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!

Wow, what a day! Plus Schedule . . .

Amazing work done by all.....we're almost there!

TOMORROW STARTS IT WEEK....where we will all start saying, "This is IT!"

Kudos to Mr. Slusky and the tech crew today; awesome job!

Great work everyone.  See the previous post below for MENTOR MVP of the day!!!

See you all MONDAY!  4 rehearsals left....until A YEAR IN A LIFE.

SCHEDULE:  No absences or early pick-ups.  Please bear with us if rehearsals run over this week.

MONDAY, 6/1/15:
TICKETS/TICKET MONEY DUE.  PICK UP:  Red, Blue and Mentors 6:30 at CAREER

TUESDAY, 6/2/15:
RED PICK-UP:  6:30
BLUE PICK-UP: 7:00
SPECIALS:  7:30 (Will be announced on Monday evening)

WEDNESDAY, 6/3/15:  BRING a SNACK or SNACK/WATER MONEY
RED PICK-UP: 7:00
BLUE PICK-UP: 8:00

THURSDAY, 6/4/15:  Dinner is PROVIDED
RED:  7:00
BLUE/MENTORS:  8:00
SPECIALS:  Expect to be later; will be announced Wed. Evening)

OPINION: Becoming an acting director

Since I was in the 5th grade, I've stuck with my passion of acting and performing. I started out my career, as Gaston, in Beauty of the Beast.  Then, I went on to play, Ghost of the Past, in a DaeDream production in 7th grade, and my most recent role played was, the Dreamkeeper, in a Daedream production in 8th grade.

Now I am proud to say, I stand as the acting coach/director in Daedream.  My position allows me to mentor kids and to teach them the fundamentals of acting and performing.  By teaching these fundamentals, I like to play games that incorporate the basics of acting and performing, which makes their learning experiences more enjoyable and relaxed.

Personally, I feel as if my style of teaching lessens the amount of pressure on the children,  and makes them more comfortable with their surroundings.  Being the head acting coach makes me feel grateful for the  acting lessons I have received, because now I can share them with rising actors to make them more successful.  I love doing what I'm doing right now; and that is making a difference in people's lives, not only with acting, but to mentor them and to guide them in a career path that they can potentially seek into later in life.

Dancing on the Weekends

Working on the weekends to most teenagers sounds horrific but to our mentors, 8th graders and a few selected 6th graders, Saturday is the time to step up, dance, sing and act. 

For the past few weekends members of the Daedream program have been working really hard on our next production "Color My World."  This year, the cast will bring you a colorful musical that will open up your feelings and make you realize the true meaning of art.  In the story, we'll see a mixture of colors complementing each other, coming along as one beautiful rainbow.  Each color holds a different meaning but all of them with the same cause. 

The musical will involve; hip-hop, ballet, acting and singing and much more. Here in season 26. 

TODAY's IMPROV EXERCISE!

What was your favorite team improv today and why?  Give your opinions below by clicking "comments" and then writing your answer!!

Great job Summer Dance Campers!

Perceptions: What Daedream Means To Me

When I first joined Daedream, I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it.  I didn't think I would be able to dance, act or be on stage.  Ever since I was a kid, I have had trouble doing anything on a stage.  Daedream changed that.

Ever since the first rehearsal, I knew that I would be able to do it.  It just seemed like it was a great program from the start.  Even though I was a little behind, the mentors stayed after rehearsal to help me with my steps.  When Ms.Francis first told me she wanted me to be in the front row of a dance, I knew I was in the right place.  The day I was promoted to Junior Mentor, shocked me, but at the same time made me reflect.  I had only been in the program for about a month and a half, but it felt like years.

Daedream has given me the confidence to do things I thought I never would have done before.  I acted, danced, and played my saxophone in front of almost 600 people!  It felt amazing.  Ms.Francis is a wonderful teacher and director and without her, this program would be nothing.  With her encouragement, I feel I can do anything.

Thank you, Ms.Francis
                                                                                                           
William O.

William is a mentor in the Daedream Theater Arts Program and a Staff Reporter for the Daedream Theater Arts Blog

Perceptions: Daedream, Not Just a Show, but a Life Style

During season 24 of the Daedream Program,  many accomplishments were made.  For example, the fact that we managed to have more than 80 individuals in the show this year was truly amazing.  Throughout the years, we have been trying to improve more and more, and we did it.

Daedream, a program that started with a dream and came to be a program meant for people like our students, has been something special for many of you, that were able to go to the show and that supported the program at all times.  This year has being such a wonderful experience for everyone because even the parents were involved, helping, volunteering and just supporting their children.  Just as in life, we came through some difficulties, however the union that has being developed in the program dealt with it in a way that left everyone saying "after this, I can do anything."

We had some problems, like technical difficulties and funding, but this didn't stop us from dreaming like the characters from Season 24.  "Dare to Dream" (Season 24's production) was nothing more than a complete success.  Not only the main characters, but also each individual that was part of the show, were able to teach everyone that dreaming is important.  Like Cinderella [Jennaika] said; "a dream, is a wish your heart makes."

The program is made up of different characters and the individuality that each one has, makes the program even better.  We all like to taste different flavors and try different colors, and the diversity in the show is what makes it a real one.  The production is not only to entertain people but to teach them that life may not be easy but together will get through anything.  Take for example the dancers, actors, singers, stage crew, tech crew and the director, almost everyone is underage, not yet adults, but as a family we have learned that "there is no I in team."

By the same token, let's not forget about the mentors, the high-school kids that came back to help, choreograph and change the life of many kids, or as we like to call them: "our little ones."  Most of them are not even 15 years old and yet, they changed the life of "our little ones."  Many of the kids look up to them, they became heroes at a young age.  It is amazing the level of maturity that each one of them posseses.  This is why I encourage you, that take the time to read this summary, to keep supporting us, maybe not with money, but with encouraging others.  Encourage them to be free with expressing their feelings, not through only words, but through art.

We're all in this together and don't forget always dare to dream and try to reach higher.

ALWAYS DARE TO DREAM

Tania, is a staff blogger and mentor in the Daedream Theater Arts Program.