little Rock were Barton Coliseum and Wildwood Park for the Arts.  In one performance, he shared the stage with his friend and fellow Arkansan Glen Campbell.   The largest crowd for which Cash performed in Little Rock was in 1989, when he appeared at a Billy Graham crusade at War Memorial Stadium.

 

This weekend – Lanterns festival at Wildwood Park

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Lanterns_07-1500x630Wildwood’s annual deep-winter festival celebrates the first full moon of the lunar new year. Held over three magical evenings – February 19 – 21, 2016 – guests are transported to far away lands and times as they stroll through the beautifully lit pathways of Wildwood’s gardens.

Cultural vistas feature live entertainment, food, drink, games and more throughout the Park’s Butler Arboretum and inside the Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre. This year’s featured locations are Australia, Brazil, China, Greece, Hawaii and the UK.

Shuttles run from the Kroger on Chenal Parkway beginning at 6 pm nightly until 30 minutes past the Festival’s closing. Limited parking is also available at Wildwood.

Tickets are $8 for adults online and $10 at the gate. For children ages 6-12 tickets are $4 online and $5 at the gate, and children 5 and under attend FREE!

Jazz Musician Gerald Albright closes 2015 A Work of Art Jazz Week tonight at 7 with a concert at Wildwood

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Gerald-Albright-Master-Saxman-PhotoMultiple Grammy nominee Gerald Albright will close out the 2015 “A Work of Art” Jazz Week with a concert tonight at Wildwood Park at 7pm.

“A Work of Art” is the primary fundraiser for the Art Porter Music Education scholarship program. All proceeds from the week-long fundraiser benefit the scholarship fund. “A Work of Art” concludes in early August in observance of the birth month of Art Porter, Jr. Attendees enjoy a week of unique educational experiences by an impressive group of local artists, music students and national recording artists.

Ticket information is available at www.artporter.org.

One of the biggest stars of R&B, contemporary and straight-ahead jazz, Gerald Albright has earned his reputation as a “musician’s musician.” During the ’80s, Albright became a highly requested session musician, playing on albums by a wide variety of artists – including Anita Baker, Lola Folana, Olivia Newton-John, and the Temptations. He also toured extensively with Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston and many others. Albright also went on to record numerous successful solo albums for Atlantic Records. Two albums hit the number one slot on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz Chart and were nominated for GRAMMY® Awards in 1989 and 1990.

Albright was selected to be one of 10 saxophonists to play at President Clinton’s inauguration ceremony. Along the way, he has sold over a million albums in the U.S. alone and has appeared on nearly 200 albums by other artists.  Albright released Pushing The Envelope in June 2010. In December 2010, it received a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Album. His 20102 album 24/7 was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Album.  On August 5, 2014, Albright releases Slam Dunk. In December 2014, it earned a GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category.