What is Center Stage Theatricals and Center Stage Kids?
Center Stage Theatricals, was formed as an LLC in the summer of 2008. It stemmed from the Volusia County Community Schools' Summer Musical Theater Camp for Children. Under the Community Schools, the program existed for nearly 10 years. Due to school board budget cuts, the Community Schools program was dissolved, as were many of the programs that fell under it's umbrella. Knowing the importance of performing arts programs for youth, and seeing these programs cut from the public schools; Center Stage Theatricals; featuring Center Stage Kids (children from New Smyrna Beach, Deland, Deltona, Port Orange, Daytona Beach, Holly Hill, Ponce Inlet, and Ormond Beach, FL) was created to pick up where the Community Schools' Summer Musical Theater Camp left off. Center Stage began it’s inaugural season in the summer of 2008, with an enrollment of 98 students and productions of Grease and Disney's Mulan to sold out audiences. In November, of 2009, Center Stage Theatricals’ pilot production of Disney’s Aladdin KIDS raised over $1000.00 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The production was a world premiere and was used as the basis for the official script published and released by Disney and Music Theater International. (Photos of the Center Stage Kids' production are prominently featured on the pages of the new script, which will be available world-wide!) The following summer brought Disney's High School Musical 2 Jr. and Disney's Alice in Wonderland Jr. to the stage! Students traveled to Atlanta to participate in the Junior Theatrer Festival where they worked with Broadway actors, dancers, directors, and choreographers, and even met legendary composer Stephen Schwartz (WIcked, Godspell, Pippin, Enchanted). Several students were then selected to attend a workshop in New York City to help develop Disney's new version of Pinnochio. In 2010, 23 students ages 5-10, piloted andproduced the world premiere of Disney's new stage version of WInnie The Pooh KIDS, based on the film to be released in the Summer of 2011.
As a small, independent theatrical organization, Center Stage Theatricals is one of the very few in the county that receives no outside sources of income from the city, county, schools, etc., but retains the simple goal: to bring unique theatrical opportunities to as many to children and families as possible, to promote the power and benefits of the performing arts, and to be an asset to the community. In fact, the Center Stage Theatricals’ production of Disney’s Aladdin KIDS raised over $1500.00 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Cypress Creek Elementary School.
As a small, independent theatrical organization, Center Stage Theatricals is one of the very few in the county that receives no outside sources of income from the city, county, schools, etc., but retains the simple goal: to bring unique theatrical opportunities to as many to children and families as possible, to promote the power and benefits of the performing arts, and to be an asset to the community. In fact, the Center Stage Theatricals’ production of Disney’s Aladdin KIDS raised over $1500.00 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Cypress Creek Elementary School.
David Bell
Director
David Bell with legendary composer Stephen Schwartz
David Bell has developed and directed summer theater programs for six schools and two theaters. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and taught high school English and Drama full time in Stuart, Florida. He began his theatrical career at age 12 and has acted in, produced, directed, and worked on community, semiprofessional, and professional productions throughout Florida, and also appeared in a feature film. Several years ago, he had the pleasure of performing with and directing his friend, Alicia Minshew, (All My Children’s Kendall Hart) in the musicals Little Shop of Horrors and Godspell. David worked as a substitute teacher for Volusia County Schools. He is employed by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Department and is the owner, drama instructor, and artistic director of Center Stage Theatricals, featuring the Center Stage Kids Musical Theater Camp, producing such shows as Grease, Mulan, Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka, The Little Mermaid, Toy Story, The Wizard of Oz, and High School Musical. Center Stage Kids produced the pilot and world premier of Disney’s new version of Aladdin Kids, and WInnie The Pooh KIDS, lending ideas and concepts that have been incorporated in the script being published and distributed by Disney, worldwide! HE also directed one of the very first productions of Disney’s High School Musical 2 Jr. His group was one of 50, out of 35,000 selected to perform in Atlanta for Music Theater International’s Junior Theater Festival.
Deborah Coe
Choreographer
Deborah Coe owned and operated her own studio in the Daytona Beach area for 14 years before returning to college to earn her Master’s Degree in Dance Pedagogy. She has taught and choreographed in the dance programs at Western Kentucky University and Texas A&M University. In addition to teaching in Daytona Beach she teaches master classes and teacher training workshops throughout the state. Ms. Coe holds memberships in Florida Dance Masters, and the Educational Kinesiology Foundation. She has been tested and certified as a dance adjudicator by the National Dance Teachers Council of America and judges at numerous dance competitions nationally. Her students have gone on to dance professionally in venues from Disney World to the Joffrey Ballet. She has served on the Artistic Board for the Daytona Beach Civic Ballet, the Lauren Cox Memorial Scholarship Concert Series and the Board of Directors of Florida Dance Masters. She is the co-director of the ADC Outreach Performance Program. Click here to see some of her articles on dance. She also authors an informational blog at dancestudiocorner@blogspot.com. Most recently her choreography was presented awards including: “High Score of the Competition”, “Best Choreography”, “Best of Show” and a special award for “Flowing Transitions.” Her goal is to use the discipline dance offers as a tool to help students be successful in all of their endeavors.
Debbie MacDonald
Choreographer
Debby MacDonald; choreographer started studying music and dance at an early age in Canada and by the age of 11 she knew she wanted to choreograph. She graduated UCLA with a B.A. in theater, then was off to teach at Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Beverly Hills. She has taught and performed in the L.A. area from many years at various studios and colleges while working on t.v. and in films and theater. Her dance style includes tap, ballet, jazz, hiphop, ballroom, musical theater, and she offers acting classes through the Ormond Beach Rec Center. This will be her 8th year with Center Stage Kids, having choreographed such shows as Alice In Wonderland, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Annie, The Music Man, High School Musical and High School Musical 2 for the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta.
Amanda Bell
Choreographer
Amanda Bell has been the owner and director of Amanda’s Dance Center for over 13 years, where she teaches ballet, jazz, point, tap, and acrobatics. Prior to her taking over the studio, she was a 13-year alumnus of Debco School of Dance. As a member of the “Debco Dancers” Competition Group, Amanda taught for 4 years and also won numerous awards and scholarships. She is currently a member-through test certification of Florida Dance Masters. She has served on their board of directors, and is currently on the scholarship committee. She is also the Artistic Director of the Lauren Cox Memorial Benefit Concert in Ormond Beach. Amanda’s students can be seen performing at various community events and have won numerous awards and scholarships on the regional and national level. Most recently her dancers won Gold & Platinum awards at OnStage NY’s Nationals Competition in Orlando. “Exceptional Choreography” awards were given to Amanda & Shannon for the creation of those dances as well a “Class Act” Award for the studio demonstrating appropriate costuming & etiquette. Some of her students have even gone on to dance & perform at Oklahoma City University, Tisch School of the Arts, University of Florida and Florida State- one student is currently in the Theater Program at FSU.
In addition to teaching at the studio, Amanda has been a guest choreographer and instructor for several Florida Dance Master events in West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Sanford. She also choreographed the American Musical Theater production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Seabreeze High School, the world premier of Disney’s New version of Aladdin with Center Stage Kids, and was the dance & acrobatic instructor for the Atlantic Center for the Arts at the Harris House for the past three summers. This season Amanda is developing a dance curriculum that can be integrated into the after-school programs & daycare to bring the benefits of dance to those kids that are unable to attend studio classes. Her three greatest productions are her sons Dillon Matthew and Addison Lee and daughter Caydon Hawley!
