A show for kids, by kids is the driving force behind The
Notables, a 12-member song-and-dance troupe with kids from Morgan
Hill and Gilroy.
A show for kids, by kids is the driving force behind The Notables, a 12-member song-and-dance troupe with kids from Morgan Hill and Gilroy.
One goal of the group is to entertain, but there’s more to it – they also aim to boost other kids’ self-esteem and get them hooked on the performing arts, said Susanne Perkins, The Notables’ co-director and owner of Susanne’s Music School in Morgan Hill.
“This is a group that speaks to kids on a kid’s level,” she said.
The Notables was established two years ago and since has performed for various events including A Taste of Morgan Hill and Morgan Hill’s Christmas parade, as well as for a couple of private events. The group will present its first full-length public performance June 4 at the Morgan Hill Playhouse.
The show is divided into three sections. The first uses song and dance to relay positive messages to kids, such as how to say no to drugs, the importance of having confidence and how to be a friend.
The second part of the show takes on an Americana theme, with lively Western songs such as “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” The show’s conclusion is a tribute to Broadway, with well-known tunes from shows including “The Phantom of the Opera” and “42nd Street.”
The roughly hour-long performance is choreographed by Cami Hanson, who teaches music at Morgan Hill’s Nordstrom Elementary School and also directs that school’s musical theater program.
To be a Notable, kids have to be in third grade or above and able to practice once a week for 1 1/2 hours. They also practice on their own at home.
Stephanie Gnibus, whose 10-year-old daughter Danielle belongs to The Notables, said her daughter can’t seem to get enough of the group. As a parent, Gnibus sees value in the group.
“They sing about really positive messages, and I think for a 10-year-old, it’s really important to be surrounded by your peers and hearing those messages,” Gnibus said.
Macy Hanson, the choreographer’s daughter, has belonged to The Notables for two years. She said she enjoys being part of the group because it gives her a chance to make new friends while doing what she loves: singing and dancing.
“I have a lot of fun there, and I have a lot of friends there,” said Macy, a Nordstrom student who has been dancing since she was 2.
Although there are similar “for kids, by kids” performing arts groups further north in the San Francisco Bay area, Perkins said The Notables are the first such troupe to debut in the South Bay.
She was inspired to organize the group after observing many children who want to get involved in the arts don’t always get the opportunity or the outreach. The group’s future hopes include performing at elementary schools throughout the Bay Area.
“I thought, if I can put together a kids group, they can actually go out and perform in schools and inspire other kids to become singers and dancers,” Perkins said. “Kids have to see it visually in order for it to be real.”
If you go…
The Notables will perform at 2pm June 4 at the Morgan Hill Playhouse, 17000 Monterey Road. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at Booksmart, 17415 Monterey Road, or Susanne’s Music School, 17305 Monterey Road, suite 120. Tickets will be sold for $5 at the door if the show is not sold out. Info: (408) 776-1101.
