Arts Society of Kingston

HV Improv: September Musical Improv
2026-09-23 18:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
ADVANCED ELECTIVE – LIMITED SPACE

COMPLETION OF LEVEL 3 REQUIRED

FINAL PERFORMANCE/ REQUIRED

4 Sessions

Think you can’t sing? Perfect. Most people who take their first musical improv class are convinced they “can’t sing.” The good news is that you don’t have to. Musical improv isn’t about having a beautiful voice: it’s about committing to a character, making bold choices, and discovering that you can create a song out of absolutely nothing. It’s surprising, joyful, and ridiculously fun.

In this beginner-friendly class you’ll learn simple, repeatable techniques for improvising songs, transitioning scenes into music, and singing out your character’s emotions with confidence (even if you’ve never sung in front of another human being).

If you’ve ever watched a musical improv show and thought, “I wish I could do that… but I definitely can’t,” this class is for you! . Taught by guest instructor Susan Gray (Hudson Valley Improv Touring Company), this class meets you exactly where you are and builds from the ground up. And yes — it all leads to a final performance where you take everything you’ve found and bring it to the stage. Your voice is already in there. Let’s find it.

Wednesdays, September 2, 9,16, 23

6-9pm

Final Show – 7pm, Saturday September 26th

(call time 6pm)

Class take place @ASK in Kingston

Participants must be over 18+

September Show: Front Gallery
2026-09-24 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-25 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-26 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-27 12:00 - 17:00
ECHOES OF THE ANCESTRALElisa Pritzker Solo ExhibitionCelebrating Hispanic Heritage MonthSeptember 5-27, 2026Reception: Sat. Sep. 5, 3 to 5 PM

This solo exhibition by Elisa Pritzker brings together 2D, 3D, and installation worksshaped through acrylic paint on natural and varied materials, with the imprint of aselfcreated iconography that affirms a universal ancestral identity where past andpresent converge. Each art piece gathers traces of ancient cultural impulses and carriesthem forward, allowing inherited forces to appear in transformed states that speak to thecontinuity of human experience.The visual language that emerges is built from instinct, study, and a deep engagementwith symbolic forms that move across time. Layered surfaces and elemental structuresserve as portals through which primordial presence becomes perceptible as an activeinfluence shaping contemporary consciousness. In this way, the works reveal howuniversal identity is continually informed by what precedes us.The exhibition proposes an understanding of the ancestral that extends beyond specifictraditions. Instead, it evokes a shared human origin through images that function assites of return—places where ancient impulses and present awareness coexist. Thisconvergence creates a field in which continuity becomes visible, with an invitation torecognize the echoes that move through us and contribute to the formation of thepresent moment.Elisa Pritzker is an Argentinian American artist, independent curator, and columnist. Formore than three decades, she has directed the Pritzker Studio & Gallery. Herinvolvement includes projects and exhibitions at MoMA, Queens Museum, SkirballMuseum–Jerusalem, Dorsky Museum, Rockefeller Center, the United Nations,Jerusalem Biennale, Iceland Biennale, Arts Westchester, Yale University, HVMOCA,Hammond Museum, and others.Her work is held in international collections such as Dia:Beacon, Dorsky Museum,Hammond Museum, Espronceda–Barcelona, Iceland Biennale, the Argentine ConsulateNYC, WAAM, Google Arts & Culture, and several private and institutional collectionsworldwide. Her practice has been featured in Hyperallergic, The New York Times,HuffPost, Chronogram, and numerous other publications.

September Show: Spotlight Gallery
2026-09-24 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-25 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-26 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-27 12:00 - 17:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Iceland by 4

Featuring Photography by Chris Acosta, Lee Courtney, Mark Howenstein, and John Verner

Icelandic folklore is inseparable from its dramatic landscape, with stories of elves, trolls, ghosts, Vikings, towering mountains, and cascading waterfalls woven into its history. Known as the Land of Fire and Ice, Iceland is often described as one of the world’s most breathtaking destinations.

To discover whether these legends and landscapes lived up to their reputation, four Hudson Valley photographers—and their spouses—set out to explore the island together. Traveling to both iconic destinations and hidden locations, the photographers captured Iceland’s remarkable terrain through their own unique artistic perspectives. Several members of the group have returned to Iceland multiple times, continually inspired by its ever-changing light and atmosphere.

The result is Iceland by 4, a collaborative exhibition that offers four distinct visual interpretations of one extraordinary place. Rather than explaining Iceland, the photographers invite viewers to experience it through their images—its immense beauty, rugged weather, quiet moments, and unforgettable landscapes.

About the Artists

Chris Acosta is a self-taught photographer based in Ulster County whose passion for photography began more than fifty years ago while learning traditional black-and-white darkroom techniques. His work ranges from intimate documentary images to sweeping landscapes gathered during extensive travels around the world. Acosta has exhibited throughout the region and currently serves as Vice President of the Arts Society of Kingston Board of Directors.

Lee Courtney is a fine art and commercial photographer whose work has appeared in solo and juried exhibitions throughout the Hudson Valley and the Southwest. While widely recognized for her ethereal floral imagery, travel photography has become an equally important part of her artistic practice. Courtney holds a degree in Photography & Digital Media Arts from Richland College in Dallas, Texas, and lives in Rhinebeck, New York.

John Verner is a fine art, commercial, and stock photographer represented by Getty Images. His photographs have appeared in numerous national publications and organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Food & Wine, The Huffington Post, and many others. In addition to exhibiting nationally, Verner regularly lectures on photography and serves as a juror for photographic competitions. He holds a BFA in Fine Arts and resides in Rhinebeck, New York.

Mark Howenstein is a landscape photographer based in New York’s Catskill Mountains. With more than fifty years of photographic experience, his work explores the fleeting interplay of light and landscape, revealing moments of quiet transcendence. Following a career as Professor of Law and Society at Ramapo College, Howenstein devoted himself to photography, studying with internationally recognized instructors while exhibiting and presenting throughout the Hudson Valley.

September Show: Members Gallery
2026-09-24 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-25 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-26 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-09-27 12:00 - 17:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Poetry of the Ordinary

ASK Members Juried Exhibition

Poetry of the Ordinary invites viewers to pause, look closer, and discover the beauty, mystery, and meaning woven into everyday life. This juried exhibition celebrates the moments, objects, places, and rituals that often go unnoticed, revealing how the familiar becomes extraordinary through artistic vision.

Through observation, memory, humor, intimacy, and reflection, the exhibiting artists transform the commonplace into something resonant and unexpected. Whether documenting reality, abstracting lived experience, or reimagining everyday surroundings, these works uncover the quiet poetry hidden within daily existence.

Featuring a wide range of work by our member artists, the exhibition reminds us that wonder is often found not in grand gestures, but in the simple moments that shape our lives.

Featured Artists

Larry Arvidson • Sharon Ascher • Bob Barnes • Stuart Bigley • David Budd, The Artful Drummer • Patricia Cummins • Maria Farr • Walter Fancourt • Beth Feinstein • PJ Flanagan • Stacie Flint • Patti Gibbons • Terry Haas • Jean Haines • D.A. Hamlin • Tom Hackett • David Held • Laura Helfant • David Holt • Barbara Johnston • Virginia Kaufmann • Pearl Lau • Jim McCann • Terry Murray • Tonia Papke Waterbury • Carol Pepper-Cooper • John Phillips • Joseph Pine • Geraldine Popko • Eileen Power • Harry Ross • Karen Schaffel • David Schaengold • Thea Stiriss • Carolyn Winters

Hudson Valley Improv: SHOW
2026-09-26 19:00 - 20:30 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Two fully improvised musicals – plus a brand-new set from our National Touring Company, all made up on the spot!

Get ready for a night of completely unscripted, made-up-on-the-spot comedy! This September, join us for a can’t-miss showcase featuring two full improvised musicals — created live, on the spot, by our Musical Improv class with John Jesensky at the keys — followed by a brand-new set from Hudson Valley Improv’s National Touring Company.

Nothing is planned, nothing is rehearsed — every song, scene, and story is built entirely from audience suggestions, making this a night of comedy you’ll never see again anywhere else. Come ready to shout out an idea and watch as it becomes a full musical before your eyes.

One night. Three unforgettable performances. Anything can happen.

Doors open at 6:45pm

18+

NO TICKETS SOLD AT THE DOOR – ONLINE ONLY

NO REFUNDS

ARTIST TALK: ELISA PRITZKER
2026-09-27 15:00 - 17:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
ART TALK: ELISA PRITZKER

Join us for an Art Talk with Elise Pritzer moderated by Curator Jaime Ransome.

HV Improv: Level 1 Improv Empowerment
2026-09-28 18:00 - 21:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
You know nothing? You start here. Have improv experience? You start here. This class is designed to teach deep ensemble and our CORE techniques needed to improv. Students learn tools to give and take focus, expand and explore in ensemble games, create characters and physical memory. Students will learn performance based improv games and learn how to start a scene, be a strong team player, save their fellow performers, come up with ideas for scenes and more. This is a safe creative environment without the pressure of a show at the end. YAY!

Mondays, September 14, 21, 28

6-9pm

Class take place @ASK in Kingston

Participants must be over 18+

Open Source Forms / Dancing the Inner Landscape Workshops with Teresa Smith
2026-10-01 17:30 - 19:00, 2026-10-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Movement Laboratory + Somatic Meditations + Bodywork + Dance Improvisation

$20 per workshop (scholarships available)

Register required in advance: earthbodybreath@gmail.com

(each workshop will cancel one week in advance if registration is low)

Open to people of all abilities and levels of experience.

In Open Source Forms we enter a creative process; letting go of outer layers of holding to find primal energy and ease. Guided by embodied imagery as a powerful tool for transformation we’ll access moving with agility, transparency and depth. Through alignment studies, movement exploration and group improvisation we’ll cultivate a deep connection to our inner and outer environments. In this series we’ll explore three unique states of dancing; I move, it moves me, It moves! A remarkably effective way of learning, the OSF approach can catalyze transformation in many kinds of practice, in unique movement virtuosity, and in daily life.

What to expect:This is a guided improvisational dance class for all levels of movers, and can be done with any amount of energy. Kinesthetic insight is approached in multi-directional, structural and poetic ways. Partnered bodywork is included to inform our movement explorations. Music and silence is interwoven with (spoken) poetic imagery, deep meditations and active, focused improvisation.

Biography

Teresa Smith brings to her teaching a warm appreciation of each person’s essence and delights in awakening the creative spirit. She is a certified teacher of Open Source Forms™ (Intro – Adv levels), and practiced the root form Skinner Releasing™ for three decades. Through her dance company ‘Earthbody’ she presents performance, artwork and workshops emerging from an intimate conversation with the body, psyche and natural environment. Teresa’s exploration of shifting states of consciousness informs a wide range of her somatic research and knowledge. In addition to teaching OSF, she is a certified teacher of Sufi Dancemeditation™, and a certified facilitator of Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork® and Grof® Legacy Breathwork. She also teaches and facilitates contact improvisation, dance composition / improvisation and authentic movement. She has performed internationally in her own work and with La Fura dels Baus, Ellen Webb, Stephanie Skura, Lance Gries, David Hurwith, Yvonne Meier, Kiori Kawai, and in numerous improvisation ensembles and collaborative projects.

(dancer: Teresa Smith, photo by Simone Federman)

Got2Lindy Swing Dance Classes
2026-10-06 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-13 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-20 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-27 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-11-10 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-11-17 18:00 - 21:00
Got2Lindy Swing Dance Lessons

Beginner to Advance

Every Tuesday Night @ ASK6pm-9pm

4-week sessions:6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Beginner Swing7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Intermediate Swing8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Advanced Swing

Register Here!

HV Improv: Level 1 Improv Empowerment
2026-10-07 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-14 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-21 18:00 - 21:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
You know nothing? You start here. Have improv experience? You start here. This class is designed to teach deep ensemble and our CORE techniques needed to improv. Students learn tools to give and take focus, expand and explore in ensemble games, create characters and physical memory. Students will learn performance based improv games and learn how to start a scene, be a strong team player, save their fellow performers, come up with ideas for scenes and more. This is a safe creative environment without the pressure of a show at the end. YAY!

Wednesday, October 7, 14, 21

6-9pm

Class take place @ASK in Kingston

Participants must be over 18+

Hudson Valley Improv trains adults to improvise with depth, confidence, and authentic presence. Founded by actor Samantha Jones, our conservatory-informed Improv Empowerment method blends core acting technique with fearless ensemble work—unlocking creativity many people were taught to bury years ago.

We develop performers who listen deeply, make bold choices, and trust themselves onstage and off. Our training is rigorous, human-centered, and rooted in real artistic practice, while our community remains supportive, inclusive, and unapologetically fun—because every human was born to play.

Join us.

HV Improv: Level 2 Improv Performance
2026-11-02 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-11-09 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-11-16 18:00 - 21:00 | Arts Society of Kingston, 97 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 12401, United States
Audience is 50% of the show. You have learned our CORE work and now you’re ready to learn how to do this in front of an audience. In this class you will deepen your skills as a performer and learn more about structure of games & audience empowerment. This is where audience becomes a major piece of your improv puzzle.

Class and Show is held at Art Society of Kingston in the Second Floor Theatre

Participants must be over 18 and have completed Level 1 and passed.

This class takes place on 3 Mondays and 1 Wednesday

Monday, November 2, 9, 16, Wednesday, November 18

6-9pm

Class take place @ASK in Kingston

Final Show Saturday, November 21st @7pm (call time 6pm)

Hudson Valley Improv trains adults to improvise with depth, confidence, and authentic presence. Founded by actor Samantha Jones, our conservatory-informed Improv Empowerment method blends core acting technique with fearless ensemble work—unlocking creativity many people were taught to bury years ago.

We develop performers who listen deeply, make bold choices, and trust themselves onstage and off. Our training is rigorous, human-centered, and rooted in real artistic practice, while our community remains supportive, inclusive, and unapologetically fun—because every human was born to play.

Join us.
