Emily Calabrese and Sharla Mandere have a really silly business philosophy. The stage-savvy co-owners of Spotlight Ovations, where children explore the world of the stage, prescribe a dose of silly for children to build their self-esteem so they can grow into successful adults. “In acting, you have to do really silly things in front of other people, and that helps kids open up and gain confidence,” Mandere said. In October, children as young as 18 months old can get silly, or serious, at Spotlight Ovations’ Saturday morning classes at Liberty Station. Over a period of eight Saturdays from Oct. 4 to Nov. 22, children can learn the disciplines of story creation, play production and stage combat and star with parents in classes created by Calabrese and Mandere. The women see the stage as a dress rehearsal for the classroom. “Teaching children how to speak eloquently and articulately helps give them life skills and makes them strong readers. They feel comfortable to speak in front of class,” Calabrese said. Mandere agrees. “Children today really need that extra boost and confidence,” Mandere said. “The performing arts is another way we bridge self-esteem.” Spotlight Ovations, which offers a wide array of classes throughout San Diego in stage training for infants to teens, got its start two years ago when Calabrese and Mandere partnered to share their passion of all things theatrical. Mandere, 32, has a degree in theater from San Diego State University with a performance emphasis. A dancer since she was 3 years old, she has been teaching children dance and gymnastics since 1998. With a degree in acting from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, 29-year-old Calabrese has taught and performed in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. In Charlotte, N.C., she co-founded a small theater company. Being in the spotlight and learning the art of theater works especially well with children under 5, Mandere said. “They’re in that place where they don’t have insecurities, where they just believe. If you say ‘let’s fly a (pretend) kite,’ they tell me their kite is red with blue dots and the other side is purple and orange. And they believe and they move with it. So it’s really fun to take a character they know or read about like Rainbow Fish. They really believe that they’re a fish.” Spotlight Ovations sessions will be held Oct. 4 through Nov. 22 at Liberty Station in the Dance Place Building, 2650 Trustun Road. The cost for each session per child is $110. From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., children 18 months to 3 years old can play with parents in the “Happily Ever After” series and act out American folk tales and fables. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., 3- to 5-year-olds can take part in “Underwater Adventures” and become any of their favorite characters from underwater stories. At 11 a.m., 5- to 9-year-olds take part in “Puttin’ on a Play” and star in their own theatrical production of “Alice in Wonderland.” For more information or to register, visit www.spotlightova-tions.com.
