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!

Daedream's Opening Day

There's more to Daedream than what meets the eye.

Today's program started with a 40 minute silent study hall and Restorative Circles run by the mentors!  Today's question:

What brought you here today?

Following this, there was a game of "Skit Guess," in which the mentors acted out scenes without words and the group had to guess what was going on.

The program ended with a short instructional session in dance, and a dance demo by the mentors/chore team for Open House next week.

Sneak Peek Choreo #1

Continuous Creating - Daedream's Visionaries

Someone once asked..... who creates everything on that stage?  and Why does it take so long???

Well, it's an arduous process.  You'll find us after hours several days a week.  

Simple.  It takes HOURS.

We have estimated that on a good day, we choreograph one minute in an hour.  That's on a good day and does not include teaching the choreography team, lead dancers or the placement and staging.

The photo above is a sample of the bare bones of the work.  A plan for each musical piece is broken into segments of time in which to rotate dancers of different abilities and age groups on and off the stage to make a finished product.  The hardest ones are like the number, "June" is last year's show, where elements of comedy, action, gymnastics, challenging flips, and dance are all integrated.  And of course, there can be even more complicated challenges.

Kim Francis, the director and producer of Daedream, says that this year, "we're in for it."  Due to the complexity of some of the numbers, which will include all of the above and additional things such as live singing and spoken words, she's certain it will be a "challenge we may not have taken on before, but I am sure we can do it.  I have the utmost confidence in our team."

The team, lead by the co-directors, who are also the head choreographers, have to address the talents of all of the members.  At the same time, they work to keep the dances fresh and unique and appropriate for the specific numbers to achieve the desired effect.  Usually the director gives feedback, helps with staging ideas, keeping the music and style relevant to the theme of the show, and creating the overall vision.  The co-directors/head choreographers and the choreography teams get a feel for each piece and incorporate theme and genre to fit.

This year, the job us bigger than ever due to the theme, that is a real challenge for costumers, choreographers, lighting and stage crews, and just about everyone involved.

"The Reel Stuff" is a story that, from the title, one can imagine is quite involved.  Devoted to a theme of various film genres,  it's one  production that will definitely require popcorn but give the audience the show of their lives.

We'll have more on this process as we continue throughout the year.

Save the date, June 3, 2016