Kids Take Center Stage at BAAY
by Theresa Carpine3/24/2008 6:04:48 PM
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What are some of your child’s favorite activities for at-home play? Most kids can keep themselves entertained for hours with pursuits like singing, playing dress-up, and storytelling. If you’d like to help your child develop these talents and get them interacting with other kids, there’s a great local organization that helps kids get excited about the arts: Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth, or BAAY.
BAAY was founded about three years ago by David Post, who has been directing choirs from elementary age to college level since 1983. Previously, he had started a similar children's theatre program in his hometown, Ukiah, California, called Vivace Arts Alive. “It was a place for people who were passionate about the arts,” David said.
But after a few years, he was ready for a change. “I’d been to Bellingham briefly and always dreamed of living here. I realized that there wasn’t much going on for kids and theatre, so I came up and started posting flyers and talking to school teachers.” He rented space at a church to begin the first choir and BAAY performed their first musical, “Annie,” in 2003. “We started with 8 kids and now we’re approaching 150 attendees per week for our various classes,” he said.
There are several programs that make up the BAAY catalogue. “We have four different choirs for young people from ages 5 to 14; together they make up the Bellingham Children’s Choir,” David explained. “We also have a musical theatre program for kids ages 5 to 7 called Pixy Theatre Company. For ages 8 to 14, we have the BAAY Children’s Theatre.”
Last year, their production of “Peter Pan” at the Mt. Baker Theatre was seen by 3,000 people, and over 100 kids auditioned for their upcoming production of “Grease Jr.” Imagine having that many kids on stage together at once, let alone getting a solid performance out of them.
“We’re very committed to quality,” David said. “We help the kids learn focus and proper vocal technique. They get to work together toward a common goal and learn teamwork in a non-competitive environment. And we have a great parent group to help keep a positive attitude. It’s important to us that the kids learn a sense of community and the benefits of striving for quality on a team.”
Along with the regular BAAY choirs and activities, David also teaches choral music at Lowell Elementary School and recently added a Friday and Saturday night drop-off program called BAAY Blast. For just $15, parents can drop the kids (ages 7 to 14) at BAAY from 6 PM to 10 PM. Parents have time for dinner and a movie while the kids can have a night out themselves. At BAAY Blast, kids participate in arts-enrichment games, like dance and improv acting, make crafts, and watch a movie too.
All BAAY activities take place at the corner of N. State and E. Maple, which is also home to Bellingham Preschool of the Arts, owned and managed by David. With teacher Nancy Smith, who has over 20 years experience in early childhood development and education, their school offers a curriculum that helps preschoolers learn in a tranquil environment with a 1 to 5 teacher/child ratio. The program incorporates the arts into all the aspects of learning, from dance to science to foreign language, and also focuses on helping kids develop socially and emotionally. “There’s really nothing else like this preschool in Bellingham,” David said, who hopes to increase enrollment for the summer and next fall.
Bellingham Preschool of the Arts
Photo by Phil Rose
With so much on his plate already, David shows no signs of slowing down. He's got a full schedule planned through the summer and fall for BAAY, including a day camp and multiple productions. He’s also starting a new family magazine for Whatcom County called Thrive. Starting in June, the Whatcom Independent will distribute Thrive as a monthly insert. The magazine is full of inspiring stories, photographs of families and kids, and unique Bellingham opportunities that parents and kids won’t want to miss.
When asked about what he hopes for the future of BAAY, David did not hesitate in his response. “I’d like BAAY to become a world-class performing arts institute for young people that also includes an academic achievement center and tutoring program. And I think the next phase for teens is to start a leadership program. They would write scripts, design sets, and market their own productions so they can see what it takes to run their own theatre company. Then we'd help them use those skills for the benefit of the community, both at home and abroad.” He paused, and with a smile, he added, “We’d also like to build a 450-seat theatre with classrooms and extra space to make these things happen.”
Find out about all the creative learning opportunities that David and his team offer by visiting BAAY. Even if your child isn’t ready to participate in BAAY classes, you can still support the program and expose your kids to the arts by attending the family-friendly “Grease Jr.” performances this May.