News & Updates
A Fresh Approach to Say No to Drugs
The students file into the auditorium and settle in for another assembly, expecting the usual – a speaker will tell them to work hard, don’t take drugs and make good choices, etc, etc. They’ve seen it all.
But they haven’t met Derick Cross aka D. Cross. The poet and visual artist takes the microphone and starts beatboxing, using his mouth to make the sounds of drums and record scratches. He then mixes in raps about avoiding opioids and get the students to join in a call-and-response chant.
Read MoreMaking the Arts Truly Accessible to Everyone
bergenPAC’s nonprofit mission is to make live performing arts and arts education more accessible to everyone in the community. However, one of its original founders and Chairman Emeritus, Edmondo Schwartz, realized that simply bringing headliners to town wasn’t enough if some residents could never visit to the theater.
So he created the vision for the Arts Access Initiative....
Read MoreSandy Bennett Art Gallery Celebrates the Fine Arts
While the word “performing” is centered in its name, bergenPAC’s mission is to make all forms of art more accessible to the community. As part of that, The Sandy Bennett Art Gallery features a different visual artist each month – many from Bergen County.
Read MoreCelebrating Senior Health & Fitness Day
Today marks the 27th annual National Senior Health & Fitness Day. Held the last Wednesday of May, the goal is to help keep older Americans healthy and fit. That’s also been one of bergenPAC’s goals for years as part of its nonprofit mission to make live performing arts and arts education more accessible to everyone in the community.
Read MorePerforming Arts School Seeks Its Cinderella By Video
“The show must go on” is a classic saying in theater embodying the idea that entertainers let nothing stop them. In keeping with that spirit, The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC is now holding video auditions for its 10th annual summer musical, Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
Read MoreVirtual Performing Arts School Ready to Grow
After a successful launch of its online instruction, The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC is excited to soon expand its offerings, including its renowned Master Class series and virtual summer camps.
Read MoreGarden State Plaza and bergenPAC Partner to Spread the Joy of Entertainment
Bergen Performing Arts Center launched a partnership with the Westfield Garden State Plaza to present free family events a year ago, kicking it off on April 17, 2019 with a special appearance by beloved comedian Vic DiBitetto. The mall may be closed for now, but that hasn’t stopped the show from going on.
Read MoreFrom West Side Story to NYU: An Actress Looks to Change the World
Studying theater, music or dance can open a person’s eyes to the immense possibilities ahead of them and develop the traits needed to succeed in life. While not every student in The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC’s summer musicals pursues a professional career in the arts, there are a growing number of accomplished alumni establishing themselves in the entertainment industry.
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The Performing Arts School
The Performing Arts School provides arts education to students age 3 months to 21 years throughout Northern New Jersey. With classes in all types of performing arts, outreach programs throughout the state, and programming for children with special needs, every donation helps create more opportunities for new artists.
