News
Lucas Bize, Gr. 11, Places 2nd at Mazda Raceway
(5/14/13) PCS Junior Lucas Bize placed 2nd at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA. As a result, Lucas is now running 2nd in the MazdaSpeed Pro Challenge. The MazdaSpeed Pro Challenge consists of 12 races at 7 tracks across the United States and Canada. Lucas's car is sporting the PCS logo.
Alex Ko, Grade 11, Publishes Memoir
(5/8/13) Eleventh grader Alex Ko has published a memoir, "From Iowa to Broadway, My Billy Elliot Story." Released on April 30th, the book is published by Harper Collins. To celebrate, Alex read selections from the book before a middle school audience in the Gladys Brooks Library (photo, right). Special guest Stephen Daldry, Academy Award nominated director (Billy Elliot, The Hours, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) introduced Alex. After questions, Alex inscribed a copy for the PCS library.
Class of 2012 Graduate, Silas Farley -- "the future of New York City Ballet"
(3/7/13) The Huffington Post recently dubbed Silas Farley "the future of New York City Ballet." Silas, who deferred college acceptance to Harvard in order to pursue his dance career, is a New York City Ballet Apprentice. Just eighteen, Silas has already been teaching classes at the School of American Ballet. In an unusual move, Silas was asked by artistic director Peter Martins to choreograph a piece for the School of American Ballet's 2013 Winter Ball. Read the complete interview.
Alum Jack Antonoff and fun. Earn 2 Grammys
(2/11/13) PCS graduate Jack Antonoff (center in photograph) and his FUN. bandmates Nate Reuss and Andew Dost, received 2 Grammy Awards for "Song of the Year" (We are Young) and Best New Artist. The band received 6 nominations in what Variety called a "breathrough year" with nominations in all 4 top categories. Congratulations to Jack and the band!
Senior Competes on Food Network
(12/12/12) Seventeen year old Gregg Grossman is the youngest contestant ever on "Chopped," the Food Network's cooking competition show. Gregg's episode aired on 12/11/12, but check local listings to find out who wins.
New York Times
(12/12/12) Alexandros Pappajohn, attracted attention in the Snow Boy role in Dances Patrelle's "The Yorkville Nutcracker" at the Kaye Playhouse ( December 6-9). Times reviewer Alastair Macaulay said he "flooded the stage with style, charm and fantasy." Congratulations, Alex! Emily Sotirov (Gr. 11) as Dewdrop and Ben Lepson (Gr. 6) were also in the cast. PCS alumnus Steven Melendez received notice later on in the same review for his performance as the Sugarplum Cavalier in New York Theater Ballet's, "The Nutcracker." Macaulay praised Steven's good manners and classical grace that "transform seemingly formulaic roles into expressions of humanity at its most chivalrous."
PCS Alumni on Dancing With The Stars
(11/13/12) PCS graduates Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild, New York City Ballet Principal Dancers, were special guests on Episode 8 of ABC Television's Dancing With the Stars (11/12/12). WATCH
Jack Antonoff and Fun. on Saturday Night Live
(11/4/12) PCS graduate Jack Antonoff (right in photo) and fellow Fun. band members Nate Reuss and Andrew Dost were special musical guests recently on Saturday Night Live. The band has partnered with Jack's sister, fashion designer Rachel Antonoff (and PCS alum) to form The Ally Coalition, a non-profit group that will raise awareness and funds to aid in the fight for LGBTQ equality. WATCH
17-Year Old Chef Subject of Film
PCS senior Gregg Grossman is the subject a 6-minute documentary. Gregg has cooked in over 40 restaurants alongside some of the world's greatest chefs. The documentary was created for THNKR, Youtube's educational content channel. View the documentary HERE.
Two PCS Alumni Win 2012 Emmys
(9/28/12) Martha Plimpton and Eran Dinur each received Emmy Awards at the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Ceremony on September 23rd in Los Angeles. Martha received the award for "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series" for an episode of "The Good Wife" on CBS. Eran was honored for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role" for "Boardwalk Empire" on HBO. They were photographed (right) with Associate Head Carol Kleban (their former Social Studies teacher) at the 2012 Alumni Reunion in June. Congratulations to both!
Reed Kessler Heads to London Olympic Games
(6/18/12) Reed Kessler, Class of 2012, has been named number 3 on the nominated entries for the U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team on Cylana. Reed is the youngest rider in U.S. Olympic Team history. The last PCS student to compete in the Olympics was 5 time World Figure Skating Champion Carol Heiss in 1956. Congratulations, Reed!
Reed was featured in
The Huffington Post and in Sports Illustrated (August 13, 2012).
Sibling Success
(7/4/12) PCS graduates Rachel and her brother Jack Antonoff were featured in a New York Times article, "Sibling Success: The Power of 2" on July 4, 2012. Rachel is a fashion designer whose ine has appeared at Barney's New York and at boutiques in the U.S., Japan and Canada. Jack is the guitarist in Fun, whose single "We are Young" topped the charts for 6 weeks this spring and made an appearance on "Glee." READ THE ARTICLE.
PCS In the Comics
(6/14/12) Professional Children's School was mentioned in the June 14, 2012 installment of "Curtis," the King Features comic strip by Ray Billingsley.

NYCB Apprentices Named
(6/7/12) PCS seniors Harrison Coll, Silas Farley and Indiana Woodward have been chosen by New York City BAllet Master in Chief Peter Matins to become apprentices with the New York City Ballet Company. Apprentices learn roles in a wide array of works from NYCB's vast repertory and may perform in up to 8 ballets each season in addition to the full 5-week season of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. All of the students received their dance training at the School of American Ballet which jointly administers the apprentice program with NYCB. Apprentices sample life as Company members while enjoying all of the benefits of remaining students.
Students mentioned in The New York Times review of 2012 School of American Ballet Spring Workshop Performances. READ
PCS Junior Places 2nd in Metropolitan Area
(6/7/12) Aimée Auguin (Gr. 11) has placed 2nd in the New York Metropolitan area and was a bronze medalist nationally in the Grand Concours 2012, a contest organized across the US by the Association of American Teachers of French (AATF). Over 85,000 students participated nationally. Aimée competed in April at the 5C level, which is the level for native speakers and therefore the highest level in the contest. She received her bronze medal at a ceremony at the Lycée Francais on June 7th. Congratulations, Aimée.
Senior Wins National Show Jumping Championship
(3/24/12) Reed Kessler (Gr. 12) tied with veteran competitor Margie Engle at the USEF National Show Jumping Championship in Wellington, Florida before a full house of over 7,000 spectators. The competition was held as both the national championship and the selection trials for this summer's Olympic Games in London. $200,000 was awarded to the top twelve competitors overall and those standings will help determine the long list of riders that will compete at the Olympics Games this summer.
Reed Kessler (center of photo at left) was one of three equestrians representing the U.S. Equestrian Team at the "Road to London" Olympic celebration in Times Square on April 18th, marking the beginning of the one-hundred day countdown to the London Olympic Games.
Update:
Reed is featured in The New York Times article, "Teenage Rider May Reset the Bar (May 10, 2012) READ.
Ten Concert Tour
(1/27/12) Pei-Wen Liao (Gr. 12), just returned from a ten-city tour of China. She was the soloist with the Malaga (Spain) Symphony Orchestra, seen here playing Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen. Pei-Wen has won numerous awards and competitions and has performed with orchestras around the world, including debut concerts in Japan, Russia and Austria. Pei-Wen gave two debut recitals in Jerusalem in May 2011
Biography Features PCS

(1/1/12) PCS graduate
Scarlett Johansson was the subject of a recent documentary on the Biography Channel. The episode premiered on December 23, 2011. The 45-minute documentary featured fond recollections from Dr. James Dawson who was interviewed for the program.
Click here to watch the complete episode.
Dancing With the Stars
(11/16/11) PCS graduate Ricki Lake has reached the final round on Dancing With the Stars, the ABC television show that pairs nonprofessional dancers with professional partners in a 10-week competition, airing Monday and Tuesday evenings on ABC. Ten original contestants have been sent home and Ricki and only 2 other contestants have made it to the final round that will air on Monday evening, November 21st and Tuesday, November 22nd. Vote for Ricki: 1-800-VOTE4-11.
Metropolitan Opera Debut
(11/16/11) PCS graduate Anthony Roth Costanzo makes his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Unulfo in Handel's Rodelinda with Renée Fleming and Stephanie Blythe on Dec. 7th. He will create the role of Ferdinand in the Baroque pasticcio, The Enchanted Island, which premiers at the Metropolitan Opera on New Year's Eve with a gala performance.
Best Supporting Actress
(10/25/11) Tori (Eun-Kyung) Shim, Gr. 11, pictured at right, received the "Best Supporting Actress Award" at the 48th Daejong Film Awards on October 17th in Seoul, South Korea. Tori received her "Grand Bell Award," the Korean version of the Oscar, for her work in "Romantic Heaven." MORE
To Kill A Mockingbird
(10/19/11) Seventh Grader Ethan Haberfield has a leading role in "To Kill A Mockingbird," the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's production that has been receiving great reviews. NJ.com called Ethan and his fellow young actors' performances "extraordinary." Read the compete review. Through November 20, 2011 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre on the campus of Drew University in Madison, NJ.
Upper East Side Talent
(10/7/11) Four PCS students who reside on Manhattan's Upper East Side were included in Our Town Newspaper's recent article, "The Most Talented Kids on the Upper East Side.". Athena Ripka (Gr. 8), who is pursuing a career as a singer and actress, her brother Mason (Gr. 10), an internationally ranked squash player, Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus member Aaron Brown (Gr. 10) and rock musician Zach Allen (Gr. 11) were included in the piece.
Seventh Grader Lands Role
(8/27/11) PCS middle schooler Emily Robinson landed the role of Tessa in Brindlebeast, a new musical in development. Emily told her story to Back Stage in a recent interview. READ MORE.
Seniors Join New York City Ballet
(7/1/11) PCS seniors Meaghan Dutton O'Hara and Peter Walker have been invited to join the New York City Ballet Company as apprentices. They learned the news shortly after graduating from PCS on June 16th. Both seniors are students of the School of American Ballet where their performances in this spring's SAB Workshop were highly praised. Meaghan and Peter also were presented with the prestigious Mae L. Wien Award at the Workshop Gala. Meaghan was interviewed for a recent segment of WNET's Sunday Arts program focusing on the School of American Ballet. View the segment.
More Company News
PCS seniors Jake Helgenberg and Jacqueline Schiller are members of the Manhattan Youth Ballet Company. Jake will be moving to Philadelphia to dance with Philadelphia Ballet's Company2. Senior Cece Montgomery received a contract with the Colorado Ballet Company. She received her dance training at the School of American Ballet.
PCS Students on Anderson Cooper 360
(6/9/11) Radio Silence NYC, the band that includes PCS students Zach (Gr. 10), Dylan (Gr. 11), and Timothy (Gr. 10), along with drummer Wyatt (photo right), appeared on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 to discuss its anti-bullying efforts with CNN?Education Contributor Steve Perry. Perry, the author of the education book, "Push has come to Shove," to be released in September 2011, came to PCS to interview the boys recently. The segment originally aired on June 9, 2011.
Click here to view the segment.
PCS Senior Receives Martin E. Segal Award
(6/9/11) Meaghan Dutton-O'Hara, a student at the School of American Ballet, was one of two recipients of this year's Martin E. Segal Awards which recognize emerging artists associated with Lincoln Center. She and filmmaker Laura Poitras were honored at a luncheon at Lincoln Center's Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse celebrating the 25th anniversary of the awards. Each recipient was awarded $7,500 to be used for career advancement or future study. Meaghan also received, along with PCS senior Peter Walker, the School of American Ballet's prestigious Mae L. Wien Award. The awards were announced at the SAB Workshhop Performances on June 4th and 7th. MORE

Jonathan Russell Records With Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
(May 12, 2011) PCS Sophomore Jonathan Russell (pictured above) recorded with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra recently, under the direction of Wynton Marsalis. The orchestra was recording Nursery Song Swing, a collection of children's music arranged for big band that Jonathan had performed live with the orchestra two years ago at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Wynton Marsalis asked Jonathan to return to record the song he had performed originally -- The Mahna Mahna Song from The Muppets. Mr. Marsalis was so impressed with Jonathan's first take that he decided to make the solo section a lot longer. It only took Jonathan a second take to make Mr. Marsalis happy. The session took place on the stage of Rose Hall. Ted Nash, one of the band's sax players and Wynton Marsalis's chief arranger, congratulated Jonathan for his first recording with the band. Photo by Ernest Gregory
PCS Featured on Weekend Today
(4/1/11) PCS was featured on a segment of Weekend Today New York on Channel Four that aired on Sunday, April 3, 2011. Co-anchor Erika Tarantal (right) visited PCS recently to conduct interviews and film the segment which features one of our students who combines her academic studies at Professional Children's School with her dance training at Manhattan Youth Ballet.
Click here to view.
Reed Kessler Victorious
(3/22/11) Reed Kessler (Grade 11) aboard Ligist (right) clinched the top spot in the EY CUP trials at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida recently. That made Reed the series winner and sends her to the EY?Cup finals in Liepzig, Germany later this year. Reed professionally ranks 15th in the United States and 168th in the world. Congratulations, Reed!
Shir Levy Wins Competition
(3/16/11) Violinist Shir Levy (Grade 11), pictured at left, was the first prize winner at the 2010-2011 American Protegy International Piano and Strings Competition held on March 6th at Carnegie Hall. Shir also won the Judges Award. She will perform at an American Protegy gala concert during the 2011-2012 season.
Christine Mozer Honored
(3/15/11) Senior Christine Mozer (Gr. 12) is one of 20 young people selected to recieve a 2010 Young Heroes Award. Christine and David Cruikshank, who attends Mamaroneck H.S., were honored for their work in supporting Brooklyn Ice, an organization that has brought skating lessons and off-season activitites to disadvantaged young people in Brookly, NY. The 2010 Honorees are featured in a year-long exhibitition at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia.
Sarah Steele Captures Gold
Sarah Steele (Grade 10) (left) returned from Germany with Gold in the 16-18 year old category 3 at the Berlin International Ballet Competition. She danced at the final gala performance with the 2011 prize-winners and Staatsballett Berlin dancers on February 20th. The competition is one of most prestigious ance competitions in the world and is included in UNESCO's International Dance Council. The 6-day festival includes workshops, an joint performances with internationally celebrated dancers.
Do Something.org Launches Anti-Bullying Campaign
with Song by Radio Silence NYC
(1/15/11) A song by Radio Silence NYC,? the band that includes PCS students Zach (Gr. 10), Dylan (Gr. 11), and Timothy (Gr. 10), along with drummer Wyatt, has been selected by Do Something.org to promote its national anti-bullying campaign. Do Something.org, a nationwide non-profit that promotes volunteerism and social activism by pairing young people with service opportunities in their communities, will launch the campaign with a live performance of the song, "Renegade," in PCS's Peter Glenville Theatre at an all-school assembly on February 15th. Zach told J-14.com recently, "when school started up again, all these stories came out in the news and in the media about kids being bullied excessively which is something that every high school student witnesses at least once in their life. We decided to make the "Renegade" music video to get our message out that "hatred is the enemy" and that all that hate has to be stopped."
Steven Harris Architects Monograph Published

(1/15/11) Steven Harris Architects, the firm that designed Professional Children's School's Peter Glenville Theatre (right), along with extensive additions and alterations to the school in 2005, is the subject of its first monograph, True Life, showcasing an international collection of the firm's residential work over the past twenty-five years. Published by Princeton Architectural Press, the book is organized by function, which the Wall Street Journal noted, "distinguishes [it] and makes it rise high above shelter-magazine fare, besides the beauty and creativity of the architecture." Steven Harris is the founding partner of Steven Harris Architects and professor of Architecture at Yale where he has taught for 25 years. He is the co-editor of Architecture of the Everyday and in 2008 was inducted into the Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame.
David Varga '89 Wins Emmy
(1/11/11) David Vaga (back row, 2nd from right) won an Emmy Award for Editing the NBC News Special: "Inside the Obama White House." He's photographed here with the rest of the NBC team (back row, 2nd from right) after receiving his statuette at a luncheon on January 10, 2011. The awards were announced at the 31st Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards Ceremony on September 27, 2010. The event was held at Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City and broadcast on C-Span. Congratulations, David!
Alexandra Ansanelli Joins PCS Board

(9/15/10) PCS graduate Alexandra Ansanelli has joined the PCS Board of Trustees as an alumna trustee.
Alexandra came to PCS in the 6th grade when she was a student at the School of American Ballet. In 1996, at the age of 15, she was invited to become an apprentice with the New York City Ballet Company. One month later, she was made a member of the corps de ballet, one of the youngest dancers ever invited to join the corps. In 1997 she received the Princess Grace Award. In 2003 she was made a Principal dancer with the company. In addition to dancing leading works by George Balanchine, Peter Martins and Jerome Robbins, as well as in classics like The Nutcracker, Coppelia and The Sleeping Beauty, Alexandra has created roles in ballets by Jerome Robbins,Susan Stroman and Christopher Wheeldon. In 2005, Alexandra left the New York City Ballet to become a member of the Royal Ballet in London. She was promoted to principal in 2007. She retired from the company in 2009 and is currently living in New York City and attending Columbia University.
(12/06/10) Alexandra was one of several college-enrolled dancers featured in the article, "Exchanging Slippers for Schoolbooks," in December 5, 2010 Sunday's New York Times. Click here for the complete article.
Sophomore Equestrian Retires Trophy
(6/2/10) Reed Kessler returned to PCS from the Devon Horse Show this week placing first and second in the first Junior Jumper class and Time-first Jump-off, respectively this year. By placing first for the third consecutive year, Reed retired the Mike Mullen Challenge Trophy, which has been in play since 1948. Located on Philadelphia's Main Line, The Devon Horse Show is the oldest and largest multibreed competition in the United States.
8th Grader Wins Competition
(6/2/10) Naoko Tajima is a winner of the New York International Music Competition. She will appear as a soloist with the Promise Symphony Orchestra on November 21, 2010.
Middle School Teacher Recognized
M.S. Social Studies teacher Ericka Petersen is a recipient of one of this year's Blackboard Awards for Teachers. The 14 recipients were selected from more than 250 online nominations from parents, students and educators, then culled by Manhattan Media Group's editorial team. The recipients will be honored at a June 7th awards ceremony at the Fordham University School of Law.
PCS Junior on Broadway
(6/2/10) Eamon Foley is reprising his role in Everyday Rapture which transferred to Broadway's American Airlines Theatre on April 19th. Ben Brantley called Everday Rapture "one of the year's most extravagantly entertaining new musiicals" and Eamon "priceless" when it first opened off-Broadway last May. The show runs thru July 11, 2010. Eamon made his Broadway debut in "13." UPDATE: Eamon is featured in an article in the Wall Street Journal (June 2, 2010) CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY.
Princeton Alumni Weekly Features
PCS Graduate
(4/15/10) Anthony Roth Costanzo, who graduated from PCS in 2000 and serves as an alumnus trustee on the PCS Board of Trustees, is featured on the March 17, 2010 cover of the Princeton Alumni Weekly. A countertenor, Anthony recently made his New York City Opera debut as Armindo in Handel's Partenope. The New York Times, in its review, said he sang "splendidly." Anthony is a recent winner of the Metropolitan Opera Competition and will be performing at the Glimmerglass Festival this summer in the title role of Tolomeo in Handel's opera. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University in 2004. Click here for the PAW article.
New York State Uneven Bars Champion
(3/23/10) High School Sophomore Rachel de la Torre is the New York State Uneven Bars Champion. She placed first in the 16-19 year old division among 45 gymnasts at the New York State Gymnastics Championship in Syracuse, New York.? Rachel also placed 5th All Around and advances to the Regional Gymnastics Championship April 9-11 in Boston.
PCS?Alum Subject of Documentary
(3/23/10) Sokvannara "Sy" Sar, is the subject of Dancing Across Borders, a film by Anne Bass opening in New York on March 26th at the Quad Cincema. Ms. Bass saw Sy dance in Cambodia and was so impressed that she arranged for him to come to New York to attend the School of American Ballet. Sy attended PCS and graduated in 2003. He is now a member of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company in Seattle. The film documents Sy's move from rural Cambodia to New York's high-powered dance studios and stages.
Middle Schooler Wins Ballet Competition
(3/18/10) Alicia Fotino, Grade 8, won the Junior Age Division Youth America Grand Prix held recently in Providence, Rhode Island.? Alicia will be competing in the finals with young dancers from around the world in New York City (March 21-26). Alicia attends the Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory of New York. Alicia competed in the 12-14 year old category, winning the overall competition for the junior division by scoring the highest overall score n the classical and contemporary categories. There was no grand prix awarded in the senior or pre-competitive division in Rhode Island this year.
Hannah Cho Performs on "From the Top"
(2/24/10) 15 year-old violinist Hannah (Soo Jin) Cho taped an episode of the nationally syndicated radio program, "From the Top" in Hawaii recently. The show will air in New York on Sunday, February 28th on WQXR 105.9FM at 10?PM. Hannah plays Brahms' Sonatensatz in C minor, Scherzo, Op. posth. Hannah said of her performance, "before I play the piece, I think of how young Brahms composed the piece with a lot of passion and ambition." Hannah is in the 10th grade. "From the Top" has a weekly audience of more than 700,000 listeners on 250 stations nationwide and is the preeminent showcase for young classical musicians.
Dance 212
(1/1/10) Emily Erickson, Grade 12, is one of five dancers, and the only high school student, ?reporting for Dance 212, "The College Years," a monthly vlog created by Dance Spirit Magazine. The vlog focuses on education options for college-age dancers and, in Emily's case, the choices she faces as she undertakes the college admissions process. Emily will be reporting regularly for the vlog.
Click here for the complete story:? http://dance212.com/.
7th Grader Makes Broadway Debut
(11/11/09) Paige Simunovich makes her Broadway debut in Finian's Rainbow this season. Fifty members of the PCS community attended a preview performance in October. The show opened to rave reviews at the St. James Theatre on October 29th. The score by E.Y. Harburg and Burton Lane includes standards "Old Devil Moon" and "If this isn't Love."?? Cheyenne Jackson heads the cast.
Paige was featured in a New York Times article on Sunday, November 8, 2009.? Click here for the complete article.