"Real Rap" with Marsi

After just a few months of programming, The Village is coming together to present an amazing set of performances for family, friends, staff, and the community. Our students have worked hard learning new dances, new writing techniques, and building characters for the stage. With a tenacious appetite for the performing arts world, our villagers have risen to the challenge and it warms my heart to see them harvest the fruits of their labor.

Hip hop dance: From crumping to b-boying, creativity is flowing from the hands and feet of our dancers. Choreography taught in steps and skits designed to enhance performances provide the back drop for an electric show. These teens hungry for the beat learn and develop their ideas to hardcore Baltimore club dance beats and other hip hop classics, while Chase and I provide our own “we wish we could dance as well as you do, can’t stop us from cranking out where did that come from dance, and yes we love you enough to look like dancing fools techniques” to their warm ups and warm downs.

 

--List of Some Students Participating: NIjahuana Harris Cherlande Beaujour Lakeisha Williams Natori Johnson Cheree Gibson DeQuan Chambliss Eric Green Allea Anderson Jarell Clark Carlos Mantilla

Raymond Delgado Enes Green Denise Williams Melissa Dejesus Kenny King Dionna Blackson Tamira Chambliss Janielle Jones Juan Mantilla

Poetry: Everyday students arrive in our office at various times, mostly during the “Finish Your Plate” program to provide us with their newly written poems. Chase excitedly posts their work on our filing cabinets like a proud parent/teacher! It is rather sweet.

Their work is fresh off the pages and streams ink into my heart with verses and rhyme steeped in heartbreak, chaotic energy, and the need to emotionally understand the world around them. Our villagers take the time to write lengthy poems and songs as their way of dealing with their strife and I wholeheartedly appreciate their openness to share with us and in knowing that we also use these techniques to work through our own issues. These youth are onto something special and I can’t help but take joy in helping to lay the groundwork of their success.

--List of Some Students Participating: Gloria D. Vega Natalie Marcellus Sasha Carrero Carletta Cutts Tiara Roberson

Allea Anderson Jaralyn De Jesus Alvail Halladay  Andrea Bullock Olivia Taylor

Acting: What a crazy and hilarious group of awesome folks! The villagers take a very dedicated approach to learn new ways of coming out of their shells and reaching out to their peers by pulling close together to form a tight knit group of actors. With the leadership of Vanessa and Craig, these students are learning acting techniques that will allow them to grace the stage with confidence and a positive self image. From writing their own monologues and participating in interactive learning strategies, these students surprise me with every over indulgence of “act”ion taken on. I’m “stoked” for their performances in January.

List of Some Participating Students: Hichanell Ovalles Scarle Bello Alvail Halladay Nijahujuana Harris

Cheree Gibson Allea Anderson Guillermo Reyes Denise Williams Daisey Smith

Reaching out to the Latino community--Latino Heritage Month: Who would have thought that I would have the opportunity to work and support my culture through dance. If you ever saw me dance, you would understand why I’m saying this. The Latino and Hispanic students came together and created bachata and meringue dance routines that wowed the audience. They were proud of themselves and after a month of rehearsals, costume changes, dancer replacements and an all out love for the music/dance, these students rocked the stage. Still to this day, they come and ask when will they be able to dance on the stage again. I’m proud to say we will be offering instructional bachata and meringue dances in our 2^nd trimester of programming. What?! Yeah!

In closing: There is so much more that I could write about our program. “The Village” has been a joy to create and to implement with Chase. With every obstacle, a beautiful solution is born. Every day we learn something new and create a new partnership with a community member. Woodrow Wilson is where we call home this year and we are proud to meet and work with our new family. Stay tuned for more “Real Rap” with Marsi.