Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts announces registration open house January 6

WINONA, Minn. — The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts will host its semester II registration open house Thursday, Jan. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m., at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th.

Registration for the Winona Area Youth Singers (WAYS) choir, private music lessons, and semester II dance classes will be accepted at the open house. Tours of the facility will be available, refreshments will be served, and students will have the opportunity to meet new and returning faculty and staff.

Additionally, students can be fitted for all their dance attire needs at the open house. MCA’s dance attire boutique offers quality basics including leotards, tights, ballet slippers, jazz shoes and tap shoes.

Dance class offerings, beginning Jan. 10, are available for children ages 3 to adults and include beginning through advanced levels in classical ballet, tap, jazz, creative movement and modern, hip hop, and a special tuition-free boys and men program. This year’s tuition-free dance program for boys and young men offers workshops with guest artist Tony Smith April 4-8. This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Sewell Family Foundation.

Semester II also provides programming specifically for beginning teens and adults by offering classes in partnership with Winona County Community Education including: Clogging I, Clogging II, Dance Fitness, Power Piyo, and Teen and Adult Ballet. Academic credit is available through Cotter High School and Saint Mary’s University for a variety of MCA dance classes. Intermediate and advanced dancers ages 13 to 25 are encouraged to audition for MCA’s Dance Repertory Company contemporary spring concert. Auditions are 6 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Valéncia Arts Center.

The official youth choir of the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, WAYS, offers students in grades 4 through 8 additional educational and choral performance opportunities. Semester II of WAYS begins Jan. 24. Members will participate in weekly rehearsal sessions, community outreach events, and a spring concert.

Placement auditions for new choral students interested in becoming WAYS members will take place Thursday, Jan.13. Call WAYS director Lindsy O’Shea at (507) 453-5503 to arrange a specific audition time. WAYS is being offered tuition free for the 2010-2011 academic year. This tuition waiver is made possible in part by grant funding from the Young Singer’s Foundation.

MCA’s semester II offers private music lessons in: flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, euphonium, violin/fiddle, mandolin, piano and voice. Private music lessons are $75 for five 30-minute lessons or $140 for 10 lessons.

MCA Semester II music and dance programming provides 5-12 weeks of instruction, depending on the specific course/activity. Dance classes conclude with a demonstration week March 28-April 2. Dancers in the Dance Repertory Company will perform in the company’s annual spring concert April 28-30. WAYS will conclude the semester with the presentation of a spring concert on April 18. Tuition for MCA classes varies depending on course length and level. Discounts and scholarships are available.

For more information about MCA’s open house, dance classes, WAYS, private music lessons or future performances, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call (507) 453-5500.