Denver East Forensic Team Foundation

PROVIDES STRATEGIC OVERSIGHT, LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABILITY, FISCAL MANAGEMENT, AND COLLABORATIVE COACHING FOR THE TEACHER-DIRECTORS WHO INSTRUCT AND MANAGE SIX DIFFERENT PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS AT EAST HIGH SCHOOL. SERVES THESE ARTS PROGRAMS AT EAST, PROVIDING A REPOSITORY AND DISTRIBUTION PROCESS FOR EXTRACURRICULAR FUNDS FOR EACH PROGRAM.

ETC: PRODUCED 16 PRODUCTIONS THIS YEAR WHICH INCLUDED THE REHEARSALS AND BUILDING OF THE SETS, WITH 30 PERFORMANCES. APPROXIMATELY 300 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN FALL PLAY, DUET COMPETITION, SPRING MUSICAL, SENIOR PROJECTS, AND BLACK BOX PERFORMANCES. WE ORGANIZED, RECRUITED, AND UTILIZED GUEST ARTISTS AND COACHES TEACHING IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT OF PERFORMING, WITH MASKS AND DISTANCE. THE RESULT WAS 2 LIVE STREAM PERFORMANCES WHICH WERE CREATIVE AND UNIQUE. THE MAIN TAKE AWAY FROM THIS PAST YEAR WAS THE STUDENTS NEED TO CONNECT, BE CREATIVE AND PERFORM.

DEFT: THE DEFT PROGRAM PARTICIPATED IN 23 IN-STATE TOURNAMENTS AND 6 NATIONAL CIRCUIT TOURNAMENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE COMPETITION SEASON. WE HOSTED THE FIRST IN-PERSON VARSITY TOURNAMENT IN THE STATE OF COLORADO AND LED THE INNOVATION OF HOW TO HOST IN-PERSON HIGH-ATTENDANCE TOURNAMENTS WITH HIGH LEVELS OF COMPETITION. WE HAD 23 STATE QUALIFIERS, 3 STATE CHAMPIONS AT THE STATE TOURNAMENT AND 11 FINALISTS. AT THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT WE HAD 19 NATIONAL QUALIFIERS, WITH 8 OF THOSE MAKING IT TO ADVANCED ROUNDS. WE CONTINUED TO HOST THE WOODBURY AND WOLCOTT ORATORICAL COMPETITIONS, THE LONGEST RUNNING IN THE STATE OF COLORADO. WE RETAINED 42 STUDENTS WHO TOOK OUR NOVICE CLASS PREVIOUSLY, CONTINUING TO GROW THE PROGRAM.APPROXIMATELY 90 STUDENTS COMPETED AT SEVERAL NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS (BOTH IN-PERSON AND ONLINE) INCLUDING ONES IN BERKELEY - CA, ALTA -UT, CHEYENNE -WY, NIETOC, AND THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT.

EDC: PRODUCED 2 PRODUCTIONS THIS YEAR WHICH INCLUDED THE REHEARSALS, CHOREOGRAPHY, COSTUMES AND BUILDING OF THE SETS, WITH 12 PERFORMANCES. THE FALL PERFORMANCE CONTAINED 15 STUDENT-CREATED PIECES, AND THE SPRING WAS THE FULL-LENGTH DANCE PRODUCTION OF "THE WIZARD OF OZ" WHICH CONTAINED 15 DIFFERENT SCENES. APPROXIMATELY 70 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE FALL SHOW AND 100 IN THE SPRING SHOW. WE ORGANIZED, RECRUITED, AND UTILIZED GUEST ARTISTS AND COACHES TO PROVIDE NOTES FOR THE SPRING SHOW. WE ALSO COLLABORATED WITH VISUAL ARTS AND STAGECRAFT FOR THE CREATION OF COSTUME ACCESSORIES, SET, LIGHTS, AND PROPS AS WELL AS THE ANIMATION DEPARTMENT FOR INCREDIBLE PROJECTED BACKDROPS. THE FINAL PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR BROUGHT LOTS OF RECOGNITION TO THE DANCE PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS.AFTER 5 YEARS, STUDENTS ARE FINALLY STARTING TO CHOOSE EAST HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE DANCE PROGRAM. THEY FEEL VALUED, THEY ARE CHALLENGED, AND THEY ARE EAGER TO PARTICIPATE AND TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES. WE HAVE AN EDC DANCE COUNCIL AND STUDENT-LED CHOREOGRAPHY OPPORTUNITIES THAT MANY STUDENTS TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF.