Dallas Schools Participate in Disney Musicals in Schools Student Share Program

Families of students involved in the AT&T Performing Arts Center's Disney Musicals in Schools (DMIS) program continue to talk about the kids' exciting recent performances on the Winspear Opera House stage. 162 Dallas ISD elementary school students performed songs from Disney musicals before an audience of more than 1,000 family members and friends.

The Disney Musicals in Schools Student Share performance was held on the evening of Monday, May 16. It included five schools who are part of this year's DMIS program. Over 17 weeks, the Center's Disney-trained teaching artists have been working with the students and their teachers on the choreography, songs, creating costumes, makeup and more. Each school received performance rights, educational support materials and guidance from the teaching artists. This culminated in a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical performance for their classmates at their school. They also each performed one number in the Student Share production at the Winspear Opera House. The schools were able to choose from a number of Disney classics including Aristocats KIDS, The Jungle Book KIDS, The Lion King KIDS, Frozen KIDS, and Aladdin KIDS.

The five participating Dallas ISD schools were:

• Annie Webb Blanton Elementary
• Dallas Hybrid Preparatory
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Academy
• Richard Lagow Elementary
• K.B. Polk Center for Academically Talented and Gifted

The Disney Musicals in Schools program was made possible through a grant from the Disney Corporation.

The program is designed to create sustainable theater program in elementary schools. Through the program, participating schools produce a Disney KIDS musical in their school community and join in a culminating performance at the Winspear Opera House.

"The Center is so pleased to be Disney's partner in this incredible program. We put these talented students center-stage and really let them shine," said Debbie Storey, president and CEO of the AT&T Performing Arts Center. "Seeing all these kids singing and dancing on this world-famous stage in front of their proud families, we definitely saw some stars being made!"

The selected schools participated in a 17-week musical theater residency at no cost, led by a team of teaching artists trained by the Center and Disney Theatrical Group. Each school received performance rights, educational support materials and guidance from the teaching artists. The program also featured a professional development focus, through which participating school teachers learn how to produce, direct, choreograph and music direct, culminating in their first 30-minute Disney KIDS musical at their school.

Disney KIDS musicals, created in partnership with Music Theater International (MTI), are 30-minute musicals designed for elementary school performers and have been adapted from the classic Disney films. The program was launched in 2010 in response to Disney Theatrical Group's concern that under-resourced public elementary schools were not afforded equitable access to the arts. After successfully offering the program in New York City schools, Disney Theatrical Group began collaborating with organizations in other communities across the United States. The Center joined the program in 2019.

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