Inner Star’s mission is to utilize the performing arts to engage, educate, and elevate youth and seniors; while promoting healthy choices, sexual assault prevention, and socioeconomic equality.
Marty Lewis, Director of Outreach Program for At-risk Youth
Overview of ISPAN - Structure
The
Board of Trustees of ISPAN is responsible for all fundraising and for the overall health
and livelihood of the organization. The Board does not receive remuneration.
Members of the community wishing to help and support ISPAN are more than
welcome to join the Board! Meetings will be posted at least one week prior.
The
Board is elected at the Annual Board Meeting which is held in June prior to
beginning of the next fiscal year. The staff is hired based on their
experiences teaching, designing and implementing projects and programs, and
operating non-profit organizations.
ISPAN staff is responsible for day-to-day
operations including program and project design and implementation. Workshop
and Master Class Guest Artists are selected based on specific talents and
skills and are given stipends to perform duties deemed necessary in fulfilling
program/ project goals and objectives. Staff and volunteers perform most
ongoing, everyday tasks including wardrobe, chaperoning children, general
administrative support and so forth.
Volunteers are recruited through fliers,
press releases, announcements, newsletters, general obvious need for help.
Volunteers do not receive remuneration.
Carrie Beth Wick - President Through
her leadership, Inner Star, Inc. and Ballet Nevada LLC continue to execute their mission of
caring about our community and its future by educating and nurturing our
children, teens and adults through outreach programs, professional
performances and workshops, with a special emphasis on assisting those
who experience socio or economic disadvantage. She is currently the President of the Board of Inner
Star Performing Arts of Nevada, Inc., a nonprofit, 501c3 organization. Recent accomplishments
include the creation & direction of a program to increase awareness
of and to prevent Sexual Assault; this program "No Means No" was recently nominated for an award by the Alliance for Victims Rights of Northern Nevada. She is Founder & Director of
Ballet Nevada (2000); Ballet NV
has a student enrollment of 150 and a staff of professional instructors
from all over the United States and world. For the
past 12 years, Carrie has successfully brought the possibility of the
arts to hundreds of homeless and poverty stricken elementary school
children with her Outreach Program for At-risk and Homeless Youth: The
Wizard Within. This program has been honored with the Truckee Meadows
Tomorrow Silver Star Award. Carrie has also been awarded the Nevada
Womens Fund Woman of Achievement Award in 2003. She holds the
distinguished honor of passing two Royal Academy of Dancing Majors
Examinations and has completed extensive studies of the Royal Academy
Childrens Syllabus in Toronto, Canada. As an artist, Carrie has
performed principal roles in productions of Christmas Carol, The King and I, The Nutcracker, and University Spring Dance Concerts, as well as the opera Amahl and the Night Visitors.
Sylvia F. Wick, Wardrobe & Design Director
Sylvia Wick - Wardrobe & Design Director Sylvia
Wick has an extensive background in the management and program
coordination of the performing arts. She has been an executive
assistant of a nonprofit organization in Nevada for numerous years, and
has been Wardrobe and Props Director for Ballet Nevada since its
inception. Her expertise is in managing and administrating casts,
wardrobe crew and overseeing technical operations. She single-handedly
created the costumes for the production Oliver! in August 2000, for all 4 presentations of Christmas Carol (2001-2004), for Frankenstein in October 2003 and for the performance of excerpts from our original ballet The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in
May 2004. She also designs and creates costuming for Ballet
Nevada's Youth Company and Rape Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness
Program. She has been in charge of the Outreach Program costumes,
props and sets since the program began in 1997. Ms. Wick has
specialized training and vast experience with youth who are
disadvantaged and/or in challenging circumstances.
Marty Lewis, Outreach Program Director
Marty Lewis - Outreach Program Director
Mr. Lewis
is one of the most sought-after dancers and
choreographers in the country. His
career began in Las Vegas at the Aladdin with a major role in Guys and Dolls as a dancer. From there
he went to The Lido Cabaret in Paris, France, Television Broadcast
Limited in
Hong Kong, and then touring as a star in productions in Italy, Korea and
Japan.
After his extensive world tours, he accepted an important role in Hello Hollywood, Hello! at the MGM
Grand, thereby bringing Mr. Lewis to Reno, NV.He starred in a production with Charo, and then danced in Jubilee in Las Vegas, a show that is
still very popular today.In 1992 Marty
choreographed Twist and Shout: The
Ultimate Beatle Review at Harveys Lake Tahoe, a show that received
many
rave reviews for its choreography.In
1994 he choreographed Jesus Christ
Superstar for Arts-for-the-Schools in Northern Nevada, a
tremendously
important arts program for educating youth about the performing arts. He
has
been guest-choreographer at numerous regional schools over the last few
decades.From 1997-2005, Marty became
the Director and Dance Captain of the Outreach Program, a performing
arts
program that helped thousands of at-risk youth in the Reno/Sparks area.Additionally, Marty appeared as a Soloist,
the Mouse King, in Nevada Festival Ballets The
Nutcracker in 1999. His other credits include working at NBC, City
Kids,
Miss Teen USA, La Toya Jackson in Concert, Smokey Robinson in Concert
and the
Suzanne Sommers TV Special. Mr. Lewis is
also a part of the Karen Burns Production Company. He is currently the
head of
ICDA High School Dance Department and teaches at many Reno/Sparks dance
studios, including Sportswest.
ISPAN, Inc. ι 2920 Mill Street, Ste C ι Reno, NV 89502 775.329.2026 ι www.inner-star.org ι email: info@inner-star.org
