Junior Mentor and 8th Grader Tiyana Griffiths nominated for I Rise Award!!

Daedream dancer, junior mentor and choreographer, Tiyana Griffiths, has been selected as the "I Rise" representative from Mauro-Sheridan!




Tiyana is an active member of the Mauro-Sheridan Interdistrict Magnet School Family.  A dedicated learner and student, she strives for perfection in all she does.  A child of immigrant parents from Jamaica, Tiyana was eight years old when she lost her mother to illness.  As difficult as this situation was, she did not let it deter her from making the most of her learning, serving the community and demonstrating a firm footing in both personal values and education.
     As a member of many community and school groups, Tiyana demonstrates leadership, persistence, determination and creativity.   Part of the Mauro-Sheridan Band, Tiyana is a clarinet player who demonstrates involvement and commitment.  As a leader in the National Junior Honor Society, she helped organize a “Pennies for Patients” program and create paper cranes to create mobiles for a local hospital.  In addition to these, she is a member of the Daedream, in which she recently was promoted from cast member to junior mentor  (this affords her the opportunity to return to the program as a high school student and continue her dream of helping others.)

“I want to use what I learn now and pass it on to others so they can grow up smart and continue to develop as role models and be successful in whatever they choose to do.”  A future teacher, Tiyana currently has high honors as well, and has been part of the Talented and Gifted Program in New Haven. 

When asked, her main goal is to teach and change lives.  With her polite but steadfast personality, winning smile and outspoken, positive demeanor, it won’t be a difficult task.  Teachers consider her a top student who excels in her studies but also in social skills.  Ms. Griffiths continues to show community awareness, talents in dance, writing and art, and maturity beyond her years.  Her ability to be resilient is paramount in her success; she deals with adversity and “failure” in a constructive and motivated way.  At the same time, she assists others in achieving their own person goals.  Through her efforts, she has had and will continue to have, a positive effect on those around her and enhance the New Haven Public Schools environment by example.  

Tiyana says she joined Daedream because she loves dancing and also because co-member and junior mentor, Des'Tahnee encouraged her to be part of it.  "She said it was fun, and I love dance and so I decided to join in."

We asked her who her role model is, and her response was, "My Aunt.  She had a rough childhood and still turned it around to become a doctor and she's one of the top doctors in New Jersey," she said, proudly.  

As for Daedream, Tiyana starts her 8th month in the program next week.  She says, "So far the program has taught me not to be shy around people.  At first, I never talked to the mentors or anyone, and now we are all getting closer and starting to work together."  

Tiyana and her castmates will be featured in Daedream's 28th June musical production, "The Reel Stuff," slated for the 3rd and 4th at Hill Regional Career High School in New Haven.

In The Spotlight: Torey Robinson - The first program alumn to take Daedream fully into college

Recently promoted to Co-director of Daedream, Torey Robinson is more than just a "kid that can dance."  With the theater program now going into its 28th season, Torey has been part of it in both times of upswing and lag.  Currently, he made the decision to continue to be part of this growing and popular after-school theater company as he also continues his college life, while working as a paraprofessional at Mauro-Sheridan.

Q:  How do you manage your other job, school and Daedream?


"To me, the point is I have work, dance and my education.  The way that I manage all this is thinking about the hours or time spent in each place.  I know it's hard, because the hours I'd like to dedicate to one thing, I may not be able to get.  When I'm dancing, it's not working to me, even if I'm paid.   It's doing something that I love and working on my craft. When I am at work, I'm not working for myself really, aside from making money. I'm learning basic skills, but it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life.  With School, I need my education to better myself and to become what I really want to be.  Now, realizing that I have only so many hours in the day, and so many days in a week,and so many weeks in a year, I've come to see how to prioritize and make the best use of my time.  I love dancing more than school and work, but sometimes, dancing is not what I do most in my day.  With that being said, I have to make that the best of the time I have when I can.  My passion is dancing, and I know my own goals down the road will include dance because it's something I've always loved to do.  My  hours of dance are worth it, because I feel it's beneficial to me, whereas the job sometimes just seems like a bit of money, but not something I love.  This makes the whole thing difficult because it doesn't lead to perfecting your craft, but it has to happen.  You have to put yourself into what you are doing to advance yourself, whatever that takes."

Q:  What impact has Daedream had on your life choices and career path?  Watch the video below to see Torey's response.

Q:  Since you're the first mentor who included Daedream in your daily life post-high school, what would you say to the now-graduating high school seniors this year?

I'd say, remember everything you learned and that motivated you - the things that got you through tough times and how you were helped.  Think back on how you handled situations with the support of people you had around you.  You're going on to the next step in life, and what you do is solely upon you.  No one can tell you where you are or where to be.  For me, I love working with kids and I love the surroundings that Daedream brings me.  Being that I fell in love with teaching and love doing what I do ever since 8th grade, why not continue after high school to be part of a program that brought me up, so I can bring others up.  I feel not many people have the right guidance or the best life, and because of that, it makes it that much more enjoyable knowing that we can make their lives better, by the energy we bring to the table and how much they like being around us.  Being a role model you have that responsibility that you take on, by choice, knowing that you can mean more to people than you think.  

My direction and guidance came from Ms. Francis, and then I could reach others.  There's a line, you know, of being at the right place at the right time as far as how things fall into place.  When I started, there was really only me choreographing.  That year, Ms. Francis and I were the choreographers, because she had just started a new version of the program when the school merged.  Now, I have Kevin, Deandre, Des'Tahnee, Aissatou and others helping me and of course Ms Francis, to achieve our goals with the program.  And who knows where we we can go, and who they'll bring with them as they role model for others.  The whole thing just shows growth.

Q:  What is your goal for the kids in the program?

Torey is currently a sophomore at Gateway Community College, who will graduate this Spring.  He will be attending SCSU in the Fall with a major in Math Education.

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!

SMASH WEEK NEWS: Head Choreographer/Student Director Kevin Kelly receipient of Area Dance Scholarships

○Jim Altieri Photography, 2015

                                                                        

Head Choreographer, Student Director and Mentor Kevin J. Kelly of New Haven is getting noticed.

Kevin was selected in November of 2014 to choreograph a modern ballet for opera, "Virtue" by Christopher Theofandis of Yale.  Within a week's time, he had choreographed, taught and danced, along with other cast members Des'Tahnee and Aissatou, the piece to accompany the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, local opera talent, and the Elm City Girl's Choir.  But it didn't stop there.

After the two sold out performances at St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Kevin was fortunate enough to receive recognition in the form of support for further developing his craft.  Both The New Haven Ballet and Elm City Dance Collective have given Kevin scholarships for dance.  

We asked Kevin about these experiences and here is what he had to say.

Q:  How did you feel when you were given these scholarship opportunities?

A:  It was amazing.  It was amazing, I'm going to tell you why.  It was amazing because first off, I really didn't expect something like this, and just because it just randomly happened it really shocked me and surprised me with joy and gives me more confidence in myself.  Like it brings me to a higher point, and like, and I just really love it.  I appreciate it.

Q:  So you said a random happening, you think this was random?  You didn't do anything to really deserve it?

A:  I mean, not just that, I think that, like, I worked so hard for it to happen, it's just shocking, it's like I do everything I can to get to this point.

Q:  So let me ask a question about what you meant by "you worked hard to get there."  Did you know that you would get a scholarship, or you worked hard for something else?

A:  I worked hard for myself.  I wasn't trying to get anything, or nothing, I just worked hard for myself to try and make myself feel accomplished.

Q:  What were the circumstances for which you did get the scholarship? Like, what prompted these people to award you?

A:  I guess that they just saw something in me that I didn't see at first, but now that I've grown, and all these people are telling me that I really have talent, I see it now, so, and I'm really thankful for that.

Q:  So you couldn't listen to your director when she first said it?

A:  It wasn't like listening, it was believing.  

Q:  But, I asked, how did these people find out about you?  How did you bring their attention to you?

○Jim Altieri Photography, 2015

A: Ah, well, my director [Ms. Francis.]  My director, she helps me a lot, got me with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra opera thing for the piece I choreographed.  At first, I was kind of skeptical, but, I really involved myself, and put in the effort.

Q:  When you choreographed that, did you really think it would be a breeze, or were you concerned?

A: At first I was concerned, but then I started to really get into it and found myself really liking the music and really loving my choreo.

Q: My last question, what's the future for you as a dancer?

A:  My future (he pauses), cannot be told yet.  

Q:  Is dance in your future?

A:  Dance is definitely in my future.

○Jim Altieri Photography