NY Performing Arts Center Coming to Harrison

The following article was submitted by a Patch reader, to see how to post your news on Patch.

Home Sweet Home!

That is the feeling for Annamarie Gaudelli Mastroberardino and Carol Mustacato Grabbe. Both women are lifelong friends who grew up in Harrison and are now Harrison business owners.

Their business, New York Performing Arts Center which operated in White Plains for the past three years, is now relocated to 400 Halstead Ave in Harrison. Three years ago Mastroberardino and Grabbe opened up New York Performing Arts Center, a training facility for children interested in dance, voice, and acting.

They initially wanted to open their Studio in Harrison. Their attempt at finding the right space in Harrison was unsuccessful. After searching nearby towns a space became available in White Plains. Although White Plains was a wonderful city to own a business, the women still felt that Harrison would be the perfect home.

“Having grown up in Harrison in the '70s, there really wasnʼt any organized childrenʼs theatre or dance studios. My passion always lied in musical theatre, dance and performing, as well as working with children,” Grabbe said.

Mastroberardino owned and operated a successful Group Family Day Care in Harrison for 10 years prior to opening New York Performing Arts Center.

“Being able to bring the arts to Harrison is a dream come true. I have witnessed first hand the positive effect that performing can have on a child, and I am not only talking on stage," said Mastroberardino. "The skills and team work a child learns through the performing arts helps them in school and in their everyday lives.”

Both Mastroberardino and Grabbe have had the opportunity to work with many Harrison children through their fundraising productions for St Gregory the Great Parish. NYPAC has produced two shows for St Gregoryʼs Parish; Godspell in 2009, and Broadway Kids in 2010. As studio owners, and lifelong Harrison residents, we feel it is important to give back to the community that helped shape our lives.

What better way than through the children! NYPAC is also home to the Showstoppers Youth Performance Company. In addition to writing and producing their own original musical theatre production, Showstoppers performs at local community events and charity benefits throughout Westchester County.

What sets New York Performing Arts Center apart from other locals studios is that fact that they offer all the performing arts training under one roof, and they do it in a professional manner. There are many dance studios who offer dance instruction on floors not suitable or healthy for dancing.

NYPAC has professional dance floors that are designed to prevent stress and injury to a dancerʼs body. Dancing on regular flooring can cause many injuries, especially to a child who is still growing.NYPAC also offers professional teachers for every level of dance. Many studios will hire certain teachers for certain dance levels, basically saving their best instructors for the more “serious” performer.

At NYPAC, regardless if you child is a recreational performer or a professionally driven performer, your child can expect their teachers to be professional dancers, choreographers, vocalists and actors. NYPAC always offers free trial classes. There is no obligation to register for a class, just the opportunity to see if the class is enjoyable to the performer before committing to the class. Our goal as business owners is to offer our customers professional instruction and superior customer service.

We look forward to connecting with many of our Harrison friends and meeting new ones as NYPAC makes Harrison their home. For more information about classes, or to find out about our class schedule please call us at 914-358-4222 or visit us online.