danielmaney

This year celebrates the 40th year that sugarplum fairies and toy soldiers have danced their way into the hearts of those in Jackson County thanks to a local ballet instructor. With three sold-out performances this week, the woman behind it all looks back at the last 40 years. According to Jo Ann Christopher, artistic director of Melange Dance Company, which is housed at the Studio of Dance and Gymnastics – where she also teaches ballet – in Pascagoula, Melange is the only ballet company to have presented “The Nutcracker” Ballet in Jackson County. read more

It’s called Musaic, a term created from the fusion of “music” and “mosaic,” because it’s a place where performing arts and visual arts intersect. Musaic Productions is the cheerfully colorful building on Market Street in Pascagoula that offers its students, mostly ages 5-17, a one-stop shop for honing their skills.  “The mission of Musaic is to tune and train talent, and what we want to do is to provide opportunity for students to showcase their talents,” said Musaic owner and director Leah Rollins. Musaic students can take lessons in singing, musical instruments, and musical theater, while participants in its Premiere group do it all–sing, act, dance and play instruments. Rollins herself has a wealth of experience and expertise to share as a music teacher. Rollins’ bio includes two decades of experience as a classroom music teacher, plus an extensive body of work as a professional singer and songwriter. Read More :  Where Music and Art Come Together