BASSETERRE St. Kitts – VISUAL and performing arts have always been a pastime for many persons - just something to do in one’s spare time or as a volunteer for an upcoming community event. Who ever thought that one could make a successful business out of it?
Genieve Hanley always had a steadfast love for visual and performing arts but that was overpowered by her professional practice which involved Marketing, Public Relations, Sales, Special Projects & Events Management, Education, Choreography, among others.
One year ago, Hanley decided to take her knowledge of Business Management and her skills in the field of arts and combine them to create a very unique business - A business where the young and old could learn all genres of visual and performing arts and the building of self-worth.
LEAP - The Learning & Empowerment through the Arts Programme - was launched on January 9th, 2010.
‘To nurture healthy minds, personalities and bodies through the power of the arts’ is the simple, yet powerful mission of LEAP. Using primarily dance, drama and other genres of the performing as well as the visual arts as instruments for learning and self-esteem building, Hanley said LEAP provides a fresh, fun, comprehensive curriculum of classes and activities which facilitate the free exchange of knowledge, creative ideas, expressions and experiences.
Hanley explained her reason for creating a visual and performing arts business.
“It is my unwavering passion for the arts that has led me to the establishment of such a programme. Apart from art being enjoyable, I truly believe that it can be a powerful tool for personal, social and even professional development, exploration, education and empowerment. Therefore, LEAP was founded with the intention to extend such beneficial experiences to as many persons as possible in the Federation,” she said.
“LEAP,” Hanley said, “caters to youngsters from the tender age of 4, right through to adult years. Students are initially placed into LEAP’s various sub-groups primarily based on their age. Bouncers, for students aged four to five; Skippers, for ages six to seven; Hoppers, for ages eight to 12; Springers, for teenagers; Prancers for Adults; and the drama group Risers for various ages.”
LEAP does not stay in the studio alone. Like any other business, it markets itself to the public, showing off what its students are learning and are capable of.
“In April, LEAP staged its first ever musical theatre production entitled ‘I’ve Got A Feeling!’ and reviews were all rave. The show was a unique presentation of the range of talents and skills our students possess in dance, drama, song, visual art, and more.
“In May, LEAP upgraded its studio facilities to feature a state-of-the-art dance floor, perfect for the training of professional dancers. LEAP is about constant progress, and there is always something special in the making,” Hanley stated.
LEAP does not plan to stay there!
Recently, LEAP announced that for the first time ever, it will be hosting its very own summer camp! The name of the camp ‘STAR Camp’ incorporates an acronym for Summer Training in Art & Recreation. It will be four weeks long, starting on Monday 18th July and ending on Friday 12th August, 2011, providing a rich schedule of activities for anyone age six and up.
Campers can look forward to engagement in the a wide range of art forms and activities with specially-trained Camp Facilitators and Special Guests, including the reigning Miss Caribbean World, Sudeakka Francis.
The Camp will feature dance, drama & theatrics, music, visual art (craft, drawing and painting), film & photography, literary art, health & beauty, games (indoor and outdoor), etiquette, and pageant performance training.
Hanley boasts that for the future, the possibilities with LEAP are limitless.
She said, “The public can look forward to a continued increase in performances and special presentations of our work as well as expansions to our repertoire of arts classes and special activities. Our current students can look forward to further enrichment of their sessions, as they continue to blossom.
“LEAP, in the span of just over one year, has grown from 50 students to in excess of 100, and has jumped from hosting three dance classes to a minimum of seven weekly. We will certainly carry on, on this note of growth and improvement, in order to ensure that as many persons as possible are reaping the many benefits that engagement with the arts has to offer. Our staff and students have lots of exciting surprises in store!”
Currently, all LEAP dance sessions are an hour and a half long. Children’s dance classes are held every Saturday, and are slated between the hours of 10:30am and 6:00pm. Adult dance sessions are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (7:00pm – 8:30pm). Drama classes are held every Sunday at 5:00pm – 7:00pm.
All sessions are housed in the LEAP Studio, located at the former Angelus Hotel Property in Frigate Bay.
To contact LEAP to enquire about classes, camp or for any reason at all, anyone can email leapsk@gmail.com, or contact the Managing Director, Genieve Hanley at (869)-760-1500 or interact with them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/leapsk.
