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ALVIN AILEY KIDSALVIN AILEY KIDS
andand
A LITTLE SYMPHONYA LITTLE SYMPHONY
VOCABULARYVOCABULARY
StudentsStudents
one who studiesone who studies
PerformPerform
act, sing, or play in act, sing, or play in publicpublic
EffortEffort
a work, an a work, an achievementachievement
RememberRemember
recall, hold in your recall, hold in your mind, memorymind, memory
MoodMood
state of mind, a state of mind, a feelingfeeling
ProudProud
self-respectful, self-respectful, elatedelated
A LITTLE SYMPHONYA LITTLE SYMPHONY
byby
Lani PerlinLani Perlin
The Fresno Little Symphony is aThe Fresno Little Symphony is a
group of young people who playgroup of young people who play
music. The students are childrenmusic. The students are children
who study and learn music who study and learn music together. They have shows together. They have shows
where they play their music forwhere they play their music for
others. Sometimes they performothers. Sometimes they perform
in front of many people.in front of many people.
It takes a lot of effort to beIt takes a lot of effort to be
part of a symphony. Thepart of a symphony. The
students work hard to do theirstudents work hard to do their
best. They practice once a week.best. They practice once a week.
This helps them remember howThis helps them remember how
to play the songs. They do notto play the songs. They do not
want to forget the music.want to forget the music.
The students can play manyThe students can play many
different songs. Each songdifferent songs. Each song
has its own mood. The has its own mood. The moodmood
is the feeling that people is the feeling that people
get when they listen to get when they listen to
the music.the music.
One thing is always the same,One thing is always the same,
though. People leave the showsthough. People leave the shows
feeling glad. The people who feeling glad. The people who livelive
in Fresno are proud of thein Fresno are proud of the
symphony. Many are happy to symphony. Many are happy to
say it is the best little say it is the best little
symphony in California!symphony in California!
ALVIN AILEY ALVIN AILEY KIDSKIDS
DANCING AS A TEAM
AT AT The Alvin Ailey SchoolThe Alvin Ailey School in in
New York City, kids study New York City, kids study dance.dance.
They take dance classes after They take dance classes after
school. They take classes onschool. They take classes on
Saturday. Hundreds of studentsSaturday. Hundreds of students
dance at the school.dance at the school.
Each spring the students at Each spring the students at AileyAiley
perform in front of an perform in front of an audience.audience.
The dancers show what theyThe dancers show what they
have learned during the year.have learned during the year.
Dancing is hard work. The stepsDancing is hard work. The steps
have to be done just right. have to be done just right.
That takes a lot of practice. That takes a lot of practice.
It’s also a team effort.It’s also a team effort.
The teachers help the students The teachers help the students
learn the steps. They try tolearn the steps. They try to
make the classes fun. Themake the classes fun. The
musicians also do their part. musicians also do their part.
The kids have a great time The kids have a great time whilewhile
they are learning.they are learning.
Jasper and Whitney attended theJasper and Whitney attended the
Ailey SchoolAiley School in the spring of in the spring of
2004. Jasper was nine years old.2004. Jasper was nine years old.
Whitney was ten. Jasper startedWhitney was ten. Jasper started
to dance when he was four.to dance when he was four.
When Whitney was very young,When Whitney was very young,
she went with her family to ashe went with her family to a
ballet.ballet.
””I knew then that I wanted toI knew then that I wanted to
dance myself,” said Whitney.dance myself,” said Whitney.
““Dance helps me to express Dance helps me to express myself.”myself.”
Jasper, Whitney, and the otherJasper, Whitney, and the other
AileyAiley students were excited in students were excited in
May. Their performance wasMay. Their performance was
coming up.coming up.
They had two more weeks toThey had two more weeks to
practice. Then they wouldpractice. Then they would
perform in a real theater.perform in a real theater.
They would show their parentsThey would show their parents
and friends what they hadand friends what they had
learned. First, they had morelearned. First, they had more
work to do to get ready for work to do to get ready for
the show.the show.
DANCE CLASSESDANCE CLASSES
The girls in Whitney’s ballet The girls in Whitney’s ballet
class practiced their steps. Theirclass practiced their steps. Their
teacher, Melanie, helped them.teacher, Melanie, helped them.
She wanted them to do theirShe wanted them to do their
best.best.
““Arms open, girls!” Melanie told Arms open, girls!” Melanie told them. them.
Teamwork was a big part of theTeamwork was a big part of the
dance. Everyone had to do thedance. Everyone had to do the
steps at exactly the same time.steps at exactly the same time.
““You have to dance in two ways You have to dance in two ways onon
stage, by yourself and with astage, by yourself and with a
group,” said Melanie.group,” said Melanie.
The same girls also took tap The same girls also took tap class.class.
The mood is different in tap. The mood is different in tap.
The music is jazzy! The shoesThe music is jazzy! The shoes
are noisy!are noisy!
The girls tapped, stomped, andThe girls tapped, stomped, and
marched to the music.marched to the music.
The dance they were going toThe dance they were going to
perform was long. The studentsperform was long. The students
did not always remember all did not always remember all
the steps. It was also hard tothe steps. It was also hard to
stay together.stay together.
““We have some more work to We have some more work to do,”do,”
said their teacher, Vic.said their teacher, Vic.
““From the top! 5, 6, 7, 8 smile!”From the top! 5, 6, 7, 8 smile!”
Vic worked for a long time withVic worked for a long time with
the girls.the girls.
Jasper’s favorite class wasJasper’s favorite class was
capoeira. It is a type of circlecapoeira. It is a type of circle
dance. To warm up, the boysdance. To warm up, the boys
stretched. They did kicks stretched. They did kicks
and jumps.and jumps.
ca/po/eir/a = kah – poo – air - ah ca/po/eir/a = kah – poo – air - ah
To do the dance, two boys wentTo do the dance, two boys went
into the middle of a circle. into the middle of a circle.
They kicked and moved fast. They kicked and moved fast.
All the boys took turns. TheyAll the boys took turns. They
moved in and out of the circle.moved in and out of the circle.
The boys also sang and clappedThe boys also sang and clapped
to the music.to the music.
Jasper talked excitedly about Jasper talked excitedly about thethe
class. “I love to dance,” he class. “I love to dance,” he said.said.
“ “The thing I like best aboutThe thing I like best about
dance is the beat!”dance is the beat!”
CAPOEIRACAPOEIRA
is a dance from Brazil. Everyoneis a dance from Brazil. Everyone
forms a circle for the roda, orforms a circle for the roda, or
circle dance. They sing and clap.circle dance. They sing and clap.
The dancers all have bare feet.The dancers all have bare feet.
musicians play differentmusicians play different
instruments.instruments.
DRESS REHEARSALDRESS REHEARSAL
The day of the dress rehearsalThe day of the dress rehearsal
arrived. A dress rehearsal is aarrived. A dress rehearsal is a
final practice before thefinal practice before the
performance. It is held whereperformance. It is held where
the show will take place. Thethe show will take place. The
students went to the theater.students went to the theater.
They thought the stage was They thought the stage was huge.huge.
The stage manager showed themThe stage manager showed them
how to enter and exit the stagehow to enter and exit the stage
properly. There were new thingsproperly. There were new things
to get used to at the dressto get used to at the dress
rehearsal. Moving on the bigrehearsal. Moving on the big
stage felt different. The lightsstage felt different. The lights
were also something new.were also something new.
““Watch your spacing!” saidWatch your spacing!” said
Christine, a ballet teacher.Christine, a ballet teacher.
“ “Remember you are dancingRemember you are dancing
together.” the students practicedtogether.” the students practiced
their dances one last time. Thetheir dances one last time. The
next time they performed thenext time they performed the
teachers would not be on stageteachers would not be on stage
with them.with them.
The dress rehearsal added moreThe dress rehearsal added more
people to the team. “Everyonepeople to the team. “Everyone
works hard for the works hard for the performance,”performance,”
said Jasper. “Our teachers makesaid Jasper. “Our teachers make
up the dances and teach us theup the dances and teach us the
steps. The musicians play thesteps. The musicians play the
music. Someone else helps withmusic. Someone else helps with
the lights.”the lights.”
““The stage manager tells The stage manager tells everyoneeveryone
where and when to do theirwhere and when to do their
jobs. Then we do the dancing.jobs. Then we do the dancing.
The parents help out, too, byThe parents help out, too, by
coming to watch us. For sure, coming to watch us. For sure,
my family will be there,” my family will be there,”
said Jasper.said Jasper.
PERFORMANCE DAYPERFORMANCE DAY
At last, the day of theAt last, the day of the
performance arrived. Backstage,performance arrived. Backstage,
the dancers got ready. Then the dancers got ready. Then thethe
audience took their seats.audience took their seats.
Lights! Music! The show started!Lights! Music! The show started!
The sound of tapping feet filledThe sound of tapping feet filled
the air.the air.
The tap dancers crossed the The tap dancers crossed the stage together. Their feet stage together. Their feet
were flying!were flying!
Ballet was next. The dancersBallet was next. The dancers
glided across the floor with armsglided across the floor with arms
open. They looked as if theyopen. They looked as if they
were dancing on air. The dancewere dancing on air. The dance
was long, but no one forgot thewas long, but no one forgot the
steps. All of their hard worksteps. All of their hard work
had paid off.had paid off.
Then the capoeira began. The Then the capoeira began. The
dancers kicked and jumped. dancers kicked and jumped. TheyThey
clapped and sang in the roda. clapped and sang in the roda.
When the dance was over, theWhen the dance was over, the
dancers took a bow. Thedancers took a bow. The
audience cheered. What a greataudience cheered. What a great
performance!performance!
The show was over, but theThe show was over, but the
excitement did not end. excitement did not end. Backstage,Backstage,
the dancers were happy. They the dancers were happy. They hadhad
done a great job.done a great job.
Their families gave them hugs.Their families gave them hugs.
Their teachers were very proud.Their teachers were very proud.
““It was fun!” said Whitney.It was fun!” said Whitney.
““We did it!” said Jasper.We did it!” said Jasper.
““We all did it together!”We all did it together!”
ALVIN AILEYALVIN AILEY
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