Culture Club Let ’s Dance
18 TheBurg
Peter Durantine
http://www.theburgnews.com/TheBurg-Aug2009.pdf
Culture Club Let ’s Dance
18 TheBurg
Peter Durantine
New Steps for Danzante
For more than three decades,
Danzante Community Arts
Center has offered programs in
Spanish art, dance and music. Now,
as the founder moves to retire, new
leadership is looking to expand the
nonprofit’s reach and services.
With an art studio and three
dance studios, including a studio
theater where music and dance
is conducted, Danzante offers
opportunities for youth, whether
they live in the city or around the
region, to express themselves
through various forms of art.
“I think it’s a treasure,” said
Corrina Mehiel, the new director,
who is taking over for founder
Camille Erice.
When Erice decided to start
Danzante in 1978 with guitarist
and co-founder Paco Molinero,
her intention was to open a dance
company where she could offer
lessons in Spanish dance. A New
York native, she had studied the
art in Spain, where she became a
Flamenco dancer.
“I just wanted to dance and
share it with a community,” she said
of Flamenco, a form that is slow
and soft and loud and rapid in its
rhythm. “It’s my love for the art.”
Erice came to Harrisburg,
where her family now lived, looking
to open her studio. A church in
Allison Hill’s Mount Pleasant Historic
Arts group evolves with new leadership, enhanced mission.
District offered her space in
return for offering lessons to
the youth in the community.
Thus began Danzante’s
evolution, from a dance
company to community
center.
“It evolved because of
the needs in the community,”
Erice said. “There are not
enough children involved
in the arts.” Noting the
crime problems in the
neighborhood, she said,
“A lot of these kids are in
trouble because they don’t
have any outlets.”
Danzante’s success as a
community center was noticed
and about a decade ago, when
the old McFarland Press Building
at the corner of Crescent and
Mulberry streets was renovated, the
developer invited Erice to move the
community center there.
The large stone and red-brick
structure, built in 1880 as a printing
plant, stands at the Mulberry Street
Bridge in South Allison Hill. Its
mixed use of apartments and offices
included a large, multi-room area for
a nonprofit.
The invitation to occupy the
space could not have come at a
better time. Erice said the center
had outgrown the church basement.
The accommodations at McFarland,
where Danzante’s red sign hangs
above the doorway, offer much
greater space and efficiency.
Now, as Erice steps down, she
said she is confident in Mehiel’s
leadership. “She’s taking the
organization into the 21st century
with all her great ideas.”
Mehiel said the long-term goal
is to improve the quality of services
for Danzante to become accredited
as an arts program, allowing for
more educational opportunities as
well as scholarships.
Each year, between 400 and
500 students come through the
program, learning to dance—
Flamenco or
ballet—play musical
instruments and
paint. Students are
taught the Spanish
culture and some of
the language behind
the dance and music.
Danzante
works with other
community groups
in the city such
as Gamut Theatre
Group, Capital Area
School for the Arts and Salvation
Army. It coordinates after-school
programs with the school district.
This year, it received at $12,500 grant
to help provide mentoring from
the Harrisburg Institute of Messiah
College.
“We were impressed with
their application,” said Jill Osielski,
the grant projects coordinator for
the institute, which works to help
address urban community needs
while fostering mutual learning
among students, educators and
groups.
At the city’s Artsfest this
year, while the students, dressed
in traditional costume, danced
and played music with Molinero
leading on guitar, Mehiel said that
Danzante’s mission is “empowering
youth with art.”
“It’s about teaching the kids that
they’re making a commitment to
this art form,” she said. “It’s important
for the kids to know the end result:
they’re showing the community
their art and the community
appreciates it.”
Danzante Community Arts Center,
200 Crescent St., www.danzante.org,
717-232-2615,
danzante@paonline.com.
New Steps for Danzante
Arts group evolves with new leadership, enhanced mission.
For more than three decades, Danzante Community Arts Center has offered programs in Spanish art, dance and music. Now, as the founder moves to retire, new leadership is looking to expand the nonprofit’s reach and services. With an art studio and three dance studios, including a studio theater where music and dance is conducted, Danzante offers opportunities for youth, whether they live in the city or around the region, to express themselves through various forms of art. “I think it’s a treasure,” said Corrina Mehiel, the new director, who is taking over for founder Camille Erice.
When Erice decided to start Danzante in 1978 with guitarist and co-founder Paco Molinero, her intention was to open a dance company where she could offer lessons in Spanish dance. A New York native, she had studied the art in Spain, where she became a Flamenco dancer.
“I just wanted to dance and share it with a community,” she said of Flamenco, a form that is slow and soft and loud and rapid in its rhythm. “It’s my love for the art.” Erice came to Harrisburg, where her family now lived, looking to open her studio. A church in Allison Hill’s Mount Pleasant Historic District offered her space in return for offering lessons to the youth in the community.
Thus began Danzante’s evolution, from a dance company to community center.
“It evolved because of the needs in the community,” Erice said. “There are not enough children involved in the arts.” Noting the crime problems in theneighborhood, she said, “A lot of these kids are in trouble because they don’t have any outlets.”
Danzante’s success as a community center was noticed and about a decade ago, when the old McFarland Press Building at the corner of Crescent and Mulberry streets was renovated, the developer invited Erice to move the community center there. The large stone and red-brick structure, built in 1880 as a printing plant, stands at the Mulberry Street Bridge in South Allison Hill. Its mixed use of apartments and offices included a large, multi-room area for a nonprofit. The invitation to occupy the space could not have come at a better time. Erice said the center had outgrown the church basement. The accommodations at McFarland, where Danzante’s red sign hangs above the doorway, offer much greater space and efficiency.
Now, as Erice steps down, she said she is confident in Mehiel’s leadership. “She’s taking the organization into the 21st century with all her great ideas.” Mehiel said the long-term goal is to improve the quality of services for Danzante to become accredited as an arts program, allowing for more educational opportunities as well as scholarships.
Each year, between 400 and 500 students come through the program, learning to dance— Flamenco or ballet—play musical instruments and paint. Students are taught the Spanish culture and some of the language behind the dance and music.
Danzante works with other community groups in the city such as Gamut Theatre Group, Capital Area School for the Arts and Salvation Army. It coordinates after-school programs with the school district. This year, it received at $12,500 grant to help provide mentoring from the Harrisburg Institute of Messiah College.
“We were impressed with their application,” said Jill Osielski, the grant projects coordinator for the institute, which works to help address urban community needs while fostering mutual learning among students, educators and groups.
At the city’s Artsfest this year, while the students, dressed in traditional costume, danced and played music with Molinero leading on guitar, Mehiel said that Danzante’s mission is “empowering youth with art.” “It’s about teaching the kids that they’re making a commitment to this art form,” she said. “It’s important for the kids to know the end result: they’re showing the community their art and the community appreciates it.”
Danzante Community Arts Center,
200 Crescent St., www.danzante.org,
717-232-2615,
danzante@paonline.com.
