Maya McFadden Photo
Eighth grader Dakarai Langley leads "Would Anyone Care?" dance about suicidal awareness.
With a look of defeat, Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School (BRAMS) eighth grader Dakarai Langley lifted his left foot and dangled it over the edge of an auditorium stage as a song shook the dark room with the lyrics: “Would anyone cry if I finally stepped off of this ledge tonight?”
And then Langley kept dancing, proving to everyone in the room before him just how lucky this city is to have this young artist call New Haven his home.
Langley was one of 10 students who performed that dance focused on suicide awareness and prevention Thursday and Friday at BRAMS Winterfest student art showcase on Kimberly Avenue.
Around 130 students participated in the winter multi-disciplinary arts festival, showing off the culmination of five months’ worth of work and dedication in more than a dozen chorus, theater, dance, and band performances.
On Thursday night, students performed in front of parents and community members for a sold-out show. A limited Friday morning “encore performance” also took place to give community members a chance to catch up with these remarkable student-performers.
BRAMS Arts Coordinator Tavares Bussey introduces Winterfest 2022.
For the first time, the Winterfest showcase included all student art forms. Thursday’s fest also marked the show’s first in-person event since 2019.
First year BRAMS Arts Coordinator Tavares Bussey described this year’s Winterfest as a celebration of the “season of hope.”
As students sang “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “Carol of the Bells,” their classmates and parents clapped along and occasionally let out calls of encouragement.
Bussey added that the winter show focused on helping BRAMS student-performers to have a strong work ethic and to “not be afraid of being great.”
Since the start of the school year the student-performers practiced at least twice a week on their Winterfest performances.
The self-harm prevention piece choreographed by dance teacher Nikki Claxton was titled “Would Anyone Care?” and was performed by BRAMS eight graders.
It was one of two socially conscious dance performances included in the showcase. The second entitled “Arctic” focused on global warming and was choreographed by dance teacher Hannah Healey. (Click here to watch Thursday’s “Arctic” performance.)
The eighth grade “Arctic” performers danced with both grace and caution while a backdrop of inspirational climate change quotes reminded the community to take care of the earth.
Several performances by separate brass and string bands kept the show seamlessly flowing with student talent.
Bay of Hope theater performance.
Seventh graders performed a short theater demonstration called “Bay of Hope.”
Snow performance.
A dozen sixth and seventh graders performed a dance called “Snow.”
A rendition of “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” was performed by theater students who put a modern spin on the tale about togetherness and holiday cheer.
Eighth graders Sophia as Cindy Lou-Who and Edward as the Grinch.
Edward Mathews-Ramos, 13, played the Grinch on and off the stage Thursday and Friday. After Friday’s show, Mathews-Ramos was congratulated by his father who sat in the audience watching his son perform.
While standing in the hallway, fifth-grade students greeted Mathews-Ramos with a “Hi Mr. Grinch!”
Mathews-Ramos’ father, Ed, was unsure of what his son’s performance would be like. “I like to be as surprised as possible. I don’t like to ask any questions,” Mathews said.
Mathews-Ramos, who also plays soccer, added his Grinch performance to his list of theater work that began when he was four years old.
When asked what surprised him most, Mathews said, “Seeing such a happy kid play a such a mean part.”
Students and families celebrate successful Winterfest shows.
After her Thursday performance, seventh grader Khloé Lawson-Stewart, 12, and her mother Ta’LannaMonique Lawson-Dickerson celebrated the continuing family tradition of arts performing.
Lawson-Dickerson attended BRAMS in 2003 and recalled her family’s long line of actors, playwrights, and musicians. “It’s in our blood,” she said. “I’m so proud. Now I’m the one seeing my daughter on the same stage and in the same light I was once in.”
Lawson-Stewart, who played Momma in “Bay of Hope” described returning to the spot light as unreal. Three years ago, when she was cast in the school’s Lion King, Jr. show, it was cancelled due to the start of the pandemic.
“I’m so glad my work didn’t go to waste,” she said.
Sixth grader Grace Loehn attended Friday’s show to watch herself on screen during a pre-recorded short film called the “Mystery Box.”
The video played during the show was made by students and video teacher Matt Kelsey in their video-making class.
“Every time we make a movie our connection as a class grows,” Loehn said.
After Friday’s performance fifth graders Nicole Corte, Melanie Tohom Cruz, Genesis Marrero, and Eliana Torres recalled their experience on stage for the first time in front of hundreds of audience members.
Despite being nervous and occasionally forgetting some lyrics to their chorus tunes, the group said they gained confidence from being on the stage.
“We learned how to project our voice, be brave, and not to move too much,” Tohom Cruz said.
Eighth graders I’Gypt Moreno and Kionna Deboise played The Whos of Whoville in The Grinch performance and after Friday’s performance had gained a new sense of self-love, they said.
Moreno said she reminded herself before stepping on stage each time, “Who cares what anybody says, Imma do me. It’s my time to shine.”
“This taught me that I can’t speak low for the rest of my life. When I’m confident and loud, I feel my best,” Deboise said.
Thursday's sold out show.
The arts in schools are incredible important to motivate students and to contribute beauty to society. We should value the arts equally with sports in funding and support in our school systems.