Three of the 18 Long Island Scholar Artists being honored by Newsday during the 2016-17 school year are from Syosset High School! Congratulations to Maxwell Herman, Brooke Shore and Bijia Wang, who were selected based on an impressive portfolio submitted by their teachers.
Maxwell has been acting professionally since the age of 6. A member of the school’s Association of Creative Thespians, he has participated in many school productions, most recently “Les Misérables.” He was named a finalist at the prestigious 2016 Roger Rees Awards and has an impressive resume of voiceover work, commercials and television specials. New York City professional credits include Amahl in “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and Jason in “Falsettos,” as well as performances with Manhattan Theatre Mission.
Brooke is an accomplished contemporary dancer who has won regional and national recognition through first-place awards and scholarships. She was a recipient of Dance Magazine’s Dance Media Award and as a result won a merit scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet. She is an advanced dancer in the school’s program, co-captains the nationally ranked varsity kickline team and was a cast member in the reality television show “Dance Moms.” Brooke trains in both modern dance and ballet at two of Long Island’s premier dance centers.
At the age of 5, Bijia began painting and drawing. Her works have been displayed at the Tilles Center, the Walt Whitman Historic Birthplace and the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook. She has received All-County Artist honors since the seventh grade and is a member of National Art Honor Society. Among other school extracurricular activities, she is a member of the Yearbook Club and volunteers at the Nassau County Museum of Art.
Every month, in conjunction with the Long Island Arts Alliance, Newsday features scholar artists at www.newsday.com/scholarartists. Maxwell, who was recommended by his theater teacher, Gene Connor, will be featured in October. Brooke, who was recommended by dance teacher Marisa Sanders, will be featured in March, and Bijia, recommended by art teacher Demi Protonentis, will appear in April.
“When you consider how many talented young artists there are in the Long Island area, and you look at the work of these students, you have to be impressed,” said Michael Salzman, the district’s coordinator of fine arts. “To have three of the 18 come from Syosset High School shows that there is strong support for creative expression within the community. I congratulate Maxwell, Brooke, Bijia, their teachers and their parents and look forward to more great things from them in the future.”
Pictured from left are Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Rogers, Connor, Maxwell, Protonentis, Brooke, Bijia, Sanders and Syosset High School Principal Dr. Giovanni Durante.
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