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>>> GAIL EASLY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE CRISPUS ATTUCKS CULTURAL
CENTER, INC. >> THAT IS US.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. >> ARE YOU CONNECTED TO THE
CRISPUS ATTUCKS THEATER? >> YES, WE'RE THE NONPROFIT ARM
OF THE THEATER AND WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS
SINCE IT REOPENED IN 2004. >> SIGHT'S NOT JUST PERFORM --
SO IT'S NOT JUST PERFORMING ARTS ON THAT STAGE?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT. IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO SEE A
SHOW, BUT A GREAT PLACE OF LEARNING OF THE ARTS FOR ALL
AGES AND ABILITIES. >> WE'RE GOING TO SIT DOWN AND
RELAX AND TALK ABOUT THAT. GIA PERCELL, YOU'RE THE
COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR CAMP RISE AND YOU WORK WITH HER.
>> YES, SIR, IT'S BEEN A FLURRY. >> IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE?
>> OF COURSE, IT HAS. WHEN YOU HAVE THE ARTS, IT'S A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GET CONNECTED TO SOMETHING THAT
IS SLOWLY TRYING TO BE PHASED OUT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO THE CRISPUS ATTUCKS CULTURAL CENTER OFFERS A DIVERSE, DIVERSE
OPPORTUNITY SUCH AS STEEL DRUM DANCING, AND NOT JUST FOR THE
CHILDREN NEITHER. THEY HAVE CLASSES FOR ADULTS
THERE AS WELL. >> UH-OH, YOU FOINSED AT ME --
POINTED AT ME. FOR SOME OF US, IT'S JUST TOO
LATE. >> NO, NOT AT ALL.
NEVER TOO LATE. NOT AT ALL.
WE COULD TEACH YOU STEEL PAN, WE COULD TEACH YOU BALLET IF YOU
WANT TO GIVE THAT A SHOT TOO. >> I DON'T, YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN
ME DANCE. I KNOW YOU COULDN'T TEACH ME HOW
TO BALLET, BUT I MIGHT TAKE YOU UP ON THAT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT RISE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
WHAT DOES IT STAND FOR? >> IT STANDS FOR RHYTHM AND
SETTING EXPECTATIONS AND WE AT THE THEATER BELIEVE THE FIRST
STEP FOR EDUCATING CHILDREN IS CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR
THEM TO LEARN AND WE BELIEVE THERE'S A RHYTHM TO LIFE, A
RHYTHM TO SUCCESS, AND WHAT BETTER TO WAY TO TEACH THEM THE
TOOLS AND HOW TO SET GOALS, THROUGH THE RUTH MANY OF MUSIC
AND -- RHYTHM OF MUSIC AND DANCE AND EVERYTHING THAT COMES WITH
US. >> THAT IS COOL.
>> WE'RE VERY PROUD ALSO A WE'VE BEEN RECENTLY RECOGNIZED BY THE
NATIONAL YOUTH -- NATIONAL ARTS AND HUMIDITIES YOUTH PROGRAM
AWARDS AS ONE OF THE TOP 50 OUT OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THE
COUNTRY AND SO IT'S A VERY, VERY HIGH HONOR FOR US TO GET THERE.
>> GAIL, YOU'VE COME -- I MEAN, YOU VERY CASUALLY MENTIONED,
SEVEN YEARS DID YOU SAY? >> YES, IN SEVEN YEARS.
>> BUT YOU'VE COVERED A LOT OF TURF IN SEVEN YEARS.
LET'S GO BACK SEVEN YEARS. WHAT DID YOU FINE WHEN YOU GOT
TO THE CRISPUS ATTUCKS THEATER? >> WHEN I CAME SEVEN YEARS AGO,
WE HAD REOPENED OUR DOORS, HAD WONDERFUL SHOWS THAT HAD BEEN
BOOKED IN THE THEATER, BUT THERE WAS ALSO A NEED TO HAVE THE
IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY TIED TO THE BUILDING, AND SO WE ARE
SURROUNDING BY COMMUNITIES THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO
AFFORD TICKETS, MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO
TAKE CLASSES, SO RISE OFFERS THEM THOSE OPPORTUNITIES
IRREGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY.
>> BECAUSE, GIA, IS THAT WHAT YOU FIND?
PEOPLE HAVE THIS PRECONCEIVED NOTION, WELL, THAT'S NOT MINE.
>> AND I CAN'T AFFORD IT. ARTS IS FREE, PBS, YOU KNOW, WE
HAVE PBS, WE -- ARTS IS NOT LIMITED TO SOCIOECONOMIC
BACKGROUND. IT IS OPEN TO ANY CHILD OR ADULT
THAT IS OPEN TO LEARNING NEW AND BEING AROUND A DIVERSE GROUP OF
PEOPLE. CAMP RISE IS OPEN TO CHILDREN,
IT'S A SPECIALIZED CAMP FOR TWEENS, FROM 11 TO 14, AND AS WE
ALL KNOW, THAT'S A VERY TOUGH AGE FOR A LOT OF MIDDLE
SCHOOLERS COMING IN TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND CAMP RISE, THE CAMP
IS A DANCE CAMP, SO THERE'S A BALLET, THERE'S MODERN JAZZ.
>> THERE YOU GO AGAIN WITH BALLET.
>> WELL, ATHLETES TAKE BALLET TO EXTENUATE THEIR MUSCLES, SO IT'S
TRAINING, THERE IS LEADERSHIP THERE AS WELL.
>> YEAH? >> THERE'S GOING TO BE TRAINING
IN LEADERSHIP, CREATIVE WRITING, BUT I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT
PIECE OF CAMP RISE IS THE NETWORKING OR THE PROFESSIONAL
CAMP. THESE PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS THAT
ARE COMING IN TO TEACH THE CHILDREN ABOUT DISCIPLINING
THEIR BODY AND BEING A DANCER IS ATHLETIC.
THEY WILL BE DISCIPLINED, THEY WILL BE UNDER STRENUOUS PRACTICE
EVERY DAY. THEY WILL BE TAKING THREE OR
FOUR DANCE CLASSES AS WELL AS CREATIVE ARTS AND THEN THERE'S
LEADERSHIP TRAINING. >> AND YET, GAIL, YOU HAVE
CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT OF INCLUSION AND SUPPORT THOUGH,
RIGHT, THROUGH THE PROCESS? >> ABSOLUTELY.
OUR PROGRAMS ARE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT WE ALSO FEEL
THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT INCLUSIVE PROGRAM HERE TO
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE FEELS A PART OF THE SUCCESS AND THE
OUTREACH OF THE ATTUCKS THEATER. >> NOW, DOES EVERYBODY WANT TO
GET ON STAGE? >> I WOULD SAY JUST ABOUT
EVERYBODY DOES, YES. >> OKAY, NOW --
>> SOME WAY OR ANOTHER. >> IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.
>> YES. >> DOES EVERYBODY DESERVE TO BE
ON STAGE? >> I THINK WE ALL HAVE TALENTS
AND WE HAVE A WAY OF FINDING IT AND WE WILL FIND YOURS TOO.
IF YOU GIVE US A CHANCE. >> IF YOU DIG DEEP FLUFF.
>> IF WE DIG DEEP ENOUGH, WE WILL FIND YOUR TALENT TO BE ON
STAGE, BOB. >> LET ME ASK YOU BECAUSE YOU
ARE A VISIONARY. YOU HAVE REALLY TAKEN THESE KIDS
PROBABLY WHERE THEY HADN'T BEEN TOLD THEY COULD GO BEFORE,
RIGHT? >> YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE
MOST REWARDING THINGS ABOUT WHAT I DO IS NOT ONLY TO TAKE THE
KIDS IN TO THE ATTUCKS, A LOT OF TIMES THEY WILL COME IN, MAYBE
THEY'RE NOT AS CONFIDENT AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE A LITTLE SHY.
MAYBE THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL IN SCHOOL, AND WE HAVE THE
RESOURCES THERE TO BRING THEM OUT OF THEIR SHELL, WE ALSO HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GO BEYOND THE ATTUCKS.
FOR EXAMPLE, OUR STEEL PAN KIDS ACTUALLY GET TO PLAY ALONGSIDE
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. OUR BALLET STUDENTS GET TO
PERFORM OUTSIDE THE ATTUCKS AROUND TOWN THROUGH THE GAIL
HART'S DANCE ACADEMY. SHE'S A TEACHER THAT DOES THE
CLASSES AT TITLE I NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AT JACOX
ELEMENTARY AS WELL AS P.B. YOUNG ELEMENTARY, AND NOT ONLY DOES
SHE GO IN THE SCHOOLS, SHE TAKES THE SCHOOLS -- TAKES THE
CHILDREN AND PUTS THEM ON STAGE. >> SO YOU'RE HINTING BEYOND
RISE, WHAT IS YOUR NORMAL DAY? >> THERE IS NO NORMAL DAY.
IN THE ARTS, YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN TO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.
>> WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT? >> WE'RE HOPING WE'RE GOING TO
GET TO THE WHITE HOUSE, BECAUSE AGAIN, I'M GOING BACK TO THE
AWARD. WHEN WE RECEIVED THE
RECOGNITION, IT WAS SUCH AN HONOR TO BE IN THE TOP 50
FINALISTS AND THE ONLY ORGANIZATION IN VIRGINIA.
NOW WE'RE AWAITING TO SEE IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE TOP TEN
AND IF WE DO GET THAT AWARD, WE WILL BE HONORED AT THE WHITE
HOUSE IN A CEREMONY HOSTED BY FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA.
>> SO IT IS THE WHITE HOUSE, NOT A WHITE HOUSE.
>> YES, SIR, THAT IS CORRECT. >> WOW, THAT'S TAKING THE BIG
PICTURE. >> WE ARE GOING -- WE START, YOU
KNOW W AN IDEA, AND JUST LIKE YOU SAID, A VISION, AND WE'RE
TAKING IT BEYOND NORFOLK. WE'RE SPREADING THE WORD THAT
NORFOLK IS A GREAT PLACE FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT AND
EDUCATION AND LEARNING. >> OKAY.
I WANT YOU TO TALK TO THE PARENT OUT THERE WHOSE KID DOESN'T HAVE
THE SAME VISION. HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU PLUG IN?
>> WELL, YOU FIND WHAT THAT CHILD'S INTERESTS ARE.
THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT BALLET OR A
VISUAL ARTS CLASS OR EVEN COMPUTERS BECAUSE WE DO OFFER
TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES THERE AS WELL.
AND YOU JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, ENCOURAGING
THEM. WE HAVE VERY SMALL
TEACHER-TO-STUDENT RATIOS, SO OUR RATIO AVERAGE IS ABOUT TEN
TO ONE, AND WE BELIEVE THAT, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO
EDUCATE A CHILD, YOU CREATE A SAFE, NURTURING ENVIRONMENT FOR
WHICH THEY FEEL SAFE, THEY FEEL LOVED AND PART OF A COMMUNITY,
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO. >> WOW, THAT SUMS IT UP.
PERFECTLY. WEBSITE?
>> WWW.CACC-INC.ORG. >> HOW ABOUT A PHONE NUMBER?
>> 757-662-4763. >> THANKS FOR BRINGING THE
STREET ALIVE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, BRINGING A KID
ALIVE. >> ABSOLUTELY, IT'S OUR
PLEASURE.