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Tahoe Arts Project celebrates 30 seasons

Autumn Whitney
awhitney@tahoedailytribune.com
Blue13 Dance Company performed during the 2015 TAP season. This year's TAP programs will feature former Lake Tahoe Unified School District students who have pursued careers in the performing arts.
Courtesy / Peggy Blowney |

Tahoe Arts Project, a nonprofit that provides arts and cultural education and enrichment programs to South Shore’s youth, is celebrating its 30th season. Established in 1987, TAP reaches thousands of students every year with its programs.

“The fact that we have been able to keep the nonprofit going for that many years, we all feel that’s pretty incredible,” TAP executive director Peggy Blowney said.

Over the years, the organization has grown in size. When it began 30 seasons ago, it targeted only a handful of schools. Now, it touches on every school in the district.



“I’ve been with the organization for 24 years. For the past 24 or 25 years we’ve included all of the schools. Since that time, it’s pretty much been status quo. We bring in three or four groups a year and they go through all the schools,” Blowney said.

For its 30th season programs, TAP will bring back former Lake Tahoe Unified School District students who have gone on to pursue careers in the performing arts.



The first school performances of the 30th season will be held from Sept. 27-30, when South Shore natives Sebastiani Romagnolo and Rebecca Kushner bring their part clown show, part mock election “Democrazy: The Other Party” to the Basin.

TAP brings Missoula Children’s Theatre back for the 38th time in mid-October, giving students the opportunity to audition for and perform the classic tale “Rumpelstiltskin.”

Living Voices, performances combined with historical film, comes to select middle and high school classes at the end of October. TAP programs take a break for the holiday season before the Tahoe Boys Variety Show, featuring Tahoe natives Chris and Nick Smith and Sean Pawling, bring music, comedy and juggling to the Basin at the end of January.

The 30th season will conclude in March with Audio Threat, a percussion band led by Tahoe native Nikki Grant.

“We’re pretty much continuing to do what we do. We hope that we have successful fundraisers and our donors come forward to keep the program running.

“We’ve had 30 years of enriching kids in our community, and a majority would have no exposure at all to the types of programs we bring in to the schools,” Blowney said.

TAP’s 5th Annual Dancing with the Tahoe Stars will return on March 4.

For more information or to support TAP, visit http://www.tahoeartsproject.org or call the organization at 530-542-3632.


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