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Arts & Entertainment

Jubilee Center Launches Performing Arts Series

The safe haven for under-served children celebrated Martin Luther King with a show on Friday night.

Children from the Jubilee Center staged the first of what they plan to be a regular performing arts series last Friday night at All Saints Episcopal Church. The first show honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and featured students reciting King's most famous speeches, presenting their own original poems, dancing and singing songs.

The series is part of what the Jubilee Center, a safe haven for under-served children, calls its new Arts in Academics "experiment". New Jubilee Center Executive Director Armstead Johnson had the idea to build upon what the children learn in school and help the center “create a culture of educational excellence.”

“We think practicing fine arts might loosen up the kids' brains so that they're more confident to do academics,” Johnson said.

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The show, which was partially funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, included children ranging from grades kindergarten through high school.

The show had the feel of a religious revival. The acts featured original poems, a ballet troupe, a chorus, interpretive dancers and a martial arts exhibition. A live band backed the acts. Some of the songs performed included “We Shall Overcome” and “This Little Light of Mine”.

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In between acts children recited King's most famous speeches, including his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech on the Mall in Washington DC, his speech accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, and an address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference among others.

The speakers introduced their speeches by rhetorically asking how they could emulate King.

“If I were King I would share my hopes and dreams for all of mankind,” said 11 year-old Charles Gaston, who read the "I Have a Dream" speech, and who roused the crowd of 150 with the climaxing chant of “free at last.”

The show's choreographers Sandra Huff and Derrick Ladson said that after having the initial idea they designed the show in roughly a day and staged it in less than two weeks.

“We wanted to give it a talk show feel,” Huff said. Thirteen year-old Peter Gutierrez served as the show's emcee and introduced each of the acts and speakers during comedic interludes.

“It's an open conversation,” Ladson added. “The audience feels like they're sitting in their living room.”

Both Huff and Ladson said that they hope the fine arts program helps give the Jubilee Center children confidence and makes them feel comfortable with public speaking. Huff said as the students get more comfortable performing they will get to help design shows and audition for roles.

“We want Hoboken to watch us grow,” she said.

The Jubilee Center is planning its next show to celebrate Black History Month sometime during the end of February.

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