Youth in Focus

By Richard A. Ross

Young artists on stage

	TRR photos by Richard A. Ross. Graphic design by Pat Carullo. Talented singers and dancers in the first DVO production of "Young Artists Onstage." (Click for larger image)

NARROWSBURG, NY — Talent abounds when it comes to kids who excel in vocal music and dance on both sides of the Delaware River as evidenced by a showcasing of the future generation of the performing arts at the Tusten Theatre on October 26

Featured were students who study voice with either Carol Diefenbach or David Trombley and dance students of Tasha Williams from Braman Arts Conservatory and Joan Florence from Honesdale Dance Studio. The dancers performed an eclectic array of ballet, tap and modern dance. Diefenbach students included Tyler Corbin, Chelsie Patterson, Max Roche, Chloe Schaff and Sabrina Senft.

Trombley is a member of the vocal music department at the R.J. Kaiser Middle school in Monticello, NY. Marina Lombardi, a sixth grader is one of his students.

The talented Christina Pabon of Mountaindale, NY opened the show with a beautiful rendition of Rossini’s “La Promenssa.” Later, she sang Bellini’s “Aimen Se Non Poss’io.” She staggered the audience with the rapid fire “Zapateado,” by Gimenez.

Pabon is a senior at Fallsburg High School where she has starred in “Gypsy,” “South Pacific” and “Camelot.” She studies under Lynn Vardamann at the Manhattan School of Music and previously performed in a DVO production of “The Marriage of Figaro.”

Other fine singing highlights included Marina Lombardi’s versions of Lerner and Lowe’s “Wouldn’t it be Loverly,” and Rogers and Hammerstein’s “I Enjoy Being a Girl.”

Chloe Schaaf’s singing was very impressive. She performed “When Sonny Gets Blue” and “Johnny One Note.” Also noteworthy were Max Roche’s rendition of “The Impossible Dream” and Taylor Corbin’s singing of “the Lord’s Prayer.”

Dancers from Braman Arts Conservatory included Lindsey Bauer, Brianne Bidwell, Isabel Braverman and Corinna Grun. They performed Galliarde, Debussy’s “Preludes” and Blossom Time.

Honesdale Dance Studio performers included Angelica Becker, Kristi Ciaston, Jesse Florence, Melissa Fonalledas, Michelle Greene, Kelsie Horan, Alyson Irwin, Shannon Joyal, Melinda Keopke, Gina Krempasky, Jesssica Kuhn, Kristin Manookian, Julie Martin, Nicole Matthey, Jacqlyn Olecki, Nicole Rowland, Catherine Rumain, Emily Rumain, Bethany Stachowiak, Andrea Tasselmeyer, Stellie Tasselmeyer, Tammy Wagner, Marlea Lewis and Laken Wood.

The Honesdale Dancers gave a resounding tap rendition of “42nd Street,” “Rich Man’s Frug,” “Theme from James Bond” and a great staging of “Aladdin.”

The costumes of all of the dancers accentuated their fine performances. Judith Schaaf and Jim Corbin served as accompanists. It was the first of hopefully many such showcase performances presented by the Delaware Valley Opera.