Westchester Italian Cultural Center

Language Courses for Children

wiccny — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:05:08 +0000

Our teachers engage and educate children by immersing them in the Italian language and culture through age appropriate creative and fun activities including arts and crafts, songs, stories, books computers and games.

Mommy & Me, Primi Passi in Italiano
For children ages 2½ to 4 and caregiver
Instructor: Leslie Poole Petit
Thursdays 1:00pm – 2:00pm
February 9, 2012 – March 29, 2012 (8 classes)
Fee: Members $200, Non-Members $250

Instructor: Leslie Poole Petit
Thursdays 1:00pm – 2:00pm
April 12, 2012 – May 31, 2012 (8 classes)
Fee: Members $200, Non-Members $250

Impariamo Insieme

This three-pronged approach to language acquisition immerses the students in the Italian language and culture, and provides regular exposure to all three of our talented instructors. During each two-hour session, students travel through different workshops conducted only in Italian by our experienced educators. Workshops will focus on art, music, literature, games, and culinary arts, utilizing the Center’s state-of-the-art facilities. The program is open to children ages 4 to 12. Students will be grouped by age.

Instructors: Leslie Poole Petit, Cathy Blanco, Almira Bubesi
Saturdays 10:00am – 12pm;
February 4, 2012 – April 21, 2012 (10 classes)
No classes on Saturday, April 7 and April 14
Fee: Members $275, Non-Members $375

Space is limited, register early to guarantee your space

Exhibit: Dipinti Murali di Pompei (Murals of Pompeii)

wiccny — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:27:51 +0000

Pompeii, was destroyed by a violent eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in the year 79AD. The excavations thatbegan in 1748, represented the first attempt to present to the world the beauty of the murals of Pompeii. Today, the murals have lost their original vibrancy but they have been reproduced in a magnificent and rare book published in 1886. The magnificent illustrations consist of 20 large chromolithographs engraved by Vincenzo Loria (1850-1939). The images represent the wall paintings of Pompeian villas as they were during the first days of their recovery from the darkness of 2000 years. The display is a private collection owned by Dr. Francesco De Martino, of the 20 reproduced plates, along with the descriptive text written by the Italian architect Edoardo Cerillo in 1886. Accompanying the exhibit are panels presented by the Town of Pompeii to raise awareness about the rich cultural, archeological, and historical significance of Pompeii and a video animation simulating the life in ancient Pompeii.
The exhibit is presented in collaboration with Federazione delle Associazione della Campania USA.

Members’ Opening- Monday, March 12, 7:30pm
A reception with dignitaries and representatives from Regione Campania and Town of Pompeii will follow.

Language Courses for Adults

wiccny — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:45:02 +0000

From the first day, students are fully immersed in the Italian language and culture. Our instructors speak only in Italian and create an atmosphere of free expression, while continually focusing on the needs of the students. The goal at each level is to attain fluency within the linguistic category listed below and to become familiar with the culture, making the language acquisition an enjoyable experience. There is no limit to how many times you can participate at each level.

Fee for all adult language classes:
Members $375, Non-Members $475
Second family member: Member $335, Non-Members $435
Students over 18 years with valid school ID: $195 (must have WICC membership)

Adagio
Provides students with a sound grammatical basis while teaching everyday communication skills.

Instructor: Leslie Poole Petit
Tuesdays, 1:15pm – 2:45pm
January 31, 2012 – April 10, 2012 (10 sessions, 1½hrs)

Instructor: TBD
Wednesdays, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
February 1, 2012 – April 11, 2012 (10 sessions, 1½hrs)

Moderato
Focuses on practical communication, increasing vocabulary and improving language comprehension.

Instructor: Leslie Poole Petit
Tuesdays, 11:30am – 1:00pm
January 31, 2012 – April 10, 2012 (10 sessions, 1½hrs)

Instructor: TBD
Wednesdays, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
February 1, 2012 – April 11, 2012 (10 sessions, 1½hrs)

Forte
Emphasizes active communication in Italian. Review, expands and perfects pronunciation, structure and vocabulary for the purpose of active oral and written communication.

Instructor: Leslie Poole Petit
Tuesdays, 9:45am – 11:15am
January 31, 2012 – April 10, 2012 (10 sessions, 1½hrs)

Instructor: TBD
Wednesdays, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
February 1, 2012 – April 11, 2012 (10 sessions, 1½hrs)

Genealogy: Ancestry vs Heritage

wiccny — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 20:09:44 +0000

Discover and preserve your family’s unique story. Professional genealogist Toni McKeen will share with you her passion, knowledge, and the tips you need to know for documenting your family history.

There are two powerful web sites with pluses and minuses to both sites. Learn how to make powerful websites work for you by knowing their strengths and weaknesses, use systems to find all of your ancestors… even those who don’t seem to want to be found.

Italian Cinema: Roma Citta’ Aperta

wiccny — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:04:59 +0000

Enjoy some of the best Italian cinema. Refreshments are offered prior to the screening.

Roma Citta’ Aperta (1945) by Roberto Rossellini
The Allies had barely driven the Nazis out of Rome when Roberto Rosselini went to work on Open City, considered by most to be his greatest work. Shot on bits and short ends of scavenged film, this film helped define Italian neorealism. The story involves members of the Italian underground trying to smuggle badly needed cash out of Nazi-occupied Rome to partisan fighters in the mountains, while the Nazis continue to hunt the underground opposition.

In Italian with English subtitles, 100 minutes. Black & White.

Piccoli Cuochi: Gnocchi

wiccny — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:32:25 +0000

Our ever-popular, hands-on culinary classes for children are presented in our professional demonstration kitchen. Children don chef coats and toques and have fun while learning to prepare traditional Italian food. Presented by Cathy Blanco.

Learn how to prepare one of the classics of Italian cuisine. Gnocchi are surprisingly easy to make and are a very versatile dish. They can be dressed with a variety of sauces to please your taste. An activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family!

Special Presentation: Pompeii: The Roman World Revisited

wiccny — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:03:19 +0000

The Vesuvius volcanic eruption that buried the city of Pompeii in AD 79 was a terrible tragedy that preserved the city, thus giving posterity a window into the ancient Roman world. In order to put Pompeii in the context of its times, Professor-in-Residence Antonio Rutigliano will cover the history of the ancient Roman world before the eruption of Vesuvius.

Intimate Conversations with Contemporary Authors

wiccny — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 19:56:28 +0000

Second in a series of three lectures presented by Gaetano V. Cavallaro R.Ph.,M.D. After fifty years ofresearch, Professor Cavallaro’s three volumes may be the most complete and accurate work on events in Italy prior to, during and immediately after the First World War.

The Battle of Caporetto
Professor Cavallaro detail the blitizkrieg style of fighting including why it was used and its terrible consequences for Italy as British and French troops rushed to the Italian front. Similar attacks on France and North Africa are discussed.

Cucina Regionale: Sicilia

wiccny — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:28:18 +0000

Hands-on classes and demonstration presented by renowned food experts in our state-of-the-art kitchen.

Sicily is a historical crossroads of cultures, each of which has left a mark in the kitchen. The result is a varied sumptuous cuisine rich in different ingredients. Seafood abound in Sicilian dishes; tuna, fresh swordfish, anchovies and sardines are the most consumed fish. The fish is flavored with garlic, olives, capers, but also with unusual ingredients such as raisins and pine nuts, giving rise to recipes such as the famous noseddu (dried tuna) and cuscus.

Presented by Teresa Ingrasciotta.

Antologia del Cinema Italiano: The Birth of Neorealismo and of a New World Cinema

wiccny — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:52:27 +0000

Second in a series of four lectures presented by Professor Joseph N. Spedaliere MA, Distinguished Professor of Italian Language and Culture at Concordia College.

In a country devastated by war, occupation, misery and despair, the Italian cinema boldly steps up to confront the challenges besetting the film industry and the nation as a whole. Roberto Rossellini’s Roma, Città Aperta (1945), serves as an exhortation to the Italian people to resist oppression and determine their own destiny. This film is universally considered one of the greatest of all time and serves as the veritable foundation of Italian Neorealismo and similar cinematic schools throughout the world.