European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 2, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Of a a a. C vat a a Ina a it a Quot is amps photos by Rob 8taggenb0rgvaisius a it so  Quot we Quot a it for 5 a \ dance instructor Tony Gibson leads students during the creative connections workshop at Ober Wesel Germany. No ,<5 Ltd rfcs a it promising High schooners share High intensity arts workshop in creativity a of by Rob Staggenborg staff writer Cathy Nielsen was concerned. Not frantic just concerned. Prom is approaching and the bad Kreuz Nach Germany senior found herself in an uncomfortable predicament. She could t dance. Well not like she wanted to at least. Enter creative connections a four Day department of defense dependents schools visual and performing arts workshop in Ober Wesel Germany. Quot i just want to have an idea How to dance so if the situation arises i won t be totally lost Quot she said. Tony Gibson a professional dancer from Chicago was flown in to teach the non dancers like Nielsen How to dance 90s style. Gibson has choreographed Many High school productions in the Chicago area and has performed on several cruise ships and at Oryland amusement Park in Tennessee. Out came the portable cd player. The soundtrack to the Broadway sensation miss Saigon was cued up and Gibson showed his 15 fledgling dancers key movements. The creative connections workshop held Katja Suess of Karlsruhe trains As a mime. In the jugend Gasthaus last week brought together 142 selected student artists and performers in a setting reminiscent of the great artists colonies of California. The schonburg Castle and an exhilarating View of the Rhine River below it provided an inspirational backdrop. More than 300 students applied for the workshop which offered classes in acrylic illustration comic acting dance etching music improvisation pantomime pastel drawing portrait drawing and a show choir. A mosaic project attracted 14 students who designed produced and polished a 36-Square-foot mural. It will be Given to the jugend Gasthaus which has hosted creative connections for years said Carol Mauch the workshop organizer. The mural was unveiled during the workshop finale a a song and dance performance and a student Art exhibition. Quot this place is some kind of shrine to the arts Quot joked Craig Downing a comic acting student from Hahn High school in Germany. Quot there Are a lot of Good arts Here. I feel like there s some kind of kinship Here. You la never have As much support As you will Here. In be Learned so much Mauch said the workshop is not intended to give students a vacation from Nasty algebra Reagan Haynes works on a mosaic. Problems or Pesky English tests. The goal of creative connections is to provide a unique experience for students who have demonstrated special talents and interest in the arts and those who show potential. To be considered for creative connections Mauch said a student must be nominated by a teacher meet the administrative criteria get parental approval and have Good behaviour records. Successful applicants get five Days of artistic instruction by some top Dodds arts teachers and professional artists. We re in there for like seven hours with or. John c Carr and this Guy is amazing Quot Downing said of the comic acting instructor a theater critic for the Annapolis my capital Allyson fish Center was one of 142 Dodds High school students to participate in the arts workshop. Newspaper. A a it a great because everyone respects what you re doing and if you mess up no one puts you Down for it. You get another seven hours to make another crack at it. It does t feel Long either. I actually want to be in there  Mauch said there Are few disciplinary problems. Quot these kids really enjoy themselves. If we Don t lock the doors at two or three in the morning they la stay up All night and we be had that in the past. It s frustrating for them especially the sketch artists because they get to doing something and just can t put it  Ansbach Germany High school teacher Jerry Bond who taught the workshop portrait drawing class said he had the mimes come into his room while his students were drawing. Quot my kids did t even know they were there. I thought it might be a Little unfair to do that to them but they did t even notice. That show focused they  Nielsen said she enjoyed the  gives me a Good Chance to interact with other people. Bad Kreuz Nach High school is real Small so it s kind of fun to come Here and meet a lot of people with the same interests As  Quot being in Germany Quot Downing said Quot you have to jump on these things because there Aren t a lot of things like this at school. I feel like we re All equal Here. At my school sports is number one and everything else is number two. Here i m an  added Nielsen Quot some people think Art in t important or in t As important As sports. But to us it is  Carr the comic acting instructor said he saw Promise in his students and Hopes they leave Ober Wesel with a better understanding of theater acting and the arts in general. Quot All of these kids have some instinct for comedy and i d say three of them Are comically gifted but do they have the Basic fundamentals Down no Quot he said. Quot but i Don t see that As a minus i see that As Normal Progress. There Are a lot of actors who do the same thing Over and Over and Don t get any better. They get jobs sure but not any  Eric Findley a sketch artist from Wiesbaden High school in Germany said creative connections was not a Retreat from school Quot just a different form of  added Downing Quot creativity that s the Bottom line  Page 14 the stars and stripes monday March 2, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 15