DAA to launch Summer Children's Theater Program
|
| The Delta Arts Alliance is proud to announce the debut of Children's Theater as part of its 2015 Summer Programming. "We have always been cognizant of the immense level talent we see on a daily basis, here, at the Delta Arts Alliance," said DAA Executive Director, Rori Eddie Herbison. "We are so blessed to live in a community with a flourishing pool of talent at all ages. "We are equally aware of what an engaged community theater has existed here in Cleveland through the years with the Cleveland Community Theater and most recently, The Delta Players," she continued. "Amber (Wolfe) had floated this idea a year ago, but the pieces just didn't align as they have this year," Herbison continued. "Amber recently completed her first year at Cleveland High School as its drama teacher, and has had previous experience during her student-teaching at Hayes-Cooper in its production of Alice in Wonderland and ART-n-SOUL Preferred Art Clubs in 2014. She lives theater passionately and has an amazing heart and gift for working with young talent." Amber Wolfe will direct SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK LIVE, Jr. with assistance from Charles Coleman, Delta State University senior and current Delta Player; Tripp Dickerson, Layla Young and Kimberly Burton - all three are graduating from Cleveland High School this month. Auditions will be held Friday, May 29, Noon - 3pm; and Monday, June 01, 4pm - 7pm at the Delta Arts Alliance at 104 South Court Street.
Auditions are open to ages 5 - 15, with no previous experience necessary. All children will be cast with at least one director and in one mini-play; but he/she may be cast in multiple scenes. Aspiring performers do not need to have anything prepared to audition.
Upon acceptance of his/her part, performers will be assessed a $35 participation fee to aid in covering costs of costumes and materials.
R
ehearsal times will be announced after auditions, but will run Tuesday-Thursday and will be held at Jobe Auditorium on the campus of Delta State University.
School House Rock LIVE, Jr. will open to a two-day run, with showtimes scheduled for Friday, June 26 at 6pm and Saturday, June 27 at 1pm inside Jobe Auditorium.
For more information, please call Delta Arts Alliance at 662 843 3344 or Amber Wolfe at 662 588 9527.
|
|
|
| Hilda Povall, (Second Row, Far Left), was recently awarded the 2015 President's Volunteer Service Award through Volunteer NWMS, for her tireless dedication to the Delta Arts Alliance. |
Volunteer Northwest Mississippi recently honored recipients of the 2015 President's Volunteer Service Awards.
The awards are made possible through The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation established in 2003 to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making in our communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. For more information on the award or the honorees, please visit www.volunteernwms.org.
Individuals from throughout the ten-county region serviced by Volunteer Northwest Mississippi and the Community Foundation were selected to receive this award. Among the recipients was Hilda Povall of Cleveland.
She was described to us as "tireless, loyal, committed, dedicated and downright dogged" in what she has done, will do, and continues to do for the Delta Arts Alliance. The nomination was nothing short of impressive.
As one of the original "willing souls" involved in organizing and founding the Alliance, those who work with her are quick to say that it is her life's passion. Having served as president of the Alliance for the last three years, she has been steadfast in the guidance of the continuing refurbishment and renovation of the old Ellis Theater.
From gathering donations to getting her hands dirty in the day-to-day, Hilda is at the heart of the Delta Arts Alliance and her work hasn't gone unnoticed.
Her appreciation and commitment to conservation extends beyond the Alliance, too. She has served on the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Board of Trustees since 2009, is a member of the Bolivar County Historical Society, and the Delta Home and Garden Club. Hilda is also an active member of her church, Calvary Episcopal Church in Cleveland, and the 2013 recipient of the S.E. Kossman Chamber Award for Community Service. Her volunteering spirit is supported by her husband, Kirkham Povall, and their four children and ten grandchildren. "Volunteer Northwest Mississippi, a volunteer center and program of the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, is honored to recognize the 2015 recipients", stated Anna Dickerson, Director of Volunteer Northwest Mississippi. "This is the eighth year that we have presented the awards, and each year the list of volunteers nominated grows, which proves that there are always outstanding volunteers and the reason we started Volunteer Northwest Mississippi, to connect people who care with causes that matter." The remaining 2015 recipients are from the Community Foundation's other nine counties served and they include: Natalie Bright, Larry Gideon, Adelia Milligan, and Stovall's Sacrifice for Soldiers; Erik Allgood, Shanelle Frazier, and Cynthia Hudock of Coahoma County; Faye Woods of Marshall County; Glenda Bailey and Mary Troxler of Panola County; Maggie Barnes of Sunflower County; Julia Turnipseed of Tallahatchie County; Marilynne Burnside of Tate County; and Wendy Nieder of Tunica County.
The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi is an independent not-for-profit organization founded in 2002 through a generous donation from the Maddox Foundation. CFNM currently serves ten Mississippi counties: Bolivar, Coahoma, DeSoto, Marshall, Panola, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate and Tunica. CFNM is governed by a board of 20 volunteer civic leaders and impacts the communities of Northwest Mississippi by connecting people who care with causes that matter. CFNM currently manages 135 donor-established funds and has distributed $11.2 million to support 420 charitable organizations and activities recommended by its donors, as well as charitable programs established by CFNM.
The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation (the Council) was established in 2003 to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making in our communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President's Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service.
|
|
artist.in.residence (SPOTLIGHT)
DANZA LOCKE
|
|
|
Danza, far right, with her daughter Vanna-Claire, middle,
and other pre-school dancers in the Intro to Stage Arts Class. |
You are just weeks away from celebrating your year anniversary with the Delta Arts Alliance School of Dance. It's been an exciting year. What have been some of your favorite highlights of this amazing year of dance?
This year flew by! So glad I found a dance home to continue doing what I love. I would have to say getting to know all of my students and watching them grow and learn so much from just two semesters. I am just so proud of them! Also having the H.T. & Chen Dancers from New York come and do a master class was pretty awesome.
For those that may not have had the opportunity to meet you or see your work, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your dancing background?
Well my name is Danza, yes like Tony, however my mother named me after the leotard company "Dansa." I have been in the dancing world since the age of 2 under my mother's teaching and competed all over in dance competitions and conventions. I have had the honor of working with many well known choreographers, Chris Judd, Eddie Garcia, & Paula Abdul to name a few. I moved to Cleveland about a year ago with my fianc? Chris & daughter Vanna-Claire. My hometown is Huntsville, AL. I am currently finishing my degree at Delta State in fashion merchandising hopefully I will have my own dancewear line someday!
Your energetic personality lends itself so magically to teaching the preschool classes, or the itty-bitties, as we call them in the studio. What are your goals with entering two-year-old dancers?
I really want them to be comfortable with me first and foremost. I treat them like I would my own. We do ballet, tap, and tumbling. I want them to see how fun and diverse the world of dance can be. My main goal is to be the best dance teacher I can be because with them being so young I am their first teacher and I want to share my love for dance with them. I seem to form special bonds with all my babies and I love that. Just hearing "Miss Danza look I'm in first position!" I know I am doing my job. Might I add how good they did and how precious they looked at our Spring Recital.
We have seen such tremendous growth in our School of Dance, yet have kept a very close familial bond between our dancers. That is much to the credit of you and your fellow instructors, Laura Babba and Miranda Wieneke. Speak to your goals for next year and what you think is possible with the School of Dance?
I feel that the possibilities are endless. I mean within the two semesters I have been here we have grown tremendously and with that I see a more variety of classes being offered and I know it will continue to grow!
You and your daughter, Vanna-Claire, shared a very special moment during this year's spring recital, SHINE. Tell us about that duet and how you felt.
It was so much fun! The first time my mother and I did a duet I was 4 just like Vanna-Claire. It was a proud and special moment for me because what my mother and I once shared, I was now continuing that with my daughter. She's my mini-me for sure. Don't make me cry...Next question.
So many area students are already so excited to begin their different summer camps. Can you tell us what to expect with your two summer camps?
Of course! With the Disney's Princess Dance Camp students will get to make their own princess tiaras while learning songs, tumbling, and of course DANCING!! They can also enjoy wearing any Disney princess dress to dance in. The Think You Can Dance camp fits the dancer who wants to really learn some new dance moves and different varieties of dance. There will also be craft sessions, snacks will be provided, and on the last day of both camps parents can join in and see what their child has been up to!
|
|
aspiring.artist (SPOTLIGHT)
EMMA SPINKS,
age 11
|
|
|
| SHINE! Emma Spinks recites some of her poetry, exclusively dedicated to animals, during the recent Spring DAA Recital. |
You have been part of the Delta Arts Alliance StoryTellers program for a year now. What have been your favorite parts of class?
I liked sharing our story ideas and poetry in class with each other. I also really enjoyed Mrs. Courtney's "Listers Gotta List" project. I loved that we all got to explore different types of writing; I discovered poetry is my favorite, for right now.
How has this class been able to improve your writing and creativity?
Mrs. Courtney (Warren) taught me how to brainstorm ideas and create a storyboard. She helped me organize my scenes and ideas. She helped me understand how to get in the mind of my characters and understand them better. She, also, helped me build on my grammar knowledge to make sure my stories and poems were clear and correct.
Often times, people are quick to think of artists as visual artists or performing artists, like musicians or dancers; yet writers are equally artistic. What makes a writer an artist?
A writer's creativity is in the form of words and ideas and making those ideas become stories and poems. A writer must use her imagination to create plots, characters, settings, descriptions and events. A writer is clever with word play and uses her imagination for poetry, listing, journaling ad creating stories.
The class culminated in the fall and spring with a recital performance, where our storytellers could recite their written word. You were amazing each time, reciting your story in the fall and your poems in the spring. What was the most exciting part of the performance? Do you enjoy sharing your words with the audience?
The most exciting part of the performance was being on stage, in front of so many people who are listening to my writings. I love that people seem to enjoy my work and show me that with their clapping. I like sharing my work with other people and seeing their reactions and how their emotions can change from simply hearing my words.
For someone your age thinking about joining StoryTellers in the fall, what would you say to him/her?
Give it a try; it is so awesome. You'll meet new people, have fun and get to write about what inspires you.
Finally, will you be doing StoryTellers again next year? Why or why not?
I would love to do StoryTellers again. I had so much fun writing and sharing my ideas, learned a lot and made some great, new friends.
|
TO SUPPORT DELTA ARTS ALLIANCE or TO BECOME A MEMBER, please visit our website at
deltaartsalliance.org
and visit the support tab.
THE DELTA ARTS ALLIANCE IS SUPPORTED, IN PART, BY FUNDING FROM THE MISSISSIPPI ARTS COMMISSION, A STATE AGENCY, AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, A FEDERAL AGENCY.
|
|
|
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
rori.eddie.herbison
As I sit to pen this third edition of FROM THE MIDDLE, I slow ever briefly to reflect on all the Delta Arts Alliance has accomplished in just the thirty days since our last FTM dispatch. I am humbled by all of the people, all the hands and minds, all of the partnership we are fortunate to have to make our worthy work go.
In the last month, the Delta Arts Alliance has seen the successful culmination of its after-school arts enrichment in Indianola - a program the brings four entities together in collaboration including the Delta Health Alliance and its work inside the Indianola Promise Community, The B.B. King Museum, Delta State University's Delta Music Institute and its Mobile Lab and DAA.
In our work together, we are able to offer arts enrichment to 45 third-sixth graders, with each student receiving 360 minutes of arts enrichment each week in two of the four topic areas, which this semester included African Drumming & Dance, Visual Arts, Songwriting & Beatmaking and Digital Videography.
Days later, we hosted our annual dinner theater fundraising, which this year featured a 1950s theme of MILKSHAKES & MUSIC. The night featured amazingly talented local performers, including Tricia Walker, David Dunavent & his bandmates EVOL LOVE, Jamie Jacks & Jay Ferguson, Eliza Hardy, Crystal Howard, Jan Glenn Brown, Jim Hunter McCaleb and many others. The food was awesome and the setting, fantastic. It was a great party, but again a party that does not begin to happen without an abundant spirit of volunteerism - from the cooks to the dishwashers, servers to table setters, performers to technical crew. MILKSHAKES & MUSIC does not happen without our volunteers' hearts, hands and willingness to serve.
Skip ahead a week and the Delta Arts Alliance has over 80 performers, ages 2 - 14, poised to take the stage and SHINE! in our spring recital. When I think of all that goes into that one night, I again feel the buckle of my knees as I am purely overwhelmed at partnerships, collaborations and volunteers sacrificing their time, energy and in some cases money to make it to showtime.
From the sisters volunteering to do hair backstage, to the Cleveland High Drama Club volunteering as stage hands and tech crew; to the collaboration with Delta Music Institute and its Grammy U Chapter for providing show producers and sound engineers; to Delta State University and specifically Dr. James Robinson for his unwavering dedication to our backstage needs.
Jobe Auditorium is a tremendous venue for our performers to dance and
story tell. We are amazingly proud to have built to back-to-back standing room only crowds, but slightly sad to think we may have sized out of such a rich performing space.
We have tireless commitment from our Board of Directors and the community support has been overwhelming.
A grandmother of one of our dancers approached me after the recital earlier this month and said, "How do you feel, Ms. Herbison?"
A shower of emotions overwhelmed me at the very moment, and all I could really muster was a smile.
Still waiting for a response, she helped me and said, "Ten foot tall and bulletproof; that's how you should feel, Ms. Herbison. That's how we should all feel. What's happening here, you can't touch this. You just can't touch it."
Maybe, Mama G is onto something. Maybe, we can't touch it because it's already covered by some many hands - the hands of the tireless volunteers the Delta Arts Alliance is so fortunate to have involved in our work.
We wouldn't, couldn't have the volumes of work we are producing without your support, your time, your efforts, your input, your hearts, your service...without YOU.
MIGHTY THANKS to you all for your continued support of the Delta Arts Alliance.
-rori
|
|
| Students from the B.B. King Museum After-School Arts Enrichment Program perform their WELCOME dance, as part of their study in African Drumming & Dance. |
|
|
| Jan Glenn Brown, Beverly Ray Card and Jamie Jacks perform "Lollipop" as part of Delta Arts Alliance's recent dinner theater, MILKSHAKES & MUSIC. |
|
|
| Cuteness Overload, as Pre-School Intro to Stage Arts dancers steal the show with their TOPSY TURVY FLOWERS routine. |
|
|
| Ten Tappers Tapping, as part of the Sparkling Diamonds Medley. |
|
|
Jane Heslep with instructor Miranda Wieneke during their WALKIN' ON SUNSHINE duet.
|
|
|
The Intro to Stage Arts
(4-5Year Olds) couldn't contain their excitement during their RIO, Funky Monkey routine. |
|
 |
[email protected]
MAY 29: School House Rock Live, Jr. Auditions, Ellis Theater, Noon - 3pm.
MAY 30
: Inaugural Cleveland Farmer's Market, BIRTHDAY BASH Delta Arts Alliance will sponsor an art activity at the first market of 2015 and on the Second and Fourth Saturdays in June and July.
JUNE 01: School House Rock Live, Jr. Auditions, Ellis Theater, 4pm - 7pm.
JUNE 02: Summer Programming.
ART with Ms. ALLYSON HARDY
10:30am - Noon:
Giant Picasso Mixed Media Self Portraits. Create a giant mixed media self portrait inspired by Picasso.
1pm - 3:30pm:
Found Object 3-D Art Assemblage.
Make art out of the most unusual objects. Use our collection of nuts, bolts and other fun odds and ends and walk away with a masterpiece!
JUNE 04: Summer Programming.
ART with Ms. ALLYSON HARDY
10:30am - Noon:
Impasto Delta Sunset.
Work with an explosion of color and texture to create your very own Abstract Delta Sunset Landscape on a canvas panel.
1pm - 3:30pm: Prismatic Glass Art.
Make an original and colorful 3-D creation to display in a window using upcycled glass lenses.
JUNE 04: First Thursday, First Look, BARTENDING BASICS, 6pm with PARKER DILWORTH, $10 in conjunction with ALIVE AFTER FIVE, ART in the ALLEY
JUNE 15 - 19: Think You Can Dance Camp, 3pm - 5:30pm; Different Style Dance Each Day. Technique Stressed. Ages 7 & Up. ($85)
Instructors: Danza Locke & Laura Babba
JUNE 22 - 26: Disney Princess Dance Camp, 10am - Noon; Different Princess, Different Dance each Day. Ages 3 - 6. ($75) Instructor: Danza Locke
|
|
|
|
|
