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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Misty Copeland Comes Back Home

(From) The Long Beach Press Telegram

LONG BEACH - As easily as if she were flopping into bed, Misty Copeland falls into a ballet position known as a penchee in first arabesque. It's a tough pose in which Copeland has one foot on the ground and the other stretches upward, straight as a compass needle pointing north. As she grabs her lower leg and foot and stretches even impossibly further, the 35 students in the dance class at Cal State Long Beach laugh.

Of course, the ease with which the only black soloist with the American Ballet Theatre in New York makes the move is a testament both to her natural ability and 16 years of rigorous training.

Copeland is only the third black soloist with the prestigious dance company and the first in two decades. Her goal, she says, is to become the first black principal dancer for a major U.S. Ballet company. It's a heady goal, but Copeland has been wowing observers ever since she wandered into a weekly ballet class at the San Pedro Boys and Girls Club as a teenager. On Thursday, Copeland made a quick homecoming, sponsored by Long Beach's MusicUntold as a Black History Month event. In addition to teaching a class at Cal State Long Beach, Copeland met with students at San Pedro High School, Long Beach Poly High and the San Pedro Boys and Girls Club.

Misty will return in March when she dances the lead role March 30 in Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird" at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa. Lorin Johnson, the assistant professor whose class Copeland was guest teaching on this day, saw Copeland when she was just starting out. From the first moment, he knew she was special. "In ballet we have a term - aplomb. She just had that natural sense," he said. "In my mind's eye I can still see her standing at the (ballet) barre. Even though she was just learning, she never looked raw." For Copeland, the draw of ballet began almost from the moment dance teacher Cynthia Bradley coaxed her from the bleachers to participate in the class. "It was immediate," Copeland said of the allure. "I think I had been craving something like that. It gave me a voice, when I was so shy as a child."

Although a late starter when she took up ballet at the age of 13, Copeland's rise was like something from a fairy tale. She was one of four children living with her single mother in a residential motel. The Boys and Girls Club was her refuge. Bradley enrolled Copeland in her San Pedro Dance Center and within months Copeland was en pointe and setting off on a rapid rise to stardom.

At the age of 24, Copeland became one of the youngest soloists ever with the theater. Soloists rank just below principals in ballet. Although she has become a star in her own right, dancing on a video for Prince, designing a clothing line and performing modern dance, Copeland says she remains intent on becoming a principal. Being a rare black performer in a European genre is tricky for Copeland. She says her message can be misconstrued as wanting to change classics that have nothing to do with black culture. Her goal, she says, is to give young blacks "someone they can relate to, someone who looks like them. "I'm classical because I love the culture and the stories. This is more about opening doors," Copeland said. That is what Thursday's tour was about. Krystia Biebel, 22, was one of just two black dancers in the class Copeland taught. "I found out about (Copeland) when I was 15. It was nice to see someone who looked like me," Biebel said. "It's really inspiring." Although Biebel said she has seen Copeland perform at the Metropolitan Opera, it was special to meet her. Andrew Vaca, the interim department chair of dance at Cal State Long Beach, says he thinks Copeland's life story resonates with students. "The reality is that you can start (a dance career) anywhere. You don't start at Lincoln Center," Vaca said. "It's an amazing demonstration of someone who started humbly and rose to the top." Copeland says she spends a lot of time talking to young people and wants them to believe in possibility - that the fairy tales that ballet portrays are sometimes real and can come true. "I want them to see themselves in me," Copeland said. "I didn't grow up in a classical world. I want them to be able to know it's possible."


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Thank you to our Angels!

Donor: Per Webster's Dictionary, a donor is one that gives, donates, or presents something. The origin of the word is Middle English donoure, from Anglo-French doneur, from Latin donator, from donare; First Known Use: 15th century. But a mere definition doesn't truly capture the meaning of the word. To those of us at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor, a donor is the lifeblood of the organization. Without our donors we could not survive. Without our donors our 8000+ members would not have a place to go and participate in the over 35 programs we offer in our 17 locations. If the past is any indication of the present, over half of the 244 seniors in the College Bound Class of 2011 would have dropped out of high school instead of graduating. And hundreds of youth would not receive free one on one music lessons provided in our Comprehensive Arts program or have the opportunity to participate in one of our athletic programs, leadership clubs, recording studios, or computer labs.

To us, a donor is an Angel. Someone who gives of themselves to help others; someone who makes a personal sacrifice for the betterment of the youth of our community. A donor may come in many different packages. Many donors provide financial resources to the organization that allow us to operate on a daily basis. Others may donate goods and services that help us keep our operating expenses reasonable. Many volunteer their time to serve as tutors for homework, mentors to youth who can benefit from an adult role model, and coaches to our sports teams. Some donate their time and serve dinners at our special Thanksgiving Dinners for our members and their families. Some donors donate toys for Christmas. Donors can be an Individual, a Company, a Corporation, or a Foundation. We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of men and women who serve on our Board of Directors and generously donate their time and resources.
We are truly grateful for all of our donors. While the size of a donation may vary, an Angel is an Angel. Thank you for being an Angel in our community. Thank you for supporting the children who need us most, now more than ever.

Monday, February 27, 2012

From Biddy to College Bound

From Mike Lansing's recent article in the San Pedro Magazine .....

As I mentioned in this column last month, this year we are celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor. Now in our 8th decade of serving our community's most at-risk youth, this organization has evolved with the changing needs of our community and the boys and girls who live here. This has not always been such an easy transformation as the needs of today's children are much broader and require much more resources than the turbulent days of the 1960's when I attended the Club.

Sports dominated the Club in that decade that also featured the dichotomy of the Civil Rights movement, Coach John Wooden, the Beatles, the Vietnam War, Vin Scully and Sandy Koufax, JFK, Woodstock, Laugh-In and Neil Armstrong's "one small step". We longed for and played sports at the Club all year round. There was Midtown and Hilltop Little Leagues in the late spring and early summer, a perennial league championship football program in the fall and probably my favorite of all - "Biddy" Basketball in the winter. We had some great Biddy Basketball leagues in that decade and the competition was the best in town. Our All-Star teams were constantly in the running for the Biddy National Championships and included outstanding players such as a skinny kid named Bobby Gross who went on to star at Fermin Lasuen High School, Long Beach State and was an eventual starter for the Portland Trailblazers NBA Championship team. My friend and fellow alumnus Mike Crum reminded me recently that he was back at the Biddy All-Star Championships in Augusta Georgia when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. He remembered the peaceful marches that occurred all that week in Augusta as we lost our third prominent leader of the decade to an assassin's bullet - living our country's history while representing San Pedro in Biddy Basketball.

Fast forward to the late 90's when our Board of Directors made the commitment to build the only full time Teen Center in San Pedro and then fund a high school graduation and college pathway program called "College Bound". College Bound was born when I noticed quite a few of our teens walking by my window one day in 2001 in the late morning hours. I asked Hilda Chacon my Teen Center director to find out how many of our active seniors were going to graduate on time that June - she came back with a sad look on her face the next week explaining that less than 50% were graduating that year. We immediately started building a structured case-management support system which eventually grew our high school graduation rate for participants to "98%" last year! College Bound is a program that started with 30 participants and 1 member going to college in 2003 and growing to "1114" enrolled last year and 234 attending college this past fall. Additionally, we assisted our graduating seniors in securing $3.2 MILLION in financial aid and scholarships this past year - assuring not only college acceptance, but also the resources needed to fully support a successful college career.

A BOOK, A VOLUNTER, AND A MEMBER...

Reader's Theater is universally recognized as a valuable tool to enhance
reading, public speaking, comprehension, and analytical skills at all
reading levels. Virtually any piece of literature can be adapted for
the kids to read, analyze, and perform a literature based play in a
limited time-period. Regardless of reading level and without fear of
having to memorize lines, Reader's Theater exposes children to books
they might not otherwise read and encourage all children to enjoy
reading and performing. It allows children to practice reading and
help improve their student confidence. This also gives children an
opportunity to provide entertainment.

Every Wednesday afternoon, the The National Charity League Peninsula
Chapter Ticktockers Class of 2014 participates in Reader's Theater
with members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor.
The NCL Peninsula Class has adopted the Boy's and Girl's Club of The
Los Angeles Harbor for their volunteer work for the year. The
ticktockers and their mothers work to prepare weekly scripts. Then
the Ticktockers review the prepared story or book for the members and
help them read the adapted script and help with staging and
performance tips. They also, organize crafts and create props with
the participants.


Sarah, one of the Ticktocker volunteers said, "I love Reader's Theater! The
kids are so excited to be there and want to participate. They are so
polite as we read the story to them and they can't wait to get a part
in the play. Even the ones who cannot read throw their arms in the
air to volunteer for a part, which shows me that they have
confidence. It is a great program."



After having spoke with a few of the Ticktockers they informed us "Helping at
Reader's Theater has been a rewarding and fun experience. I enjoy
working with all the children who are so sweet and want to learn.
They seem to love having us (Ticktockers) around too!" said
Kaitlin.


Mady another Reader Theater volunteer stated, "Reader's Theater has been one
of my favorite philanthropies. I can see the children learning and
improving their reading skills right before my eyes and it is amazing
to see my volunteering in the community to pay off so quickly."


We are extremely grateful for our partnership with the Ticktockers and the
positive impact they are having with our members. A number of parents
have told us they have seen an improvement in the reading interests
and skills in their children. One said "my son has never
displayed an interest in books before and now he wants to read a book
when he gets home." Another participant was unable to read and
therefore never demonstrated any interests in books until he became
involved in Readers Theater.