CHOCOLATE STARS OF THE WEEK

Week of October 28th, 2012

 

Christian King

 

 

What school do you attend? Bottenfield Middle In what grade are you? 6^th What is your teacher's name? Mitchell What is your favorite food? I love it all! What is your favorite day of the week? Sunday Why? My Grandmother cooks Sunday dinner.  What is your favorite color?  Purple What year of participation in The Chocolate Nutcracker is this for you? 1^st What is your favorite song? All songs by Mindless Behavior What is your favorite season?  Summer What is your favorite movie?  Avengers  What is the last movie you saw?  Think Like a Man  What is your favorite book? or What is the last book you read? Cay What is your favorite holiday, excluding Christmas? My Birthday Why? Gifts  If you could have one superpower, what would it be?  Flying What kind of career plans do you have? (What do you want to be when you grow up?)  Actress

 

 

 

Ashley Boyd

 

 

What school do you attend? Forest Hill Middle School In what grade are you? 7^th  What is your teacher's name? Ms Hill What is your favorite food? Chicken McNuggets What is your favorite day of the week? Sunday Why? Because I get to go to church. What is your favorite color?  Pink What year of participation in The Chocolate Nutcracker is this for you? Second Why do you enjoy dancing? It is a lot of fun and movement. What is your favorite song? That’s What Makes You Beautiful What is your favorite season? Summer What is your favorite movie? or  What is the last movie you saw? Ice Age 3  What is your favorite book? or What is the last book you read?  Hunger Games What is your favorite holiday, excluding Christmas? Easter Why? You get new clothes, lots of candy and celebrate Jesus. What kind of career plans do you have? (What do you want to be when you grow up?) A Lawyer

CHOCOLATE STARS OF THE WEEK

 

Week of October 21st, 2012

Akyia Peoples

What school do you attend? Bessemer Academy In what grade are you? 1^st What is your teacher's name? Mrs. Price What is your favorite food? Spaghetti What is your favorite day of the week? Friday Why? Because my friends sleep over. What is your favorite color? Purple What year of participation in The Chocolate Nutcracker is this for you? 3^rd Why do you enjoy dancing? Dancing makes me happy! What is your favorite song? Party Rock What is your favorite season? Summer What is your favorite movie? or What is the last movie you saw? Spirit What is your favorite book? or What is the last book you read? Cuddly Rabbits by Katie Kawa What is your favorite holiday, excluding Christmas? 4^th of July  If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Super speed to run fast. What kind of career plans do you have? (What do you want to be when you grow up?) A Cowgirl

Julia D. Holmes

 

 

What school do you attend? Chalkville Elementary In what grade are you? 3rd What is your teacher's name? Mrs. Jones What is your favorite food? Oranges What is your favorite day of the week? Friday Why? Because of Fun Fridays at school. What is your favorite color? Blue What year of participation in The Chocolate Nutcracker is this for you? First Why do you enjoy dancing? It's fun and a great way to stay in shape. What is your favorite song? Call Me Maybe What is your favorite season? Summer What is your favorite movie? Matilda What is the last movie you saw? Madagascar 3 What is your favorite book? Diary of Aklom What is the last book you read? Alice In Wonderland What is your favorite holiday, excluding Christmas? Thanksgiving Why? Because of all the good food and my family comes over. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? To fly. What kind of career plans do you have? (What do you want to be when you grow up?) A dentist.

CHOCOLATE STARS OF THE WEEK!

 

Week of October 14th, 2012

 

Raevyn Mooney

 

What school do you attend? Glen Oaks In what grade are you? 5^th What is your teacher's name? Ms. Clark What is your favorite food?  Hot Wings What is your favorite day of the week? Saturday Why? Because we are out of school. What is your favorite color? Blue and Red What year of participation in The Chocolate Nutcracker is this for you? 1^st Why do you enjoy dancing? Because it’s fun to do. What is your favorite song? My Girl by Mindless Behavior What is your favorite season? Summer What is your favorite movie? or What is the last movie you saw? Madea’s Big Happy Family What is your favorite book? or What is the last book you read? Little Bill What is your favorite holiday, excluding Christmas? Easter Why? Because I just love Easter.  If you could have one superpower, what would it be? To be invisible. What kind of career plans do you have? (What do you want to be when you grow up?) Professional dancer and singer.

Amber Rene’ Shearer

 

What school do you attend? Ramsay High School In what grade are you? 11^th What is your teacher's name? Ms. F. Hall What is your favorite food?  Friday Pasta from Taziki’s  What is your favorite day of the week? Friday Why? It’s the end of the school week. What is your favorite color?  Red What year of participation in The Chocolate Nutcracker is this for you? Fourth Why do you enjoy dancing? It makes me feel good all over. What is your favorite song? Dance for You by Beyonce’ What is your favorite season? Fall What is your favorite movie? or What is the last movie you saw?  Malibu’s Most Wanted What is your favorite book? or What is the last book you read? Around the Way Girls Series What is your favorite holiday, excluding Christmas? Valentines’ Day Why? Because it’s about LOVE! If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Reading minds What kind of career plans do you have? (What do you want to be when you grow up?) A therapist so that I can help people with their problems.

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.