Huntington Center For Performing Arts Offers 'Unique' Education

HUNTINGTON, NY — When Joan Albright opened the Huntington Center For Performing Arts, she had the vision of teaching children and adults theater, musical and dancing skills largely free of technology.

No phones are allowed out at the center, at 310 New York Ave., Huntington. The only screen in the 4,000-square-foot building is a small television, and a stereo system with BlueTooth is the last bastion keeping the center out of the "dark ages or a cave," Albright said.

"I often hear myself saying that I'm in the brain development business in a world of push button answers, excessive visual stimulation and immediate gratification," Albright told Patch.

The fine arts are more than just a fun activity, she said. There is a lot of teamwork involved, and pupils are guided by university-trained faculty hailing from across the globe. The emphasis is on training and inspiring children, not what professional accomplishments they go on to achieve.

"We are unique," Albright said.

Albright, a mother of three girls, said she has a "front-row seat" to technology's impact on children.

"Post-COVID, the impact of technology is frightening beyond belief," Albright said.

She does not want the distracting allure of screens in the dance center, as the disciplines she and her instructors teach take time. Ballet, she said, takes a decade to become proficient at. Violin is one of the hardest instruments to play, she said. Theater is a mix of everything.

Some children have difficulty reading because of the digital age, Albright said.

"I see the impact of technology in so many different areas, and I hope we are an antidote to that in some ways," she said. "Have I had pushback sometimes? ‘We’re not having fun,’ is my favorite expression. Life is about work, and hopefully you have fun in the process of becoming a master at something ... We’re trying to teach them the basics and give them the foundation. I don’t think you can do that if you’re always looking for the easy way, fast way out."

Albright said she put multiple courses and disciplines under one roof to make it easier for parents. She said it was challenging for her to get her children everywhere they had to go, so she wanted to make it easier for parents now.

While Albright focuses on fostering a love and dedication to the arts in her students, she said the "sky is the limit" for her pupils. She said she's proud some of her students have gotten parts at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport — while some students joined her center after performing at the theater — and others have gone on open calls in New York City.

"I never want them to be afraid," Albright said. "I want them to be curious. I want them to feel confident to try the professional world."

But she said she tries to be practical about what her center promises.

"Some places sound like they’re an agent behind a table, like, 'I’ve got a big role for you,'" she said.

Albright said her students don't have to do anything with the training they get at her center — the training makes them who they are.

"I think if they want have a performing arts career, I give them the foundation and the tools. Some of them go on to be the leads in their school plays … I’m thrilled for them that they can do that."

She also said the skills she teaches could be used in other acting disciplines.

"Give me a stage actor or theater actor, and they can usually pull off television and film, because I think stage is one of the most difficult things to do," she said. "Especially straight drama. I’m always amazed how those people can do eight shows a week and make it fresh. It’s a tremendous amount of work that takes a tremendous amount of skill."

Albright cited three disciplines in theater: dancing, singing and acting. Actors and actresses must move on a stage and learn to tell a story with their whole body rather than just their voice and face, because it makes them "more interesting to watch," she said.

The center draws instructors and students from around the world, as Albright said she believes New York City remains the "dance capital of the world." While she has American-born teachers, she also hires people from Japan, Ecuador, Korea, Taiwan, Italy and England.

"Culturally, it’s amazing," she said. "You always learn something by the fact they come from a different culture ... I’m always amazed at their fortitude coming over here and starting a life. Not to take anything away from our American-born teachers. I think my student bodies and families are getting more diverse. I attract international clientele, because our classics are emphasized a little bit more in European culture than in other cultures."

The performing arts center uses the Suzuki Method when teaching students how to play the violin. The Japanese training method teaches students to learn music as if it's a foreign language.

"I wish I learned that way," Albright said.

Albright said there's an expression within the Suzuki Method that "All children are talented."

"All children can learn, I think. That’s the impetus of that program," she said.

But the center is not just for children. Parents come in to learn with their kids, while any adult is welcome to join the center as well, Albright said. She encourages parents to be "part of the team" when it comes to children's education.

The center's teachers are certified and evaluated, and students are presented, as a class, to an adjudicator every other year, Albright said. The exams give feedback on how both teachers and students are doing, Albright said.

An 81-year-old teaches adult ballet — the teacher is "more fit than most 31-year-olds," Albright said.