Tournament Time!

DestiNation ImagiNation 2010-2011

Greater Fort Worth Regional Tournament

Saturday, March 5th

at Byron Nelson High School

in Northwest School District

This was my third year coaching or mentoring a D.I. team. It is always an amazing, tiring, rewarding, crazy experience! I had a team of 4th graders, including Nick, this year. They came up with a fantastic team name: "To D.I. For"

and they tackled Challenge C which is called TRIPLE TAKE ROADSHOW

and it includes the following:

• Use three different Storytelling Methods to tell the same story to three team-chosen Pretend Audiences
• Portray the Travel Methods used to move your Traveling Road Show between different Pretend Audiences
• Integrate a team-created Technical Spectacle (science & technology) into one presentation to a Pretend Audience

Focus on:

 Playwriting, Theatrical Presentation, Storytelling, Storytelling Relevance, Special Effects,

Innovation and Design Process, Construction, Teamwork

 and the hardest part is that I can't give the team ONE idea or suggestion for the entire 6 months of planning, preparation and work. They have to come up with it all; I teach, I demonstrate if needed; I help foster creativity by asking questions and also help encourage teamwork. Both super tough to do!

her mom taught us about stage make-up

they practiced doing each other's clown make-up

Our team had a blast! They worked hard and came up with a clown cooking show (making "chalk-late" pie and HOT dogs in a tanning bed) that they did (1) as a TV show, (2) as a story-telling, and (3) as a musical, called Clownical, The Musical.  Nick played a clumsy ballet clown and sang his heart out! Great voice developing in this kid!! yea!! and he is quite funny and at ease on stage, although he didn't like to rehearse very much.  Here's a photo from the props preparation (their taco car):

at the awards ceremony:

after the ceremony, going to the car wrapped in the sleeping bag we sat on in the gym; it was a chilly night...

love these two dudes!!!!