FYD goes NUTS for the NUTCRACKER!

Dewonnie Fredrick invites Foster Your Dream to BAM for a full day of fun including workshops, dancing and tickets to the NUTCRACKER BALLET starring Misty Copeland!

Bright and early at 10:30 in the morning we are at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s dance studio and rehearsal room where the children begin coloring and learn about the story of the Nutcracker Ballet!

ABT, better known as American Ballet Theatre, knows how to talk to kids! Seems they’ve done this before! Mr. Richard explains leaps and moves and terms to our enthralled children.

The Inwood House staff and caregivers look on with joy in their hearts as the kids get up and on their feet to leap and dance the morning away!

After our performances Dewonnie organized a special lunch for us.

We get to eat on plaid picnic blankets while chatting with all our new friends.

We gather our take-away creations …

…and go to the big theatre. As we enter the building the children say oooooo! Can you see why?

We see Misty Copeland be brilliant (sorry, no photos allowed in the theatre) and when the children on the stage do the silly-walk dance that our children learned in the morning, they were so excited since they connected with it in such a special way. Some of them were dancing in their seats!

Special thanks to:

DEWONNIE FREDERICK. She invited us.

Ilex Bien-Aime and Dewonnie!

The creative ABT team.

VALERIE WORTHY who made sure all our children got there. WOW.

RICHARD TODA who was magical with the children.

Remember, a dream can be sparked by a ticket IN.

Signature Theatre invites FYD to see Our Lady of Kibeho

Signature Theatre, on world-famous 42nd street in New York City, invited us to see “Our Lady Of Kibeho” which is a thrilling new play.

Based on a true story that the writer Katori Hall heard about on a trip to Rwanda, this play is a conversation starter and quite brilliantly staged and performed.

We had a group from PS 50 come which is connected with Children’s Village. They were a little late due to a brief snow-slush-mush storm but the amazing staff at the Signature Theatre welcomed them with open arms!

Sometimes in theatre, once the show starts, the House Managing Staff has to wait until an appropriate time to let people in.

While we were waiting, Dee the House Manager, took extra time and loving energy to keep our group in-the-know so none of the happenings on stage would be missed!

We also taught the kids what a House Manager does other than wear a cool headset.

What a comfy and friendly place to see theatre by the way! There’s even a cafe!

So even with snow and mush outside, the warm and cozy theatre was a haven for thought, fun and learning. Three of our Dream Kids even decided they might like to become actors!

Thank you to all who give to us because sometimes a dream starts with a ticket IN.

Barrow Theatre hosts FYD to SWAMP JUICE puppet show

SWAMP JUICE…what’s that?

Our Dream Kids got invited to a very fun and unique puppet show at the Barrow Street Theatre in Greenwich Village, New York! It was silly and funny and colorful and creative and it had an eye-popping 3-D grand finale!

Using Indonesian shadow puppets made from found objects, Jeff Achtem created a magical journey that inspired our kids to use their imagination and say ‘ooooo’ a lot!

We had some challenges getting the families to the theatre during bad weather and the Thanksgiving Holiday, but the Barrow Theatre staff helped us by being patient and understanding. Foster Your Dream continues to create opportunities thanks to people like Victoria and Amy who understood that the families who DID show up had the BEST TIME EVER!

We even had fun BEFORE the show began when two young and excited FYD theatre patrons enthusiastically handed out SWAMP JUICE flyers so everyone would feel as excited and welcome as they did! Who do you think had more fun?

The Givers?

Or the Receivers?

From the reactions of the other patrons, I believe it was “even-steven!”

The pure joy that we had thanks to Barrow Street Theatre’s kind help, is forever.

This is why we bust our cookies to get theatre experiences for Foster Your Dream. You can take away everything from a child, but you can not take away FUN MEMORIES.

FYD HOSTS VIP EVENT AT DISNEY ON ICE

Foster Your Dream hosts its second VIP Event at Disney On Ice!

Three families spent a fun Friday night all bundled up in a Staples Center VIP suite watching all of our favorite Disney characters spin and swirl and leap as they ice-skated all around at Disney on Ice.

While munching on grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs and chilli, and goodies galore, we got to see Lilo & Stiitch have a Hawaiian luau, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse go time traveling, Malificent, Cruella DeVille and the other Disney villians celebrate Halloween, and the Disney Princesses have a Valentines Day dance with their princes.

An informal poll among the nine kiddos that joined us revealed that the favorites, by far, included Goofy and Princesses Jasmine, Tiana, and Ariel. Thank you so much to Bingham McCutchen LLP (now Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP) for generously donating the use of the suite! We all had a blast!

CIRCUS IS FIRST VIP EVENT FOR FYD

“The Greatest Show On Earth” one awesome little 5 year old guy kept reading to anyone who would listen! Wherever he saw that sentence, he pointed it out and read it aloud. With joyous excitement, Foster Your Dream was invited to a VIP box at Staples Center to see the Ringling Brothers Circus. We were able to take 2 grateful families to enjoy the most generous gift from the law firm Bingham McCutchen.

To be wowed by the glorious spectacle of the Circus and to be treated to a VIP experience with hot dogs, fried chicken, veggies, sugary treats, popcorn and royal service, was a Godsend and a very special bonding session for 2 families.

We have proof of the happiness had by all! Enjoy our snapshots.

BIG FISH THE MUSICAL HOSTS FOSTER YOUR DREAM

Big Fish invites Foster Your Dream

As the sign says, Foster Your Dream was invited to see BIG FISH, the MUSICAL and it was BEAUTIFUL and GLORIOUS! 90 happy and lucky children got to take in the Broadway Show on a Saturday Night!

The singing and dancing and story were the favorite parts for the children. One little girl announced her favorite was the Mermaid. For the adults the amazing performances (some will probably garner a Tony Award) the sets and the poignant story brought us to tears!

As usual, we can not show you the faces of the children until we get permission, but while we were waiting outside it began to snow and I snapped a few stealthy photos while the children were enchanted by the first falling flakes of the season.

Waiting for Big Fish watching snowflakes

Happy But Shy!

Darrell Williams and Deidra Sutton lead the way for ACS while Sue Wolf and Sarahbeth Grossman and Donald Yonker volunteered to greet and organize the groups as they arrived. We will update this post with more information but the Bronx and Queens were handsomely represented in this magical outing!

The Greeting Committee

Darrell Williams, Sue Wolf, Deidra Sutton

Many thanks to all who donated money, tickets, time and energy. Katie Pope and Heidi Neven you were angels to make this happen. As was Sean (house manager) and the box office staff! To the Producers and the Cast and Crew and Orchestra we say “the show was AMAZING and we all had the BEST TIME! THANK YOU!”~ Sue Wolf Founder

When you Shop Amazon thru this box, we get a few pennies! Please Support What We Do.

Shop Amazon Thru Us. Thanks!