<p>I have read a lot about Hartt Music and MT here…Anything about their dance program? My D is choosing between Hartt and PP (she’s auditioned at and been accepted to both) but PP is more affordable so it’s a tough decision…one that may have to be made simply from a $ standpoint. I believe both are good but wondered if others have experience</p>
<p>writingmore…I also don’t know much about Hartt’s dance program and my daughter is a dancer, but PPU has one of the strongest dance programs. Their dance department has an exceptional reputation. However, there are so many other differences between the two programs that I would research all aspects before making a decision. Have you visited both? I definitely think a visit is important before making such a big decision. Good luck and if you find any dance info on Hartt please share!</p>
<p>Yes, we’ve visited both (for the auditions) and my D knows of a student at Hartt who loves it. She also got a warm, enthusiastic feeling from the audition day and simply loved the audition- both ballet and modern. The modern teacher who interviewed her seemed very impressed w/ her dance background and my D left feeling very good about the whole event. Hartt remained her first choice. Also, it is close to home (within driving distance)However, she was also accepted into PP which she liked a lot- though we know less about PP and it requires air travel. PP scholarship made it just that much more affordable. I am slowly being convinced, after much research, that PP is very good as well- just a bigger adjustment due to distance, newness, etc…maybe a good thing afterall (but it was a heartbreak for her to be told she cannot go to Hartt due to the tuition…We’re close, but not close enough to the out of pocket expense. It is now about $42k. Her merit award, though appreciated, was minimal.</p>
<p>One thing my D does love about Point Park is that it seems to NOT be a party school AT ALL (correct me if I am wrong, anyone)…and she is not a party girl at all. Perhaps it’s partly due to the large # of commuters- I’m not sure.
But that is off topic as this is a Hartt thread…sorry!</p>
<p>Dynamic Arts Leader, Educator, and Performer Aaron A. Flagg Tapped for Hartts Top Job
Aaron A. Flagg, who has been executive director of the Music Conservatory of Westchester since July 2005, has been named dean of The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. Flagg, who has a dynamic career in performances, music administration and music education, will assume his new role on June 30, said University of Hartford President Walter Harrison and Provost Lynn Pasquerella in a joint statement.</p>
<p>Dr. Flagg brings tremendous intelligence, charisma, and enthusiasm to the position. We are very excited to welcome one of the best known young leaders in the arts into the University of Hartford community, said Pasquerella.</p>
<p>Dr. Flagg is a professional trumpet player. His diverse performance experience includes concerto and recital performances, as well as orchestral and chamber music experiences. He received his undergraduate and masters degrees at Juilliard and his doctorate from the University of Michigan.</p>
<p>At the Conservatory, Flagg oversaw all aspects of this community school of the arts, including its individual and group instruction in music, musical theater, music therapy for all ages, arts-in education programs for area schools, summer programs, and the Live on Central concert series. He directed the schools strategic planning process, secured the largest donation in the schools history, and added innovative programs such as a Vocal Academy and Hip Hop ensemble. Flagg created fall and spring open house Conservatory events with tours, teaching demonstrations, and student performances to showcase the schools offerings to the community.</p>
<p>I am honored to have been chosen to help lead The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. The history of excellence in music, the addition of Theatre and Dance Divisions, the strength of the Community Division, and the excitement around the Handel Performing Arts Center all create an incredible opportunity to brand a unique educational experience, Flagg said.</p>
<p>This experience will prepare Hartt students to reflect a tradition of excellence and instill confidence in them about their future in the performing arts field. As we release this incredible potential inside Hartt, it is equally important to note that all University of Hartford students, its other schools and colleges and the community at large will benefit from this effort.</p>
<p>Prior to his years in Westchester, Dr. Flagg was on the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School and served as its director of education outreach. While there, he developed eight educational and community outreach programs, which included college fellowships in interactive performance and teaching, community engagement initiatives, and the Music Advancement Program, a celebrated Saturday instrumental music program that reaches underserved children ages 8 to 14 who demonstrate musical potential and need.
As a professional trumpet player, Dr. Flagg has given master classes and recitals at Jackson State University and Fayetteville State University, and given lectures at the Curtis Institute, Oberlin College, and Carnegie Hall. He previously held the position of Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Connecticut.</p>
<p>His jazz performances include the Illinois Jacquet Big Band, the Music Outreach Jazz Ensemble, and the Aaron Flagg Quartet. He has toured with the Tania Leons Son Sonora Ensemble; recorded with Roberta Flack and operatic soprano Barbara Conrad; and performed with the New York Philharmonic, Manhattan Virtuosi, Lansing Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Illinois Jacquet Big Band, Wynton Marsalis, Gladys Knight, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, among others.</p>
<p>Dr. Flagg is currently a board member of the League of American Orchestras in New York and the Riverdale House Cooperative Corporation. He is also the chapter chair of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, New York Metro Area Region. He has served as a consultant to the University of Michigan, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, and the New York City Opera.</p>
<p>He received the Rising Star Award for Westchesters Forty under Forty in 2008, and the Martin Luther King Spirit Award from the University of Michigan. He was a national spokesman for the Music Educators National Conference in Virginia in 1999.</p>
<p>He has been a teaching artist for 15 years with organizations including the Lincoln Center Institute, Carnegie Hall Education, New York Philharmonic Education, Memphis Arts Council, Guggenheim Museum, and the New York City Opera. He has served as a consultant to major arts organizations and universities across the country. </p>
<p>He has been a panelist and presenter for the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America, Bank of America Excellence in Orchestra Education, Mellon Foundation, Massachusetts Arts Council, the Joyce Foundation, Polyphonic.org, and the Center for Arts Education.</p>
<p>Marin Ireland 00, a member of The Hartt Schools first Actor Training graduating class, has been nominated for a Tony Award for her role in the hit play, reasons to be pretty. She is the first graduate of the Hartt Theatre Division to be nominated for a Tony Award.
She also won the prestigious Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance during the 2008-2009 theatrical season. </p>
<p>Ireland, who is making her Broadway debut, was nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. Her fellow nominees in that category include Broadway icon Angela Lansbury and actresses Hallie Foote, Jessica Hynes, and Amanda Root. </p>
<p>Ireland has received rave reviews for her role in Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty, which opened on April 2 at New Yorks Lyceum Theatre. The play was nominated for three Tony Awards Best Play, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Thomas Sadoski, and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for Ireland. </p>
<p>The 2009 Tony Awards will be presented on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall. The event will be broadcast live on CBS. For more information on the Tony Awards, visit <a href=“http://www.tonyawards.com%5B/url%5D”>www.tonyawards.com</a>. </p>
<p>Ireland also is featured in American Theatre magazines May-June issue</p>
<p>Does the Hartt acting program have cuts? I was reading through the student handbook online and it mentions the sophmore evaluations. If a student is doing everything they’re supposed to (grades, effort, etc.) would they be cut from the program? Or is this just for students that are not putting forth the effort to succeed?</p>
<p>There are no official “cuts” at Hartt</p>
<p>If they feel you aren’t progressing like you should, they would suggest you leave the program.</p>
<p>The end of every semester there are evaluations/juries to see how you are progressing. If they see you aren’t where they think you should be theyll ask you to leave.</p>
<p>But no official cuts.</p>
<p>(I’m an MT major at Hartt)</p>
<p>News about Hartt Alums on tour and Broadway:
[The</a> Hartt School | Music Dance Theatre > News](<a href=“The Hartt School - University of Hartford”>The Hartt School - University of Hartford)</p>
<p>Can you tell me if it would be more beneficial for my daughter to audition on-campus vs. auditioning at Unifieds in NYC? Also, will there be a dance component to the auditions at Unifieds as well as on-campus? Thanks.</p>
<p>At Unifieds last year and the year before there was no dance audition. I would call the school just to make sure nothing has changed. My daughter as well as 2 of her classmates from our high school were accepted from a Unified audition. The only advantage I would think of going to the school is that the early audition will let you know pretty early on and it takes some stress off of you if you have a BFA acceptance going in to the audition circuit.</p>
<p>I thought that my D did a dance audition at Unifieds for Hartt two years ago.</p>
<p>Just to clarify, there was no dance audition at the New York unifieds. Sometimes they differ per location.</p>
<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>Please note that Hartt will hold dance auditions at the Unified Theatre Auditions for MT applicants.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information. I will pass it along to other students of mine who are planning to apply.</p>