Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts announces the four local area elementary schools that have been selected to participate in the inaugural Disney Musicals in Schools program.

DR. PHILLIPS CENTER FLORIDA HOSPITAL SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

DISNEY MUSICALS IN SCHOOLS PROGRAM

SELECTS LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FOR PARTICIPATION

Dr. Phillips Center Florida Hospital School of the Arts announces the four local area elementary schools that have been selected to participate in the inaugural Disney Musicals in Schools program. Participating in the 2016 – 2017 school year are Bonneville Elementary (Orange County), Winegard Elementary (Orange County), Lake Orienta Elementary (Seminole County) and Kissimmee Elementary (Osceola County). At an Orientation event in January 2017, these schools will select the a Disney musical of their choice from the “KIDS” licensing collection. The rehearsals will officially start in January 2017, culminating with performances the following May.

At no cost to them, these selected schools will participate in a 17-week musical theater residency, led by a team of teaching artists trained by the School of the Arts and Disney Theatrical Group. Each school will receive performance rights, educational support materials and guidance from the teaching artists. The program features a professional development focus, through which participating school teachers partner with School of the Arts teaching artists to learn how to produce, direct, choreograph, and music direct their first school show.  The program will culminate in a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical at each school site.  As a capstone to the experience, the School of the Arts will host a Student Share Celebration in which each school performs one number from their show on the Dr. Phillips Center stage for an audience of students, teachers, family and community members.

$100,000 grant from Disney was awarded for the Dr. Phillips Center Florida Hospital School of the Arts in May of this year. The grant affords the outreach initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Group to create sustainable theater programs in under-resourced elementary schools.  The grant funds two years of programming. Another four schools will be selected for 2017-2018 school year.

Using the unique world of musical theater, Disney Musicals in Schools helps to foster positive relationships between students, faculty, staff, parents and the community.  Students and teachers work in teams, developing the wide spectrum of skills needed when producing a piece of musical theater, including: critical thinking, problem solving, ensemble building, communication, self-confidence and interpersonal skills.

For more information, as well as an application for teaching artist positions, please visit drphillipscenter.org/arts-education.