DATE: Friday, October 10, 1997              TAG: 9710090225

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 20   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   71 lines

SHOWCASE HIGHLIGHTS PERFORMERS WHO COMPLEMENT SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Shakespeare with swagger. A string quartet playing the ``Funky Chicken.''

It was all part of Showfest '97, presented recently by Young Audiences of Virginia at the Church of the Ascension and again in Richmond.

The live performing arts grab bag is Young Audiences' annual event to showcase, for educators and parent teacher association representatives, the acts that the organization makes available for school presentations. Some 25 solo artists and performing groups turned out to put on almost 40 scaled-down, 20 minute performances.

``Our guest artists come from all over,'' said Young Audiences' executive director, Eilene Rosenblum. ``Some are from Maryland, New York, the Midwest and all over Virginia. We also feature a lot of local talent. We only use professional artists who also perform their craft before adult audiences.''

Those attending got to choose between five acts going on simultaneously in five different rooms, in an atmosphere resembling a three-ring circus.

About 100 attendees to Showfest '97 came from throughout Hampton Roads, including both Southside and the Peninsula.

``Young Audiences compliments the mission of the schools to educate the whole child,'' said a pleased Robert Driscoll, coordinator of curriculum for Isle of Wight County Schools, after viewing a performance. ``This is one aspect of arts education but it is a major component. Children are surrounded by CDs and videos but we want to expose them to the arts in a live context. And it is very affordable.''

This year, Young Audiences has 56 different programs listed in its catalog, said Rosenblum. The cost to bring a performance to a school runs between $300 and $700 although, she pointed out, programs could be booked at Showfest for a 10 percent discount. Many of those present were taking advantage of the bargain. Said Rosenblum: ``Last school year, we booked 1,600 performances. About 200 of them resulted from Showfest. And we're running ahead of that this year.''

Program offerings include titles such as ``The Royalty of Jazz,'' ``Kicked Back Classics,'' ``Shakespeare After School,'' ``Circus in a Suitcase,'' ``Tales from Virginia'' and ``Stories from Ancient China.'' All are presented in a lively, upbeat, informal manner, designed to hook youngsters raised on MTV, special effects, surround sound, and multiple media presentations.

``Young Audiences exists to give children exposure to the arts,'' explained dance teacher Darlene Kelly, from Virginia Beach, who was performing as a dancer in ``Music in Motion.'' ``In the four years we've been in existence working with Young Audiences, we've had the opportunity to dance all over the state. We give kids the opportunity to learn about proper behavior at a performance and exposure to the art of dance. We enjoy giving the exposure to the kids. We love that. The kids are great.''

Young Audiences was founded more than 50 years ago and currently has 32 chapters nationwide. Young Audiences of Virginia got its start more than 40 years ago. Statewide headquarters are in the Koger Executive Center, in Norfolk, with a satellite office in Richmond.

``I think it is a wonderful opportunity for our students in school to get close up on professional entertainers in the arts, including drama, theater, music, and dance,'' said Mike Hodgis, Norfolk Public Schools' senior coordinator of music education. ``We really take advantage of it. This year, we're putting out extra effort to introduce students to the arts as part of a multicultural program. We're fortunate to have the home office of Young Artists right here.'' MEMO: For more information, call Young Artists of Virginia at 466-7555. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS

Darlene Kelly, left, and Audra Chappell, both of Virginia Beach,

perform in ``Music in Motion'' during the Young Audiences Showfest

'97.

Showfest performer Scott Jackson is with the Virginia Symphony.

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