New Rochelle Teen Dancer Takes Center Stage at JCC Mid-Westchester
New Rochelle teen dancer and high school sophomore, Sara Rosenthal, is soaring to new heights at the JCCMW. Rosenthal gave a beautiful and powerful performance as a Wili in the Westchester Theater of Dance’s production of Giselle in the Bendheim Performing Arts Center at the end of October. Under the direction of Aaron Thao, JCCMW’s dance director, Sara, part of a cast of 27 dancers, brought the classic, emotional love story to life in front of hundreds of community members.
Rosenthal, a JCCMW Dance School student for the past eight years, has performed in numerous WTD productions, portraying with great musicality and technical skill everything from a Summer Fairy in Cinderella and a Pixie in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the Generosity soloist in The Once and Future Queen and the challenging Kitri Variation from Don Quixote.
Earlier in the year, Rosenthal received the 2024 Maria Jones Scholarship Award for excellence and promise in the field of dance. The scholarship of $1,000 toward tuition is named to honor Maria Jones, a former advanced-level ballet instructor who retired from the Dance School of the Mid-Westchester JCC in 2003.
In addition to her drum and piano practice, Rosenthal takes a minimum of four ballet classes each week in addition to rehearsals. Her years of studying have taught her a resilience she’s been able to access “both inside and outside of the studio.” Rosenthal finds the strong sense of community within the Dance School a source of encouragement and support. The Dance School of the JCCMW continues to rank as Westchester’s top training ground for recreational and professional ballet dancers, seeing students through to professional careers in dance and Broadway as well as distinguished college programs.
The Dance School of JCCMW offers classes for adults and children that provide a solid technical foundation, a progressive curriculum, and a warm, welcoming environment. Instructors provide individualized attention to each student and classes are offered at all levels, each designed to challenge and inspire. To learn more about the Dance School, visit jccmw.org/general-information; to view upcoming programs and events, visit jccmw.org.