Summer Sign-Up Splash, a free event featuring activities for children and adults and lots of information about summer camps, will be held Saturday, March 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Patel Conservatory at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts (formerly Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.)

Five hours of live entertainment, tours of the Patel Conservatory and games and prizes for children will be a few highlights of Summer Sign-Up Splash.

Parents and children can meet summer camp teachers, tour the Patel Conservatory and parents can obtain information about summer camps from organizations all over the Tampa Bay area, including the Patel Conservatory.

March 20 will also be the last day of the Patel Conservatory’s Early Bird Tuition Discount: those who register for any of the 70 Conservatory summer courses and camps will save 10 percent on tuition.

Patel Conservatory camps begin June 7 and run through August, and last from one to three weeks.

As part of the non-profit David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, the Patel Conservatory, at 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Pl, offers classes for children and adults of all experience levels in all kinds of dance, music and theater. More information is available by calling 813.222.1002 and by visiting www.patelconservatory.org.

WHO: Patel Conservatory at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center)

WHAT: Sherrill Milnes leads master class.

WHEN: Friday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: TECO Theater at the Patel Conservatory at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL 33602

DETAILS: World-renowned operatic baritone and Opera Tampa Artistic Adviser Sherrill Milnes will critique and coach singers in this master class, which is open to the public for observation. Milnes selected these five singers, who applied from around the world. Winner of three Grammy® awards, Milnes is internationally recognized as the leading Verdi Baritone of his time. He performed in every great opera hall in the world, such as La Scala in Milan and Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, and performed for every United States president since Gerald Ford. His remarkable voice, artistic integrity, commanding stage presence and rugged looks made him a favorite for all audiences.
Teaching young singers has been a passion for Milnes, who has led master classes at the Julliard and Manhattan Schools in New York and at many major universities throughout the country. He’s taught more extensively at the Yale University School of Music and other universities internationally.
Tickets for this master class are pay-what-you can and reservations are being accepted at 813.222.1002; space is limited. More information is available at www.patelconservatory.org.

Rock School Blowout, a free concert showcasing the Patel Conservatory’s Rock School students, will be held Saturday, March 27, at 1 p.m. on the Riverwalk at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.)

Led by instructors Lee Ahlin and Paul Stoddart, Rock School students 10 through adult who have formed 12 bands will show off what they’ve learned as they play modern and classic rock and roll tunes by artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Cars, the Beatles and Foo Fighters.

Blankets and stadium seats are permitted for this outdoor event; chairs with legs are not. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

“Rock School Blowout is just a great time. It’s a blast to sit out by the beautiful Hillsborough River with friends, and eat, drink and be merry while listening to a free concert by some really talented local folks. It’s a nice sense of community,” said Lee Ahlin, lead instructor for Rock School.
Rock School is a 12-week Patel Conservatory class in which students are placed in bands and instructors teach them to improve their individual musical and performance skills. Each session ends with a blowout concert.

WHO: Patel Conservatory at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center)

WHAT: Free master class with Orlando Ballet School Director Peter Stark.

WHEN: Sunday, March 21, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. for advanced students and from 3 to 4:30 p.m. for intermediate students

WHERE: Patel Conservatory, David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts
1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL 33602

DETAILS: Peter Stark, director of Orlando Ballet School, will teach both master classes. Stark studied dance with Andre and Leda Eglevsky and at the School of American Ballet. He danced leading roles at New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet and Washington Ballet. While with the Boston Ballet, Stark danced with Maria and Fernando Bujones, under artistic director Bruce Marks. Stark served as the assistant to Bujones and as interim executive director at Ballet Mississippi. Stark was appointed director of Orlando Ballet School in 2000 and has coached award-winning dancers who went on to receive positions in a myriad of professional ballet companies. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, Stark has received honors such as Central Florida Arts Educator of the Year and was featured on the cover of Dance Teacher Magazine.
These master classes for children in grades five to 12 offer an opportunity for placement in the 2009-2010 academic year program and summer programs at the Patel Conservatory. Stark teaches ballet classes weekly at the Patel Conservatory through Orlando Ballet School’s partnership with the Patel Conservatory.
Prerequisite: To be eligible for the intermediate master class, students must have had at least three years of consecutive ballet training. To participate in the advanced master class, students must have studied ballet for at least four consecutive years and females must have studied en pointe for at least two years.