Holiday Haitus

Today, Dec. 22, 2015, is the last day of the 2015 year for Daedream.  Only Blue Shirts and Mentors are attending.  Those having rehearsal for the school concert will be able to attend as needed.

We will not resume FULL daily sessions until Jan. 14.  
Please read the info below for your child's resume date:

Mentors and Choreographers	Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016
ALL CAST	Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016  TIMES AND SCHEDULE TO BE ANNOUNCED
Blue Shirts	Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016
Red Shirts	Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016

The Daedream Staff wishes everyone a safe and restful holiday break with many blessings.

Congratulations are in order!!!!

Congratulations to Mentor Deandre Ward who was selected to attend a workshop and performance with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company on Tuesday, through a program at Cooperative High School in New Haven. Great job Deandre!

Also congrats to this week's MENTOR of the WEEK Evelyn Vargas
and Member of the Week Jeniyah H.

:D

Daedream Family Celebration, 2015!

Before the party, cake decorating

Everyone's eating

Some people can't even stop eating for a picture

Concentration on what's important

The Fam

Better late than never!  This might be AFTER the chair was broken.

Another shot of the cake

Torey, Neide

Torey, Neide, Kevin

Tyrese, Evelyn, Shayna, De

De, Shayna, Radcliffe, Kevin

Evelyn, Tyrese

De, Shayna

Evelyn

Playing 8s

8s

Shayna, Radcliffe, Kevin

A Turtle Selfie

Marly Marl, Ronald, De

Saturday Schedule!

SATURDAY DAEDREAM PLAN	PLEASE ARRIVE 10 minutes before YOUR ASSIGNED CALL TIME.  DO NOT BE LATE. ·Please bring LUNCH or something to eat IF assigned before and after lunch (you cannot leave to get it). ·ARRANGE RIDES ACCORDINGLY.  No late pick-ups please. ·LOCATION:  CAREER HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM (enter on parking lot side by Orchard Street.)
9:45 am	Tech staff, Mentors, Co-directors	Set up, planning meeting, review of day’s activities. Staging for West Side Story (lunch needed)
10:30 am	WEST SIDE STORY PERFORMERS ALL Mentors Grade 7, 8, Aissatou, Jada P., Jay C., Kayla E., Julianne	More staging of WSS Vocal practice Dance practice
12:00 noon	ALL BLUE SHIRTS in WIZARD OF OZ	Beginning staging of Wizard of Oz (stage and Audience) Dance practice/instruction for Wizard of Oz
Lunch (1:30)	Mentors, Techs, Blue Shirts	Lunch/Snack cannot be heated and no one can leave to go purchase it.  You must bring it with you.  No glass bottles please.
2:00 pm	Mentors and Blue Shirts	Dance instruction and staging:  Finale
3:00 pm	Mentors, BLUE SHIRTS IN LITTLE MERMAID ONLY, RED SHIRTS (red shirts do not need lunch)   MOST BLUE SHIRTS ARE DONE AT 3:00 PM.  Only those in Little Mermaid stay.	Staging Dance Instruction Dance Practice
5:00 pm	PICK UP TIME. ONLY Mentors and choreographers stay for meeting	Finishing any choreo; finishing staging; pack up tech stuff
6:00 pm	Mentor pick up / end

Member and Mentor of the Week

This week:

Member of the week:  Tie between Raul S. and Mariah M.

Mentor of the Week:  Ronald Dorsey

Reach for the Stars: Congratulations to this week's Members and Mentor of the WEEK!

Member of the Week:
ALL of the RED SHIRTS!  Great job to all of you!

Mentor of the Week:
Marlon Harris (Hillhouse High School)

Time is FLYING BY . . .

Help us reach our goal of 10K page views!!!!

Visit us often for schedules, updates, info, interviews, photos, videos and more.

Also:

This Week's Schedule of Events

Daedream

Week of Nov. 24

Tuesday, Nov. 24

REG. REHEARSAL MASH, 3:30 – 5:30

Wed. Nov. 25

NO DAEDREAM Half Day, TG RECESS

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  See you in December!

Daedream Stars of the Week

Mentor of the week = Torey Robinson
Member of the Week= Aaliyah P.

Daedream unleashes INSTAGRAM page

Check us out:

https://www.instagram.com/daedreamnh/

Commercial #1

REACH for the STARS!!!

Star of the Week!! ---> Tamia R.
Mentor of the Week!! ---> Deandre W.

Congratulations!

SCHEDULE FOR THURS, FRI, SAT, Nov. 12 - 14

Exciting end-of -the-week schedule!

THURSDAY NOV. 12

Regular Daedream (all grades)
Choreo until 7:00 (choreo team)

FRIDAY NOV. 13 - Ms. JEFFREY returns!!  FIRST SESSION for CAST MEMBERS
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM

VOCAL INSTRUCTION (Frenchie, Julianne, Autumn, Aissatou, Dandre F., Tytianie, Jada P., Tamia) 

DANCE/CHOREO for all 7th and 8th graders and mentors not mentioned above, plus Kayla E.

4:15 - 5:00

VOCALS for the WSS 4:15  for 7th grade boys, male mentors, Frenchie, Aissatou, and Maria 

DANCE CHOREO/INSTRUCTION for Kayla P., all 7th Grade girls and female mentors not in above 

5:00 - 5:30

DANCE INSTRUCTION for WSS for all mentors, 7th and 8th graders with full run through

SATURDAY NOV. 14 - ALL DAY CHOREO - LAST SESSION BEFORE CAREER!!!

11:00 am - 1:00 pm 

WSS (with vocal run through:  All Jada P., Kayla E., all 7th and 8th graders, all mentors)

1:30 - 2:30

WOZ (with full run through and choreo completion:  Choreo team and mentors)

2:30 - 4:30

OPENING  (CHOREOGRAPHY SESSION = Choreo team and mentors)

4:30 - 5:30

FINALE REVIEW and PREP for TEACHING (Choreo team and mentors)

PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY to arrange rides - rides must be on time.

Video from MASH BASH

DAEDREAM THRILLS MASH (photos)

FROM RAYANIA

Brianna

FROM LEIGH ROBERTS:

Taryn (did her own makeup)

More Taryn

Our ZOMBIES

FROM NICOLE SWEET:

Costumes, Choreo and More Choreo!!!

This week, the team worked on SEVERAL PIECES of the production, "The Reel Stuff," and has accomplished quite a bit.

With a show of this magnitude, there are hundreds of dance combinations that have to be created, aside from the script, lighting work, sets and of course, costumes.

Lori Brigham, Costume Coordinator, says, "The difference between the confidence the cast members have that comes from wearing a costume on stage I believe changes their experience, and that leads to the whole participation ultimately changing their lives."   When asked what the biggest challenge for this year is, she states:  "Money.  If we had an unlimited or more extensive budget, we could be outfitting every cast member in elaborate, Broadway-style costumes.  The costumes are something that take a lot of creativity to keep expense down.  We focus on single pieces throughout to give the audience a picture of what we're trying to represent.  Changing something from Good Will into something that looks like a costume and works for the audience is not as much as a challenge as walking away from $25-a-yard beautiful fabric."  She adds, "The boy costumes are the most challenging.  How do we make them look special without looking feminine, etc."

Lori has been the Costume Coordinator since 2011, when she and other parents helped with the production, "Times of Your Life," and brought costumes into the Daedream experience.  Prior to this, Daedream used minimal, color-coordinated outfits and focused on the stage presentation.  With this change, the director believes that Daedream has moved to a higher level as far as audience reception.  "Of course, parents and community always loved the shows, but once the costumes became part of it, I slowly saw a different type of reception.  In short, people are starting seeing it as more professional since we have upgraded to full costumes."  For this she vehemently thanks Lori, Head Costume Designer/Seamstress Karina Burgos, Student Costume Mistress Kasandra Burgos, Wilhemena Criston, Nancy Todd, Simone Minichino, Jacqui Comshaw, teacher Crystal Solano, Mrs. Sullivan, Ellen Croll, Jene Flores, and her own mother, Connie Nucolo, plus MANY MORE teachers and parents along the way that have supported the costume drive in many different ways.

Be on the lookout for special costume pieces posted here that will give a hint as to this year's performance!

Shawn Jeffrey supports Daedream's "Reel Stuff"

Opera singer and talent manager Shawn Jeffrey raised some voices today when she came to Mauro-Sheridan to conduct a vocal rehearsal for ninety minutes this Friday afternoon.

"I can't see any reason why they can't do what you want them to," she said of the untrained singers who are volunteering to be part of a special segment of the Daedream Show slated for this June.  "They want to, and they will."

This was, of course, in response to the director Ms. Francis' concern that one of the selections for the show may be a bit too much.  The talented singer commented, "This music is no joke.  This is challenging stuff, but I know these young artists are up to it.  We're gonna rock it!"

Of course, the cast members were determined and worked very hard to get the arduous task underway.  And they succeeded, completing several parts at the very basic level...a perfect place to begin.

Soprano Maria Cervantes, a junior at Career High School is the Daedream lead vocalist.  She trains and works with student singers and has a beautiful voice with a lyric quality.  She first listened to the selection we are working on and said, "Ms. Francis!" as if in disbelief.  After our first session on Thursday, she was nodding in approval.  The boys really came through.  And, they showed their stuff on Friday with Ms. Jeffrey as well.

Following the vocal segment on Friday, the cast members remained another hour to work on the dance choreography for the same segment.  "It's a retro piece," Ms. Francis said, "which makes it a bit more tough.  I have faith in them, though.  They're the most amazing people I know."

More coming as we approach the 28th Season Production!

NO DAEDREAM on OCT. 13, 2015.

Teachers have a city-wide Curriculum meeting that day, so Daedream will not be held.  It will resume on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Break Dance Workshop

Some early video of the choreo team getting their break dance on!

Instructor:  Local area artist, Obsidian.

Open House, 2015

Last night at Open House, the choreo team performed "I Have a Dream," a piece created less than a month ago specifically for the event.

Involved in this first performance of 2015-2016 were Co-Directors Torey Robinson and Kevin Kelly; mentors Cheyenne, Shayna, Ronald, Deandre, Radcliffe, and Marlon (Evelyn and Luis on technology, recruitment and support); mentors in training Rayania and Brianna; and choreography team members and upcoming mentors Des'tahnee, JeVaughn and Aissatou.

Many thanks to Mrs. K for allowing Daedream to be part of Open House again this year.

Cheyenne, Kevin and Torey address the parents at Open House on Sept. 29, 2015

Daedream Choreo Team performing at Open House

New Staff shirts on fleek!  (meaning:  New Staff shirts look great!)

What Everyone is Saying About Dance

So just what are they saying?  Read here to find out!

Evelyn, Senior, Career High School, 10-year veteran:
Dance allows your dreams to speak.  I feel free when I'm able to dance it's like a whole different world, within each move there's a meaning.. Dancing isn't just dance, it's the way I express myself . It has been part of my life since I was in second grade, and 10 years later, I'm still in Daedream, which many people ask me, "why do you still do it?"   

"Because this is a part of who I am and who I've grown up to be."

Deandre, Senior, Cooperative Arts High School, 9-year veteran:

Dance is not just about doing movement.  Dance to me is the heart and soul of my body.  My body is my instrument; my instrument of dance is my creative weapon that has been given to me.   I didn't choose to dance, dancing has chosen me.  I sweat, I cry, I dream the love and passion of dance.  I try each & every day to work hard & be a better person & dancer.   Life is hard at times, but I still remain to smile and keep the spirit of dance alive.

Cheyenne, Sophomore, Career High School, 5-year veteran:

Dance is a get away. When I dance, I feel like nothing else matters and that I can be who I am without worrying about what anyone has to say.  It doesn't matter if you dance for a big company or your mirror in your room, you get the same feeling:  passion & love.   I am in Daedream because I love knowing that I have people to talk to or that I can vent to and get advice from.  I also love working with the younger kids and bringing out their talents, especially when they don't know that they have any!

Kevin, Senior, Hillhouse High School, 5-year veteran, Head Choreographer and Program Co-Director:

Dance is not just anything to me, when I dance I dance to live and feel free.  When I move to a certain dance number, it brings joy and creativity to my mind.  I love the feeling of bringing out whatever I feel inside to make it into imagery; it's like whatever I picture, I can bring out and use my body to explain a story and to help others understand the passion I have for dance.  I use dance to motivate myself through life and through obstacles that I go through.   Dance can also explain how the world is today and either make something good or bad in our history to show others.  Showing a routine beginning to end can have balled up emotions in to one big creation.   I know for a fact when I see dance I seem to go to my own world of thoughts, motion pictures, and emotion.   I use my own world to bring out the best in me.   Dance is what I live for and will always be by my side

Tyrese, Senior, Hyde Leadership Academy, 5-year veteran:

Dance is a symbol of Life.  Dance allows you to think big and free yourself upon the world ...You dance to express yourself and to show the world who you are and what you love to do.  Dance allows you to be yourself and enjoy life, doing what you love.  Dance helps you in more ways then one ... Dance Is One Thing You Can Truly Love!

Torey, College Sophomore, Gateway Community College, 5-year veteran and Program Co-Director:

Dance is just one of those things that found me.  It was door to being free and feeling safe to express my feelings beyond my words.  For some reason, when I dance I feel as if dance is this person who understands me at my high and my lows of myself.  It’s like, whatever emotion or situation you have going in your life, you can let it out when you're moving.  At least for me, it always felt as if I can tell a story from the start to the finish, while you're creating images or animations that shows your audience every detail.  Just like anything else you love to do, there is always a big “why?”  

Why do I dance? I dance because life is too short to give up on your biggest desire in life and too long to waste not improving on your talent.  I dance because without it, I feel empty and out of place. I feel like a person that is dying of thirst but he doesn't notice there's a full glass of water in front of him and is letting something hold him back from reaching the water. 

Therefore, you choose what to pursue in life, knowing that whatever you do is something that's valuable to you or something that's making do for you at the moment.

Want to have your thoughts on dance included here?  Just click the word "comments" below and add your own sentiments!