Young Arts Week 2011

Young Arts is a program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. It identifies emerging 17 and 18 year old artists and assists them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development, and raises the appreciation and support for the arts.

Last week a group of us BTW teachers had a chance to attend the Young Arts Conference in Miami Florida.
My journey began Tuesday morning when I left Dallas at 21 freezing degrees, and landed in Miami at 82 degrees gorgeous. I had no idea that time was going to slip by so fast. Most of my impression of the city was based on the shuttle trips. Palm trees are everywhere and the taxi drivers are as good as New York drivers.

That evening we had dinner with our student group. Emily McDaniel was a finalist in dance choreography. Mason Manning, Jenna Mitchell, Sami Noell, Taylor Rodman and Emily performed at the Guzman Theater the next night. Emily's dance was a true reflection of her sensitive and observant nature. Her composition was artistic, expressionist and non-linear. the performance moved the audience. At times the theater was dead silent and then a gasp as one of the dancers would make a lip to another perfectly timed and controlled. They looked as if they were Greek Gods who had charmed us into a trance.
Watch the video below: http://youngarts.org/blog/watch-live-12th

Tuesday night, was the theater finalists performance. To be honest, I thought many of our seniors could have been just as good and even much better. I think there is an x factor to this competition that is not obvious.

Wednesday before the dance show we visited the New World School of the Arts.
I love meeting other educators. It seems we are all made of the same stuff. I felt I was talking to kinder souls. It seems that they have all the same issues as we do. They have some solutions and we have other solutions. One of our major differences is their open campus for lunch. Their students are allowed to go to any 1 mile radius distance public eatery. It has worked out well for them.
When we first walked into their building, the art all over the wall was abundant. There was student work everywhere. The building was old and often with some trash in the hallways- it reminded me of the way BTW was in ten years ago. But nevertheless the atmosphere was all about creativity and art. Their auditions are based solely on talent. They only accept 9th and 10th graders. their strongest academic team is in the 9th grade. Their philosophy is that the lower class man should work harder academically and the upper should work harder artistically.
Their policies on cell phones, dress code, and AP's are similar to ours.
They have less technology advances than we do at BTW. We have tons more Apple labs and technology courses. So i was surprised to find out that often they are finalists in the Cinema Arts category. I had a chance to speak to the Technology instructor and he said he mentors those students who compete in Cinema Arts after school. So, I'm really excited to get some of our wonderful Film Club students to enter and WIN!

Oh! I Think this is the Kardashian sisters Condo