KINGMAN – Kingman Center For The Arts is pleased to announce the two new schools that have been selected to participate in the 2020 Disney Musicals in Schools program. The program is an initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Productions to create sustainable theater programs in under-resourced elementary schools. The two schools are a part of Kingman Unified school district and the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
The two schools include: Black Mountain Elementary School in Golden Valley and Kingman Academy Of Learning Intermediate in Kingman.
The selected schools began a 17-week musical theater residency in September 2019. Each school will receive performance rights, education support materials and guidance from two teaching artists. The program features a professional development focus, through which participating school teachers partner with the Kingman Center For The Artsteaching artists to learn how to produce, direct, choreograph and music direct, culminating in their first 30-minute Disney KIDS musical at their school. As a capstone to the experience, Kingman Center For The Arts will host a Student Share Celebration in which each school, including last year’s school, will be able to perform their show on the stage at Kingman High School for an audience of students, teachers, family, and community members.
First Year participating school will also have the opportunity to participate to a Student Share Celebration at The Smith Center in Las Vegas on March 2nd 2020.
Last year Hualapai Elementary public schools successfully participated in the program, with students and school teachers working together to create a culture of musical theater at their schools. Kingman Center For The Arts is pleased to announce that Hualapai Elementary school is continuing to produce musicals this 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.
Kingman Center for the Arts is excited to be a partner with The Smith Center in Las Vegas and Disney to bring live musical theater into our elementary schools. We have seen firsthand the life changing effect that performing arts can have on our community members, especially our children. We continue to look for many opportunities to bring more of this to our city. With the renovation of the Beale Street Theater, located at Third and Beale Street, we open more of an opportunity to bring professional level theater and performing arts into Kingman. We appreciate all of our community members who support our mission.
Disney Musicals in Schools was launched in 2010 in response to Disney Theatrical Production’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 Productions began partnering with organizations in other communities across the United States.
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 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, The Aristocats, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, and Winnie the Pooh and Frozen.
