CHOCOLATE STARS OF THE WEEK!

 

Week of Sunday, October 7th, 2012

 

Demya Myrick

 What school do you attend?  Hueytown  In what grade are you?  7th  What is your favorite food?  Chicken  What is your favorite day of the week?  Friday  What is your favorite color?  Pink  What year of participation in The Chocolate Nutcracker is this for you? 4th  Why do you enjoy dancing?  Because I get to be myself and sometimes you can tell a story through dance.  It also gives me lots of experience for new things and possibly a career.  What is your favorite song?  Turning Tables by Adele  What is your favorite season?  Fall/Winter  What is your favorite movie or the last movie you saw?  Jumping the Broom  What is your favorite book or the last book you read?  Watson's go to B'ham What is your favorite holiday, excluding Christmas?  Thanksgiving  Why? You get to think about what you are thankful for and you get to eat lots of turkey, ham and soul food.  If you could have one superpower, what would it be?  Invisibility What kind of career plans do you have? (What do you want to be when you grow up?) A professional dancer.

 

 

 

 

Joshua Lynum

 

What school do you attend?  W.J.Christian K-8 School  In what grade are you?  5th  What is your teacher's name?  Mrs. Byrd  What is your favorite food?  Pizza  What is your favorite day of the week?  Friday  Why?  Because the weekend is next!  What is your favorite color?  Red  What year of participation in the Chocolate Nutcracker is this for you?  First  Why do you enjoy dancing?  I enjoy dancing because it helps me build muscles.  What is your favorite song?  I Smile  What is your favorite season?  Summer   What is your favorite movie or the last movie you saw?  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  What is your favorite book or the last book you read?  Because of Winn Dixie  What is your favorite holiday, excluding Christmas?  Thanksgiving  Why?  Because I get to spend time with my family.  If you could have one superpower, wht would it be?  To fly.  What kind of career plans do you have?  (What do you want to be when you grow up?)  A teacher.  

ABOUT: LAVERNE REED

A LITTLE GIRL’S DISAPPOINTMENT SPAWNS

A CHRISTMAS MASTERPIECE:

The Birth of “The Chocolate Nutcracker”

 

(Birmingham, Alabama) – Christmastime is without doubt the most festive holiday of them all.  Along with the hustle-bustle of decorating and shopping, come a myriad of concerts, plays and musicals which help herald the joy of the season.  Since its Birmingham debut in 2009, Laverne Reed’s The Chocolate Nutcracker has become one of those anticipated events of the Christmas season.

As a young dancer, Laverne Reed grew up in South Philly in the 1950s taking small parts each year in the Balanchine version of The Nutcracker Ballet.  Although she was an extremely talented dancer, she was never cast as Claire, the lead role in the production.  It is well-known that this role is nearly always cast to Caucasian women.  As one might imagine, this was very disappointing for Reed to be overlooked as a matter of race rather than ability.  After years of disappointment, she decided that when she was older, she would change the way this part was cast.

 Reed introduced remarkable change to the classic ballet by creating a version which does not exclude any dancer on the basis of race, color, sex, size or even ability.  Though leading roles are cast according to those with greater proficiency, never are they cast according to the color of their skin.  Children, some as young as the age of 4, have performed with or without dance experience.  They all share the same stage in a way which allows everyone to “shine”.

Chocolate in the title does not denote segregation.  In the original Nutcracker, the main character, Clara is given a nutcracker as a gift.  In Reed’s production, chocolate refers specifically to the gift that the main character Claire receives as a gift at the Christmas party – a nutcracker made of Belgium Chocolate.  The storyline loosely follows the original version, but Claire’s dreams take her to locations which represent the variety of culture in our world.  And that is what makes this production a Christmas magnum opus.  It encourages instead of discourages.  It accepts instead of denies.  It takes a little girl’s exclusion and turns it into every child’s inclusion.  It is this story and the character of the performance which inspired Project Hopewell to present this to the Magic City.

ABOUT: Our Local Artistic Director, Jackie Lockhart

Jacqueline Crenshaw Lockhart, Owner/Artistic Director



Jacqueline Crenshaw Lockhart

Mrs. Lockhart is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and began studying dance at the age of 10 under Ms. Nancy Owen.  She graduated from the Alabama School of Fine Arts as a theater major and dance minor, thereafter she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Birmingham-Southern College in Dance.  One of her most inspiring opportunities was attending a six-week summer dance intensive at the renown Dance Theater of Harlem in New York City.

After working with local theater and dance companies such as the Nancy Owen Dancers, Town and Gown, UAB Bell Theater and the USFL Birmingham Stallions Dance Team (Fillies), she relocated to Atlanta, GA to further her career in the arts.  While in Atlanta, she worked professionally with Jomandi Theater Company, the Gary Harrison Dance Company and Atlanta Jazz Theater (to name a few).  Performing and teaching as a freelance artist afforded her the opportunity to dance and choreograph for the NBA Atlanta Hawks Dance Team, serve as a dance instructor in several of Atlanta's prominent schools and studios (Avondale School of the Arts, Norma's Dance Academy, Dance Gallery and Gotta Dance Studio).  She has choreographed and danced with national recording artists and labels such as Warner Bros., RCA and LaFace Records.  Recently, she choreographed for major events such as the Birmingham Chapter Links Debutante, the Greater Birmingham Community Foundation City renovation project; the NEXT BIG THING and currently the Local Artistic Director for the 2012 Chocolate Nutcracker production.

Mrs. Lockhart has shared her talents by training thousands of youth and adults.  One of her most endearing protege's was the youngest daughter of the late, great Curtis Mayfield.  Her accomplishments and contributions to the arts community have been acknowledged by the Birmingham City Council, Birmingham and Homewood Mayors, Govenor Bob Riley and Former Governor Don Siegleman.  She is a recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including the 2005 Jack & Jill Birmingham Chapter Legacy Award, the 2004 EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION AWARD, a 2003 MAKE IT HAPPEN THEATER - WOMEN WHO CARE AWARD.  She was recognized by the Miles College Upward Bound student body with the MOST OUTSTANDING TEACHER AWARD.

In addition to being the owner of J. Lockhart Performing Arts Institute (PAI), she is the Ministry Director of the Sixth Avenue Baptist Youth Ministry for Christian Dance.  She is an Adjunct Professor of Dance at Birmingham-Southern College and served as the director of the dance program for the past two years.  Ms. Jackie is married to Bernard Lockhart and the mother of two beautiful children:  John Christian and Rachel Christianna.

www.paionline.info
More about Jackie

ABOUT - Project Hopewell, Inc. PHI

Project Hopewell, Inc. (PHI) was incorporated in 2002 and organized exclusively as a publicly supported faith-based, charity and education organization under the guidelines of the Federal Income Tax Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code as a non-profit organization. This organization was birthed from the vision of Dr. Edward E. Rodgers that people perish for a lack of knowledge, information, resources and opportunities. Today, the vision has transformed into a reality. A 126,871 sq ft Community Family Life Center was erected at 4817 Jefferson Avenue S.W. Building II – Birmingham, Alabama, in the Hillman Station Community at South West Birmingham as a safe haven where knowledge, information, resources and opportunities can be exchanged.

At the Community Family Life Center, educational, cultural, social and recreational programs and services are provided to enhance the quality of life for men, women, boys and girls. Programs and services include, but are not limited too: After School Educational Enrichment, Spring and Summer Day Camps for children and youth, Tutoring, Instruction in Performing Arts, Behavior Modification, Year Round Adult and Family Outreach, Adult Basic Education (pre-GED) preparation, Computer-Technology training, Health-Wellness and Life Skills seminars and workshops.

In addition to the programs and services offered at the Community Family Life Center, the center encompasses a full indoor basketball court gymnasium with a raised theatrical stage which can be used for sport activities, theatrical productions or large banquets and events. There is also an indoor walking track as well as meeting, party and reception rooms, a full service commercial kitchen and dining area.

The Community Family Life Center is an investment of faith for the renewal of family and community life. Its mission is to provide appropriate programs and services with accessible resources and opportunities that will enhance the quality of life for men, women, boys and girls. Project Hopewell, Inc. and the Community Family Life Center are for the purpose of serving people, affirming equality, validating improvement, and endorsing success.

We welcome you!

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Mission:
The Mission of Project Hopewell, Inc. is to provide an environment of programs and services with resources and opportunities that will enhance the quality of life for men, women, boys and girls.

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Purpose:
To strengthen families through comprehensive programs and assistance.
To serve people and improve their quality of life through education, training, recreation, health & wellness, finance and transportation.

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Goals:

Serve people.
A firm equality.
Validate improvement.
Endorse success.

 

www.ProjectHopewell.com

 

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Check your rehearsal schedules carefully to make sure you arrive on time.  The times change weekly!

Do you have:  1.  The proper attire?  2.  Proper footwear?  3.  Water or sports drink for hydration?  4.  A good attitude? 

If you answered yes to these four questions, you are off to a great rehearsal!!

RANDOM DANCE FACT #2

Pointe shoes add a minimum of seven inches of new height to a dancer.

COMING SOON! CHOCOLATE STARS OF THE WEEK

We want to celebrate our children and create a community of family by highlighting Chocolate Nutcracker participants each week.  Participants in the production are known for working hard at rehearsals, sacrificing time with their friends and family and weekends and committing themselves to the production in order to present what has become known in Birmingham as an awesome show. 

We can hardly wait to showcase our stars!  Be sure to get your form in at the next rehearsal. 

DEADLINE IS SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2012