Giving Back
1 Year has passed since the Disney Musicals in Schools (DMIS) program began in Los Angeles. The program targets underfunded schools with sustainability as the goal, to create theater programs, where there were none before.
Participating schools receive performance rights for a half-hour Disney musical for kids, show kit materials, and a pair of teaching artists. These professional artists and educators with the school, over the course of a semester, mount their first musical. The six-month process teaches the teachers to learn how to become music directors, directors, choreographers, producers, stage managers, and designers providing the foundation of sustainability to maintain the program for the future. Give a man a fish, you feed him for a meal, teach him to fish……
30,000 students from almost 300 schools have already benefited from this program. In 2018, the program has migrated to 18 other cities including its first International program in London. Each program has its own flair. In Las Vegas, acrobatics is included as Cirque du Soleil imparts its skill sets to future performers.
Each city is given the created process to add their own spin to the stories. Imagine how many nuances a story like Frozen could offer? Along the way students learn about collaboration, cooperation, team work, communication, inspiration. Alan Menken’s musical tribute “Start with a dream and imagine where you take it,” takes on a whole new meaning.
How many times have you seen an elementary school child on YouTube singing Let it Go? The desire is out there, leave it to Disney to tap into a resource that could very well grow into a future star, why you might say “It’s Elementary”!
Source: D23 By Beth Deitchman June 25, 2018
5 Comments
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Acamm
Awwwwww I love this!!!
jman410_89
This sounds great, those kids look talented.
10dedfish
Very well written
bexruns
This is so great!
PA_Timekeeper
I had no idea. AWESOME!
