During the month of March, students and educators from the Chelsea High School Jazz Band and Cantare traveled to Walt Disney World, where they performed at the Disney Springs AdventHealth Waterside Stage. The two performance groups were selected for the opportunity after submitting an audition video in December and were invited to participate in Disney’s Imagination Campus program.
As part of the program, students participated in educational workshops and worked directly with Imagination Campus staff. In preparation for the trip, students rehearsed diligently over the past few months, meeting after school, during February school vacation week and on weekends to prepare for their 20-minute performance at Disney Springs.
Among the pieces performed were new selections the students learned specifically for the event such as Cantare singing “Dig a Little Deeper” from The Princess and the Frog and Jazz Band playing the theme from The Incredibles. Both ensembles jointly performed “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story. This is a really monumental challenge that students and their directors, CHS educators Shannon Chick and Dana Sheridan, were able to overcome, because it is very challenging to combine and direct two distinct ensembles simultaneously, due to the difficulties presented by acoustics and balance. At the conclusion of their performance, the students received a raucous standing ovation and cheers from the crowd.
The trip was generously supported by Senator Sal DiDomenico, who secured funding for it after seeing the students perform at events in the fall and encouraging them to submit an audition to Disney. Before traveling to Florida, students held a special “send-off” concert for families, staff and friends at CHS. Senator DiDomenico attended and presented the group with special Disney and Chelsea branded t-shirts for the trip.
Beyond the performance and educational workshops, the trip gave students the chance to experience the Disney parks, many experiencing them for the first time. The group visited EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, enjoying rides, attractions, and fireworks shows throughout their stay.
Both the CHS Jazz Band and Cantare were presented with a special trophy from the Disney Imagineering Campus staff to commemorate the performance. Students also received commemorative “Mouseketeer Pins” that are only bestowed to people that perform on the Disney stage.
The five-day trip created memories that will last a lifetime for the students and educators who participated.