December 30, 2019
News & Updates
What a December! We had so many reasons to celebrate the holidays this year! We started with a fantastic choir performance by our kid's choir. There were two free open gym days in our tumbling gym. 60 of our dancers performed at the United Center before a Chicago Bulls game. The music school had ten holiday music recitals with over 160 music students performing for family and friends. There were four beautiful in-house dance recitals for our first-year dancers which will help prepare them for the big stage in June. Stairway of the Stars dancers performed at multiple holiday events including the Maywood Christmas Tree Lighting, the Maywood Seniors Party, and at the Proviso West Holiday Basketball Tournament. We did all of this and still pulled off one of the best holiday dance shows to date. Holiday Heroes Save Christmas featured over 250 students performing for a sold-out audience. It was a magical month and Maywood Fine Arts alumna Olivia Renteria put the bow on a WOW filled year because she is in Chicago with the Broadway Tour of Mean Girls now through January 26th!
Olivia Renteria is in Mean Girls!
Our very own Olivia Renteria is performing in the National Broadway Tour of Mean Girls which is currently in Chicago until January 26th at the Nederlander Theatre. Olivia is the daughter of Artistic Director Heidi Renteria and grew up dancing, tumbling, singing, and acting at Maywood Fine Arts. Many of the Maywood Fine Arts students and parents are going to see the show on January 22nd and there are a limited number of discounted tickets available at MFA.
The Littlest Dancers
Our first-year dancers got to perform for family and friends at Stairway of the Stars. These holiday dance showcases help prepare them for bigger productions like our June dance show. In total there were 4 different dance showcases with over 80 students performing. Make sure you follow us on Facebook for lots more pictures and videos of all our events.

Holiday Music Recitals Galore!
Over 160 student musicians got to showcase their musical talents in 10 holiday music recitals in December. They sang, they strummed, they tickled the keys, and drummed. Then they enjoyed hot cider and cookies with their peers, teachers and families.
Kids Choir First Performance
Our brand new kids choir had their first ever performance! Led by Oak Park's Pro Musica Youth Choir instructors, they sang beautifully in multiple languages and wowed their audience!
Holiday Heroes Save Christmas
On December 21st, Maywood Fine Arts and Stairway of the Stars presented a holiday show that delighted a sold out audience at Guerin College Prep. Holiday Heroes Save Christmas, a superhero clad spectacle, created by Artistic Director Heidi Renteria and Taiyana Shurn starred 250 young dancers and made all the spirits bright.

Happy New Year!
Break a Leg in the New Year!
Before every big show we do, the cast gathers to wish each other good luck. However, if you are superstitious, you would never say good luck to a person about to go on stage. Instead, we say "break a leg". In Shakespeare's time, this meant to bow, bending at the knee. So as we take our final bows of the year, we say, "break a leg" as we head into the new year with so much to look forward to, especially with friends like you!