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YOU GOT HARLEM, BOYZ II MEN AND ALL KINDS OF OTHER
SURPRISES UP YOUR SLEEVES, RIGHT?
>> Christine: ABSOLUTELY. MAY IS FULL OF EVENTS FOR US.
ONE OF OUR BIG EVENTS IS THE DANCE THEATER OF HARLEM.
THIS IS CONCLUSION OF A THREE-YEAR RELATIONSHIP WHERE
THEY'VE BEEN DOWN AT LEAST IN PART EVERY YEAR AND THEY WILL BE
CONCLUDING THIS THREE-YEAR RESIDENCY WITH A WORLD PREMIERE
PIECE AND IT WILL BE IN CHRYSLER ON MAY 14 AND 15.
>> Bob: NOW, YOU'RE THE EDUCATOR, SO DESCRIBE WHAT KIND
OF DANCE THEY DO. >> Christine: WELL, IT IS
CLASSICAL BALLET, BUT THE REASON THE COMPANY IS SO IMPORTANT --
>> Bob: WHERE?! >> Christine: THEY ARE THE FIRST
AFRICAN AMERICAN CLASSICAL BALLET COMPANY AND THEY'VE BEEN
IN EXISTENCE FOR OVER FOUR YEARS.
>> Bob: I REACTED THAT WAY BECAUSE THE ART THAT THEY PUT
INTO IT IS JUST -- IT'S CLASSICAL, BUT FOR THOSE THAT
MAY THINK IT'S ROMEO AND JULIETTE, IS IT?
>> Christine: IT'S DEFINITELY DIFFERENT THAN THAT.
THE TECHNIQUE IS ROOTED IN THE CLASSICAL STRAINING, BUT THEY
TAKE A LOT OF THEY'RE WORK WITH A SOCIAL ACTIVISM ANGLE, SO THEY
MIGHT BE TELL DIFFERENT KINDS OF STORIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT,
USING DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSIC WOO WON'T EXPECT TO SEE IN THE
CONCERT HALL, SO THEY EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES.
BOY THINK WOW REPLACE -- >> Bob: I THINK WOW REPLACES THE
WORD BRAVO? >> Christine: I THINK SO.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ON THE DANCE THEATER OF
HARLEM TRAIN IS WE'RE SO EXCITED THAT THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF
THE RESIDENCY BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE OVER 50 EDUCATION EVENTS
FOR US OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, SO WE'RE NOT ONLY
CELEBRATING THEM AS A COMPANY, WE'RE SLESHTING EVERYTHING THEY
HAVE MEANT TO OUR COMMUNITY IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, SO IT'S
REALLY GOING TO BE ONE YOU HAVE TO BE AT.
>> Bob: I WANT TO GO ON RECORD THAT YOU BROUGHT UP THE
EDUCATION SIDE BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO
TRY TO SELL TICKETS FIRST. YOU HAVE GREAT SHOWS COMING UP
AND WHEN I THINK OF THE ARTS FESTIVAL, I THINK OF
ENTERTAINMENT, THE ARTS, BUT IT REALLY, THANKS TO YOUR
LEADERSHIP AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE BOARD FOR THE ARTS FESTIVAL,
YOU'VE TAKEN INTO THE COMMUNITY, INTO THE SCHOOLS AND REALLY USED
IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN SOME EYES, RIGHT?
>> Christine: ABSOLUTELY. WE EXIST FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE'RE NOT HERE JUST TO BE FOR TICKET BUYERS OR PEOPLE THAT
LIKE A CERTAIN TYPE OF ART FORM, WE SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
EVERY YEAR WE DO OVER 100 EDUCATION EVENTS AND SERVE
GENERALLY 35,000 CHILDREN PER YEAR AND WE TRY TO DO EVENTS
THAT ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE STARTED OUR BEYOND THE CONCERT HALL INITIATIVE IN 2012
TO BRIT ARTS INTO DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY WHERE
WE MIGHT NOT HAVE PRESENTED BEFORE, SO ONE THING WE HAVE
COMING UP IN MAY IS OUR ATTUCKS COMMUNITY DAY AND FOR ONE DAY
EVERY YEAR DURING THE FESTIVAL, WE TAKE OVER THE VACANT LOT
THAT'S ON THE INTERSECTION OF CHURCH STREET AND VIRGINIA BEACH
BOULEVARD ACROSS FROM THE ATTUCKS THEATER AND WE JUST
THROW A PARTY. WE BELIEVE THAT THE ARTS SHOULD
BE IN ALL SECTORS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
>> Bob: THAT'S AWESOME. AND WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE DO YOU
GET FROM THE YOUNG GUYS? >> Christine: IT'S FANTASTIC.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT A KID IS GOING TO SAY, WHICH IS WHY I
LOVE MY JOB. I THINK MY JOB IS BETTER THAN
THE REST OF THE ARTS FESTIVAL. YOU GET KIDS SEEING THINGS MAYBE
THEY'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE AND THEY HAVE NO FILTER.
PEOPLE COMING INTO A CLASSICAL CONCERT, THEY CLAP POLITELY, BUT
THE KIDS HAVE NO FILTER. THEY JUST REACT, GET EXCITED
ABOUT THINGS. >> Bob: LET'S FLIP IT THEN, HOW
DO YOU PERFORMERS FEEL BEING WITH THE KIDS?
>> Christine: THEY LOVE IT. WE JUST WRAPPED UP THE TATTOO,
AN ANNUAL EVENT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR AND THE PERFORMERS ALWAYS
SAY THE STUDENT MATINEES ARE THEIR FAVORITE BECAUSE THE
KIDSES ARE GOING WILD. IT'S ENCOURAGING FOR THE
PERFORMERS TO HAVE SUCH GREAT FEEDBACK.
>> Bob: WE JUST CAME OFF THE TATTOO AND I UNDERSTAND IT WAS
ONE OF THE BIGGEST, NOT JUST THE CAST, BUT WITH THE AUDIENCES
TOO. THERE'S A KID COMPONENT THERE,
ISN'T THERE? >> Christine: ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAD OVER 18,000 STUDENTS WITH US DURING THE WEEK.
IT WAS FANTASTIC. >> Bob: I CAN IMAGINE WHAT SCOPE
WITH A BUNCH OF KID MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE.
>> Christine: IT WAS GREAT. YOU HAVE TO COME NEXT YEAR.
>> Bob: WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATING WITHOUT A
FILTER, I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE HOST OF
NORFOLK PERSPECTIVES. I'M GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION,
IS THE ENTIRE GROUP BOYZ II MEN GOING TO BE HERE?
>>. >> Christine: THAT'S RIGHT.
HE WILL HAVE A MAKE A SPECIAL FRIENDSHIP FROM DANCING WITH THE
STARS, AND THEY WILL BE HERE. IT'S NOT SOLD OUT YET THOUGH.
>> Bob: NOT YET? >> Christine: YOU HAVE TO GET
YOUR TICKET NOW. >> Bob: LET'S TALK ABOUT
SIMPLE -- TALK ABOUT TICKETS NOW.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE VIRGINIA ARTS FESTIVAL, I THINK IT'S THE
CLASSICS, IT'S GOING TON EXPENSIVE AND THERE'S A LOT OF
THINGS ON THE SCHEDULE COMING UP THAT ARE LIKE 15, $20.
>> Christine: WE REALLY DO WANT TO BE AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE.
WE DO AT LOVE COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT ARE OUTDOORS AND FREE TO
THE PUBLIC. >> Bob: OR DID I SAY FREE?
>> Christine: WE HAVE A LOT OF FREE THINGS AS WELL.
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. FOR THINGS WE DO NEED A TO
TARGET TICKET PRICE, WE THINK HARD ABOUT THAT.
WE KNOW THAT NOT EVERYONE IN THE CITY CAN AFFORD TO GO TO AS MANY
THINGS AS THEY WOULD LIKE, WE WANT TO MAKE THAT AS ACCESSIBLE
AS POSSIBLE WHILE STILL BREAKING EVEN OURSELVES.
>> Bob: WHAT ABOUT THE PARENT THAT SAYS JOHNNY IS TOO YOUNG,
WE HAVE TO GET A BABYSITSTER, WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT.
HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG? >> Christine: IT DEPENDS ON THE
EVENT. SOME ARE FAMILY FRIENDLY.
WE DO THE LO OF PROGRAMMING THROUGH THE DANCE SERIES THAT
CAN BE OPEN FOR EVERYONE AND TICKETS GENERALLY PART AT $20.
WE DO GROUP DISCOUNTS, STOOPT DISCOUNTS.
DO OUR -- STUDENT DISCOUNTS, DO OUR BEST TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE.
>> Bob: AND PROBE THE EARLIER YOU EX-POSE YOUR CHILD TO THE
ARTS -- >> I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
MY MOM WAS A MUSICIAN AND I WAS AROUND THE ARTS AND I WANT
SHAPED MY PATH IN LIFE. I WANT TO GIVE KIDS THAT SAME
EXPERIENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU REALLY NEVER KNOW WHAT
MOMENT IS GOING TO TURN SOMEONE INTO THE PERSON THEY'RE SUPPOSED
TO BE. SOMETHING COULD IGNITE A PASSION
AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THAT MOMENT IS GOING TO COME.
YOU HAVE TO PUT ALL THOSE THINGS OUT THERE AND LET KIDS
EXPERIENCE THEM. >> Bob: I'M GOING TO SHOCK
PEOPLE BY SAYING THIS, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO THE
SITE, BECAUSE THERE ARE EVENTS NOT JUST HERE IN NORFOLK, BUT
ALL THROUGH THE REGION. THERE'S A SPECIAL CLOSING COMING
UP IN WILLIAMSBURG. >> Christine: YES, WE TRY TO DO
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AND THIS YEAR, WE HAVE CERTAIN EXPANDED
THE BOUNDARIES. WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT
GENRES, ALL SORTS OF CITIES. WHEREVER YOU ARE IN HAMPTON
ROADS AND WHATEVER YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO, I GUARANTEE WE'LL
HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU. >> Bob: CHRIS TEEN, THANKS A LOT
FOR BRINGING IT ALIVE AND GUARANTEES THAT YOU WON'T GET
BUMPED OFF OF DANCING WITH THE STARS, BUT HE WILL BE IN TOWN.
>> Christine: WE'RE GUARANTEE IT.
>> Bob: WHEN WE COME BACK, THE PROM OF THE YEAR IS GOING RIGHT
HERE IN NORFOLK AT THE MARRIOTT.