Dear Vanguard Family,
 
Through this email, we are wrapping you in our arms, and sending out our best wishes for good health, and courage in these difficult times.   

Like everyone, we are doing our best to respond and adjust to the new circumstances in which we find ourselves. Together with performing arts organizations all over the country, we are trying to pivot to online classes and offerings, while still trying to plan for the long term. We know that our community, especially our youth, long to connect with their teachers and peers. We are working on ideas and formats to do this safely.

Our upcoming plans include:

  • Virtual Campfires and open mics for our middle and high school students, to give a glimpse of the community and bonding we look forward to this summer at Summerstock Sleepaway;
  • ZOOM Theater & Dance classes;
  • Sneak peeks into our Broadway Buddy Mentorship Program, which is proceeding remotely while all are practicing social distancing;
  • Master classes with virtual coaching by some of our Broadway Buddies;
  • Acting, Singing, and Dance tips of the week;
  • Announcing our 2020-2021 Season with special performances by performers in our Vanguard family.
  • Releasing “highlight reels” from our past productions! (Check out glimpses from Runaways 2019)

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to our YouTube channel , Instagram and Facebook pages, so you don’t miss a thing. And if you have any expertise in putting together online offerings, please let us know !
Please save the date and time of Friday, April 24, at 8PM! We will come “together” in community, with some special cocktail recipes (Adults only!), performances, and more.  We will be sending out another email with more details, but check out our event page here!
In addition to providing a source for inspiration and stability to our community, we are committed in this distressing time to:

  • Supporting as best we can the financial welfare and physical health of our staff and teaching artists, many of whom have lost nearly all of their income;
  • Ensuring that our organization emerges from this crisis in a financially stable position so that we can successfully move into our new home at 180 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair. (You may recall that we entered into a lease for that space just before the crisis broke.)
  • Already financially vulnerable, Vanguard relies on social contact and group gathering. We will be unveiling ways to support Vanguard over the coming weeks including advance tickets to our debut season, and events at our new space. We look forward to throwing open our doors when restrictions are lifted!

This March, Vanguard marked its five year anniversary. As we look ahead to the next five years, we are committed to using this time to think deeply about our mission of DREAM - Diversity, Reciprocity, Education, Awareness and Mentorship, and how we can best use our new arts center to manifest our vision.

Over the coming weeks we will be inviting you to share your thoughts, input, dreams, and feedback that will help shape the next stage. Please email me now if you would like to be part of our envisioning process: - we'd love to include you!  

As always, we extend our love and gratitude for your support.

Artistically yours,
Janeece Freeman Clark
Any questions? Just hit reply and let us know. As always, thank you for for supporting D.R.E.A.M. - Diversity, Reciprocity, Education, Awareness and Mentorship.