Main Street
Festival Disney Celebrates Its 5th Season
School music groups from across the country traveled to the Walt Disney World Resort this past spring for the 5th annual Festival Disney. Between March 13 and May 9, 2009, choral ensembles, marching, jazz and concert bands, orchestras, show choirs, and auxiliary units all took part in Disney's largest single-site music festival.
The festival series schedule included two days of adjudicated performances, in which ensembles received valuable written and recorded feedback from nationally recognized music educators. All groups were invited to the closing awards ceremony; each ensemble received a Festival Disney Award, and every participant received a Festival Disney Medal to commemorate their participation. Competing groups vied for Best in Class and Festival Disney Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards.
Ensemble directors selected their groups' classification and one of three adjudication categories when they registered. The categories included Competition (groups were rated and ranked for the top awards), Ratings Only (groups were awarded a rating but not a ranking), and Comments Only (groups received only written and verbal feedback). Immediately following their performance, concert ensembles participated in a clinic with one of the adjudicators.
For more on Festival Disney, including how to take part in the 2010 season, visit www.festivaldisney.com.
New Stages Now In Use:
The last issue of Disney onStage featured the announcement that two performance locations at the Walt Disney World Resort were being extensively renovated. Those renovations are now complete, and both venues have become major attractions at the resort.
The state-of-the-art Premiere Theater, located at the end of San Francisco Street in the Backlot area of Disney's Hollywood Studios, was the venue for many Disney Performing Arts events this year. Disney Jazz Celebration and Festival Disney events filled the stage from February until May. Meanwhile, the Waterside Stage opened at Downtown Disney Marketplace in December 2008. Formerly the Dock Stage, it is now a covered amphitheater with greatly expanded seating capacity. For performing groups, the new venue has been a great addition to the landscape, and ensembles of all types have been enjoying the large crowds that gather to watch their performances.
First Disney Jazz Celebration A Swinging Success
For three days this past February, the Walt Disney World Resort became jazz central, as the inaugural Disney Jazz Celebration gave high school and middle school ensembles from across the U.S. a chance to learn from jazz legends and contemporary jazz celebrities alike.
At the opening ceremony on February 19, legendary Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, a winner of multiple music industry awards (including four Grammys), performed for more than 700 students. Over the next three days, attendees competed for top honors, participated in a series of daily master classes at the Epcot World ShowPlace Pavilion with esteemed clinicians like saxophonist Bob Mintzer, drummer Steve Fidyk and singer Jennifer Barnes, and enjoyed nightly performances by notable jazz rising stars. On February 20, selected students had an opportunity to jam onstage with the Disney Jazz Celebration clinicians, adjudicators, and featured performers.
The annual Disney Jazz Celebration is supported by Conn-Selmer, Inc., and officially endorsed by MENC: The National Association for Music Education. Visit www.disneyjazzcelebration.com for more information.
Amped-Up Step Classic Returns This Fall
On September 4 and 5, 2009, the Disney STEP Classic made its return to the Walt Disney World Resort for its second year. But this event, which celebrates an expressive dance form rooted in African and Caribbean cultures, was considerably different from last year's version, with many new educational opportunities.
Program enhancements included the addition of clinics by a National Step Show Alliance (NSSA) judge following each performance and Master Step Workshops led by members of the nationally recognized Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Step Team. Teams included step teams from community centers, middle and high schools, community colleges, clubs, fraternities, and sororities. For more information, visit www.disneystepclassic.com.
Join the Candlelight Processional
The Candlelight Processional and Massed Choir Program is a holiday favorite at Epcot each year. This year's shows are planned for November 27-December 30 at the American Gardens Theater. The choir is composed of Disney cast members, the highly acclaimed Voices of Liberty, and student choir members. If your choir is interested in the program, visit www.disneymagicmusicdays.com/candlelight for information on how to apply. Applications are due no later than October 15.
Coming Soon: "The Princess And The Frog"
Walt Disney Animation Studios' latest musical film, The Princess and The Frog, opens in theaters nationwide on December 11, 2009. The movie marks Disney's return to classic hand-drawn animation and includes music from Oscar-winning composer Randy Newman, who has scored several previous Disney films, including Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., and Cars.
Set in the city of New Orleans, The Princess and The Frog features the first African-American Disney princess, Tiana (brought to life by actress Anika Noni Rose), a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana. Visit www.disney.com/princessandthefrog.
