Celebrate The Beat 2016

It was that time of year again, Celebrate The Beat time!  Earlier in the year we didn't think Alex was going to have a group to dance with like she has the last two years.  She always danced with a group in San Pancho since she went to school there.  This year, there were no groups funded in San Pancho.  Bummer!  Costa Verde School and the Sayulita Public Elementary School were funded and set to be on stage this year.  Then, an email came from local program coordinator, dance instructor, choreographer and force of nature, Colleen Macomber.  Colleen knew that Alex was the only dancer from the previous year's San Pancho group who lived in Sayulita.  Not to mention our girl has SKILLS!  By special invitation, Alex was asked to join what was called the "Grupo de Excellencia".  This was a mix of kids from different schools and ages.  She was absolutely thrilled to be dancing with Colleen again and even better two of her best friends were also in the group.

Each color T-shirt represented a different performing group.  Usually by age group and school.

Not in the photo are the hundreds of parents and friends in attendance watching.

Grupo de Excellencia.  Can you find the blonde pony tail?

I've said it before but this is one of my favorite events and Sayulita seems to have the biggest and most vocal crowd to applaud the kid's efforts.  Alex just loves it and I really wish there was more dance available for her.  One of the unexpected things that happened was that during dress rehearsals where all the groups were present for practice Alex crossed paths with several of the kids who she went to the public kindergarten with her first year in Mexico.  She has grown so much since then but it was good to hear that the kids recognized each other still.  Such a great program for the kids I just wish it could last all year.

Celebrate the Beat is a non-profit and are always looking for help to bring the program to the kids each year.

Celebrate The Beat 2015

If there is one activity in the world that Alex would choose to do forever it would most likely be "dance".  With very little background, she gets in there, quickly learns the choreography and moves easily from beat to beat.  It amazes me every time I see her at practice and perform.  A genetic gift from her mom I would guess.  The Colorado based, not-for-profit organization, Celebrate The Beat, again brought their program to hundreds of children in the area this winter.  Teaching artist, choreographer and force of nature, Colleen Macomber, arrived once again to teach school aged kids in the communities of Punta Mita, Higuera Blanca, San Ignacio, Sayulita and San Pancho.  Though we live in Sayulita, Alex rejoined her group from last year from San Pancho.

Celebrate The Beat's mission is to teach inspirational music and dance classes that help children discover their potential by motivating them to believe in themselves, to value artistic expression, and to develop a personal standard of excellence.  This year's theme was "Rivers of the World".  Each dance group, represented by colored T-shirts, had their own river to represent in a performance at San Pancho's Plaza del Sol .

The photo above does not even include all of the kids included in the performance.  There were also 30 or so smaller children who were off to the side and in front of the stage.

I wish Alex could work with Colleen regularly during the year.  She would love it and get so much out of the high quality instruction she provides.  We just hope Celebrate the Beat returns to the area again next year.  The major sponsor they had for our local program in Mexico had to step down this year.  It is a substantial investment each year to run this fantastic opportunity for the kids.  If you can help the program continue, please contact them or us.  Hundreds of smiling kids in this area of Mexico would really appreciate it.  

"Those Parents"

I have always been in amazement at "those parents" who schedule their kids every afternoon for activities every single day of the week.  School gets out, the kids gobble down some energy and off they go doing whatever they do for part or all of the afternoon.  I wondered, do the kids ever get down time or an opportunity to actually develop the skills to keep themselves occupied?   Do they just follow orders and report for the next activity whether they want to or not?  Are the parents scared to have them at home doing...gasp...nothing?

Well, my thoughts on this have changed a bit in the past few weeks.  I have come to realize that the kids are older now, can do and handle more activity.  They want to do it all.  I have also come to realize that nothing can compare to what this little corner of the world can offer them each day.  So, unintentionally we are totally loaded up each and every day of the week with the coolest and rewarding of activities.  Even better is that all instruction is totally in Spanish.  Here is what is on tap for the next few months.  Each with it's own link.

Capoeira  
I am proud to say that the kids have been in the Capoeira program for over a year and a half and will be graduating again in March at this year's Batizado.  I really like this program and hope they continue with it with all the programs that are out there competing for the kid's time.  It is unique and the group of kids, coaching and conditioning are all amazing.  Certainly without the skills they have learned during their time with Capoeira they would have had a tough time diving into other things.

Alex aims for the knock out kick.

Celebrate the Beat
Alex goes it alone with this one and returns again this year at special invitation from the instructor.  Where Alex learned to dance is a mystery and her ability to control her body, keep the rhythm and remember all the moves is beyond me.  This a fantastic program for kids of all abilities and again, the instruction is fantastic!  We love that she gets to do this.

Entre Amigos Art Program
This one was unexpected and again Alex is attending by special invitation.  She submitted a painting for an art contest at Entre Amigos which is the community center in San Pancho.  For each age group the Entre Amigos staff selected a handful of submissions and those kids were given free art classes to learn new techniques for the next round of competition.  Cool!  Alex is way into it and she gets to take class with one of her good San Pancho friends too.

Alex and Adesha listen to the results.  Yes, Ozzy is in the back row.

Circo de los Niños

This one is really cool!  Circo De Los Niños is yet another offering at Entre Amigos.  You can click on the link to read about the program on the website but here is the short version.  In 2011, Cirque du Soleil co-founder Gilles Ste-Croix approached Entre Amigos with the idea of creating a circus show with the children of San Pancho.

The program basically takes kids out of the community and provides them with training and equipment so they eventually take part in a performance designed, sponsored and choreographed by Gilles Set-Croix and his wife.  It has become a huge fund raiser for Entre Amigos and we attended the performance last year.  It was great!!  Lights, costumes, make up, music, a packed house and we knew many of the kids from school and around town here in Sayulita. Alex and Trace are both in the beginner program this year and a whole portion of the Entre Amigos bodega complex has been rehabbed to accommodate the program permanently.

What is there to do in small town Mexico?  Just soccer and go to the beach right?  Think again!  All of these programs take place in San Pancho so we will be spending a lot of time there for the coming months until each of the programs comes to a climax in late March.  It's going to be a busy time for sure.  

Celebrate The Beat

Celebrate The Beat came to the area again this year and Alex was finally old enough to participate.  What is Celebrate The Beat(CTB)?  You can read all about this great not-for-profit program by clicking the link above.  Briefly, in there own words:

Our Mission is to teach inspirational music and dance classes that help children discover their potential by motivating them to believe in themselves, to value artistic expression, and to develop a personal standard of excellence.

There is a lot more to it than this and you really have to see a performance to understand the results.  We were encouraged to attend one of these performances a couple years ago and immediately became one of our favorite events.  The staff from CTB goes to local schools and gathers kids of a certain age who are interested in participating in the program.  It does not matter if the school is a one room classroom or a larger school in a bigger town.  The kids are assembled and during the course of a few weeks they are taught some basic dance moves, choreography and then they join other kids from other schools for a large performance.  The kids perform identifying their school associating by wearing a colored T-shirt.

This is NOT some polished dance recital.  Some kids can really move and dance, some kids really can't but that's not the point of the program.  These kids are out there giving it all they have with only a T-shirt, a smile on their faces, the skills they have and the coaching they have received in the previous weeks.  The smiles and energy are contagious and the kids walk away from the experience for the better and so do those in attendance.

Alex watched from the sidelines the past two years until she was welcome to attend a dance class last spring given by the fantastic "Maestra de Dance", Colleen and her staff.  When CTB came around again this year, Escuela Del Mundo did not have a group of their own so based on Alex' participation last year in Colleen's class she was welcome to join a group called "Grupo de Excellencia" represented in orange.  She was the youngest participant in her group. This is where Ashley and I play the proud(and amazed parents) since Alex has not really had any dance experience.  She does not even turn on music and dance in front of the mirror or see dance on television.  How she understands movement, beat, rhythm, coordination and stay cool on stage performing is beyond us.  Ashley danced when she was young and I've always been active and fairly athletic.  I guess some of those genes have passed down to our daughter in some way because it has been amazing to watch her just go do it and do it well.  She loves it and that's what matters.  You will see in the video Alex' "wardrobe malfunction" when someone stepped on her shoe and she tries like crazy to keep going and pull her shoe back on.  Got to love live performances.  Can't wait until next year.  

There is more to the performance than this but these videos highlight most of the action that Alex' group was in.  If you are not into the Spanish introductions, you can forward past the first two minutes or so of Part 1.  Perhaps videos only grandparents will love but fun to say the least.

Part 1

...and part 2

...and part 3

...and part 4