Disney Musicals in Schools Students Dazzle at the Winspear Opera House

After months of dance lessons, memorizing lines, and creating costumes, more than 180 young performers finally took the stage at the Winspear Opera House! In the audience, 1,000 eager family members and friends who met students with cheers, flowers, and hugs.  The students were part of the annual Disney Musicals in Schools (DMIS) Student Share Celebration on April 22, emceed this year by Emmy-award winning journalist and former WFAA anchor Tashara Parker.

For many students and their families, the Student Share Celebration was their first time at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, and for some DMIS has been their first exposure to the performing arts. Each year, the Center begins at five public elementary schools which do not currently have formal musical theater classes. Over the course of a semester, specially-trained teaching artists work with both students and their teachers to leave scripts, songs and dances from a Disney musical. They encourage students to embrace the challenges and learning experiences of musical theater while having fun with their peers.

“I liked knowing that we’re all going to do a big play at the end and that you feel proud after doing that,” said Charlie, a student from Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston. “I also like that you just need to try your best. Try to remember the moves — it’s okay if you mess up, it’s not the end of the world, and you’ll feel good even though you mess up. You know it will be fine.”

Additionally, a strategic goal of the program is to leave each school and their educators with the framework in place to continue building their musical theater program going forward (with Center support) while the Center moves on to engage five new schools.  This year’s DMIS schools are all in Dallas ISD: Hall Personalized Learning Academy at Oak Cliff, Personalized Learning Preparatory at Sam Houston, Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy, Ascher Silberstein Elementary, and José “Joe” May Elementary. Students performed musical numbers from The Lion King KIDS, Finding Nemo KIDS, and The Aristocats KIDS.

“DMIS gave our students the opportunity to build relationships, work on their confidence, and realize their potential. I’ve observed a lot of self-discovery,” said Latasha Conley, DMIS Teaching Artist for Eddie Bernice Johnson STEM Academy. “Acting out a character opened up their horizons and made them think about different perspectives. They gained a set of skills that they can carry with them to the next school year, as teenagers, and into adulthood. This experience was phenomenal.”

Now in its sixth year at the Center, DMIS has worked in 21 Dallas ISD schools and provided more than 2,000 Dallas students a unique opportunity to learn and perform in their very own musical theater production. The program is supported through a generous grant from the Moody Foundation and led by the Center’s Education & Community Engagement Department.

“We’re very excited to continue offering this program that introduces so many students to the performing arts,” said Autumn Garrison, Director of Education and Community Engagement. “These opportunities are transformational for countless young performers who learn important skills from our dedicated teaching artists. These experiences help students grow and succeed far beyond the stage, and we’re glad to host their performances on our world-class campus.”

More photos from the DMIS Student Share Celebration can be found on the AT&T Performing Arts Center YouTube channel.

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