New at the Y.M.C.A.
A number of new programs for young people are beginning at the Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter as the school year gets underway.
Youth and government sessions on Mondays from 6 to 7 p.m. will offer high school students a chance to learn about how New York State government works through leadership training, exploration of social issues, opportunities for civic engagement, and discussion of how moral and ethical values translate into public policymaking. Dan Sierra is the contact person at the Y for this one; he can be reached at 631-329-6884, extension 18.
On Tuesdays, Lucy Caracappa, who offers voice lessons across the East End, will lead new group singing lessons from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for kids 6 to 14. The cost is $182 for sessions that run through mid-November.
A leaders club for kids in sixth through eighth grades will meet on Fridays from 6 to 7 p.m. Participants will earn community service credits while working on service projects, and also join in team building, high school prep, and leadership workshops. Sondra Vecchio at extension 21 has details.
Friday nights are preteen nights at the RECenter, when kids in fifth through eighth grades can socialize, play games, swim, and take field trips, among other activities, under the guidance of the center’s youth development staff from 7 to 9:30 p.m. This is a free drop-off program, but a parent or guardian must register participants in person.
On the first Friday of the month in October, November, and December, a family night from 6:30 to 9:30 will take the place of the preteen program. Families can expect movies, board games, free swim, and even inflatable bounce houses for adults and kids.
Child Actor Wanted
Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor has put out a call for a young African-American male actor for the cast of its upcoming Literature Live! production of “A Raisin in the Sun.”
Actors auditioning for the supporting role of 10-year-old Travis Younger should be between 9 and 12 years old. Auditions will be next Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a break for lunch at 1 p.m. Even actors with little experience have been encouraged to audition for the cast, which will include professional actors who are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the theatrical union.
Lydia Fort, who will direct the production, and John Sullivan, the associate producer, will be on hand next Thursday. The play will be staged at Bay Street from Oct. 21 through Dec. 1. Information about audition material to prepare in advance can be found on the theater’s website.
Gotta Dance?
Two dance studios have sent word that registration is underway for fall classes — Dancehampton in East Hampton and the Hampton Ballet Theatre School in Bridgehampton. Classes at both began on Monday, but space may still be available.
The Hampton Ballet Theatre School, founded by Sara Jo Strickland, offers classical ballet and contemporary dance training for ages 3 to 18 at its studios on Butter Lane and at the Bridgehampton Community House. It will also hold children’s classes on Wednesdays at Yoga Lila in Montauk.
Contemporary-track classes include jazz, hip-hop, tap, and contemporary, the last three led by the A&G Dance Company.
The school mounts several productions throughout the year, and students can to sign up for workshops in advance of these. “The Nutcracker,” performed by students 4 to 18, will be at Guild Hall in December. Rehearsals start Sept. 19. A full schedule can be found at hamptonballettheatreschool.com.
Dancehampton’s classes for kids from toddler age through 18 include ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, musical theater, and lyrical, all offered at its studio on Lumber Lane. Tuition for the full school year runs from $750 for one half-hour class a week up to $4,400 for six hourlong classes a week. A full schedule and registration information are online at dancehampton.com.
Potluck at John Jermain
Kids in 6th through 12th grades have been invited to a potluck dinner at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor next Thursday from 5:30 to 7 to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The library will set up a do-it-yourself quesadilla bar and has asked those who attend to take a dish to share. Advance sign-up has been requested.
On Saturday, the library will show the movie “Leap!” to kids in sixth grade and under at 2 p.m. Popcorn will be served. Advance registration is not required. An after-hours teen trivia session happens on Friday, Sept. 20, from 5 to 7. Pizza will be served.
Strange and Silly
Fans of “Stranger Things,” the Netflix sci-fi hit, will find themselves creepily at home when the East Hampton Library hosts an escape room challenge with that show as the theme for high school students after hours from 5 to 7 p.m.
Also at the library this week, on Tuesday children 6 and older can listen to a reading of Anthony Browne’s “Silly Billy” and then make their own Guatemalan worry dolls at 4 p.m. There’s a bilingual English-Spanish story and craft time on the schedule for ages 3 and up on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Next Thursday at 4 p.m., children 6 and older can use puffy paint to make T-shirts to take home.
A Snap Circuits electronics program for ages 7 and older will have kids building circuits that can power an accessory, make sounds, and light up on Friday, Sept. 20, at 3:30 p.m.
Signing up ahead of time is required for most library programs.
In Amagansett and Montauk
The libraries in Amagansett and Montauk also have fun and educational programs for kids this week. In Amagansett, a harvest moon story time for all ages happens on Saturday at 11 a.m. On Wednesday at 4 p.m., kids have been invited to read with Valentino, an American Kennel Club-certified canine good citizen.
Saturday is National Coloring Day — who knew? — and the Montauk Library will have supplies out all day long to celebrate with. Also on Saturday, at 11 a.m., Selina Pasca will show kids how to make a healthy brunch using fresh, nutritious ingredients. The library will have a tech night for kids in sixth grade and up on Friday, Sept. 20, from 5:30 to 7. The virtual reality set and Wii systems will be online and pizza will be served. Advance registration is required.