Young Renaissance Scholars Program
A free multidisciplinary youth development program focusing on art, music, theatre, and dance
Discover the Renaissance Through Art & Performance
The Young Renaissance Scholars program invites young people to step into a world of beauty, creativity, and timeless artistic traditions. Through hands-on training in theatre, art, music, and dance, students develop skills that build confidence, discipline, and a deeper appreciation for cultural heritage.
Whether you dream of performing on stage, mastering classical drawing, learning period instruments, or dancing historic choreography, YRS offers a path to discover your creative voice while connecting with the rich artistic legacy of the Renaissance era.
All sessions are completely free and held at Martha Liebert Public Library.
About the Program
Thanks to a Mid-Region Council of Governments Government Results and Opportunity award obtained by Representative Derrick J. Lente, the Town of Bernalillo has launched the Young Renaissance Scholars (YRS) project.
100% Free: All sessions take place at Martha Liebert Public Library at no cost to participants.
Professional Development: Students gain valuable skills and may advance to professional programs in their chosen discipline.
Registration
A schedule will be published at a later date. Register now to reserve your spot!
Our Studios
Choose your path and develop skills that last a lifetime.
Performance of Renaissance theatre and poetry offers young people language, history, and a means of addressing life with appropriate emotions and a sense of moral purpose.
Weekly workshops provide:
- Textual analysis and verse technique
- Diction, projection, and euphony
- Expression and stage presence
- Stage dancing and fighting
Advancement opportunities: Students may progress to the New Mexico Young Actors program in preparation for careers in stage or film. Participation culminates in performances of great Renaissance playwrights and poets.
Timeless, enduring, and increasingly popular, classical realism offers students a way of seeing and thinking about the world from the perspective of beauty and truth.
Directed by an acclaimed artist:
- Master classical drawing techniques
- Learn the four principles: line, shape, value, and form
- Study the “atelier” method used by Old Masters
- Explore techniques refined by 19th-century French painters
Weekly workshops provide an opportunity to develop fundamental artistic skills through proven classical methods.
Renaissance music is intellectually stimulating because of its complexity and history, prompting youth to explore sublime emotions as they develop aesthetic taste and musical appreciation.
Learn early instruments:
- Recorder and traverse flute
- Shawm and crumhorn
- Sackbut and viola de gamba
- Lute, vihuela, and early keyboard instruments
Traditional Renaissance dance ennobles the comportment of the human body via stately, elegant forms that have stood the test of time. Engagement with courtly dance traditions develops the entire person, giving confidence in other areas of social interaction.
Training includes:
- European court dances (16th-17th centuries)
- Mesoamerican traditional forms
- Colonial New Mexican dances
- Performance and professional development
Program Benefits
Why Young Renaissance Scholars?
100% Free
All sessions are completely free thanks to government funding. No cost to families—just bring your enthusiasm and creativity!
Professional Training
Learn from accomplished instructors using proven methods. Develop skills that can lead to professional opportunities in your chosen field.
Holistic Development
Build confidence, discipline, and social skills alongside artistic abilities. Our multidisciplinary approach develops the whole person.
