Press Releases
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, is pleased to open applications to its popular summer academies in the arts for the 2019 session. The institution began offering its flagship academy, the Casa Romantica Music Festival and Academy, in 2015, and followed with the Summer Dance Workshop one year later. Both academies are two weeks long and provide instruction as well as STEAM-based learning activities to children of all skill levels. Applications for the academies, which take place in July, opened on February 1 and will close on May 1.
Casa Romantica’s academies are distinguished by their paradigm of offering: highly qualified professional instruction with private, one-on-one and small group training, offered tuition-free. This extraordinary deal is made possible due to underwriting by San Clemente-based philanthropists, in accordance with Casa Romantica’s mission to make the arts accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. Even the Family Membership prerequisite may be covered by CasaRomantica based on need. In addition to tuition coverage, Casa Romantica provides free instrument rentals and lunch for Music Academy students, and free snacks for Dance Workshop students (who attend for a half day instead of a full day).
The Music Festival and Academy is underwritten by Dr. Ron and Margaret Redmond, and the Summer Dance Workshop is underwritten by Bonnie Koch.
“Studies have shown that children who study music and dance develop better focus, higher self-confidence, and a better long-term memory. In turn, the foundations of performing arts drive these individuals to achieve greater success in higher education, teamwork, and critical thinking,” says Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika D. Palys. “We are passionate about providing these opportunities to deserving children throughout Orange County, regardless of their background or previous experience. Every child should have the right to an arts education, and Casa Romantica makes that possible.”
About the Casa Romantica Music Festival and Academy
underwritten by Dr. Ron and Margaret Redmond
The Casa Romantica Music Festival and Academy is a two-week academy that provides free instruction for cello, violin, viola, and piano for selected applicants between the ages of 8-13. Activities include daily private lessons, practice, music theory, and group activities in the arts. It operates daily from 9 AM-3 PM on Monday to Friday, and some weekend commitments are required. The Academy includes a free public faculty concert halfway through the session, and concludes with a free public student recital.
2019 Faculty
Dr. Kevin Garnica – Specializing in Collaborative Piano, Garnica received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. Furthermore, Garnica won the ASCAP Composition Competition for his piano piece Sonata for Scriabin.
Launa Kressin – Kressin has been playing the violin for 22 years and the viola for 10 years. She currently plays the violin with the South Coast Symphony Orchestra. She also teaches for Pacific Symphony’s Santa Ana Strings Program and Chapman University.
Christopher McCarthy – McCarthy is currently the Assistant Principal Cellist at the Dana Point Symphony, and has worked with the Montage Civic Orchestra, Orange Coast College Orchestra, Irvine Valley College Orchestra, and the Crystal Cathedral Hour of Power Orchestra.
Brenda Vincent – Vincent is a professional violinist and instructor who attended The Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California and John Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory of Music. Vincent’s accomplishments include winning grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in order to transcribe the recording of American jazz violinist Stuff Smith and the “Honorable Mention” award from American Music Initiative.
About the Summer Dance Workshop
Underwritten by Bonnie Koch
The Summer Dance Workshop is a two-week academy that offers lessons in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop to children ages 7 – 12 of all skill levels. Activities include daily group lessons, improvisation classes, and choreography classes to give dancers creative movement opportunities. It operates daily from 9 AM-12 PM on Monday to Thursday, and concludes with a free public student recital.
Faculty
Blaire Ostendorf – After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Alternative Medicine, Ostendorf signed with BLOC Talent Agency in the Commercial and Dance Departments as a professional dancer. This triggered many opportunities for Ostendorf, who has danced on several television shows, and music videos with musical acts such as Paula Abdul, Fergie, and Kendrick Lamar.
Brittany Greenshields – Greenshields has been dancing since the age of five and has since competed in various jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and hip hop dance competitions. As a business and dance student at California State University, Long Beach, Greenshields continues to engage in the dance community by teaching students ages 3 and up at the Underground Dance Company in Laguna Hills.
Mychal Gabb – For over 20 years, Gabb has been choreographing, performing, and achieving awards of excellence. Gabb specializes in rhythm tap, hip hop choreo, and tutting. Gabb was the first dancer to receive the Angels of the Arts dance scholarship for his college studies. Furthermore, Gabb is currently the Artistic Director of “NXT LVL,” a pre-professional dance company for emerging teenage dancers.
About Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens maintains a robust series of year-round programs in arts, music, history, horticulture, and literature for all ages. Under the leadership of Executive Director Berenika Schmitz, Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including Casa Coastal: Rebecca Louise Law (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Contemporary Dance Collective (2017; contemporary dance), The Beauty of the Butterfly (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Carrie Lee Riggins (2016; contemporary dance), Casa Drama: Slings & Arrows (2015; theater), and Open Casa: The Photographs of Douglas Kirkland (2015; visual art). The 2017-18 Casa Captivating season includes a new jazz series, visual and performing arts commissions, and an enhanced wellness program.
“Casa Romantica strives to be the epicenter for innovative artistic experiences in our southern California community,” says Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika Palys.
Casa Romantica also hosts a variety of free arts education programs for children year-round. The institution’s annual Casa Romantica Music Festival and Academy has received critical praise for its comprehensive two-week music studies program in cello, piano, viola, and violin. Casa Romantica also offers a Summer Dance Workshop, a Spring Break Arts Week, various art, literature, and horticulture events to grades K-12, and welcomes over 2,000 children from the Capistrano Unified School District each year for STEAM-based field trips that examine the history of San Clemente and the coastal environment.
Mission Statement: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and is the historic home of the founder of the City of San Clemente. Casa Romantica provides programs for all ages in arts, music, history, and horticulture and is a premier Southern California cultural center.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is located at 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672. Hours: Tuesday—Thursday 11 am—4 pm; Friday—Sunday 10am—2pm; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
