DTE Youth Council

Hi it’s La’Saen.

Emily and I have been given a new task, which is to create a youth council for DTE. A youth council would give young people in Red Hook (and other places in Brooklyn where DTE programs) a chance to inform us what we can do to help them in any way- offering new programming, services, or even providing space for their own projects.

I’m hoping that this youth council will help me develop my skills in planning events, and that it will help DTE respond better to the needs of the young people in its community.

Introduction from La'Sean

My name is La’Sean Brooks. I am a student at South Brooklyn Community High School. I’ve been an intern here at Dance Theatre Etcetera now for about a month. I found out about D.T.E because of a program taught at my high school named Theatre Works. I intend on continuing my internship here until the end of the school year, which is also when I plan on graduating.

I basically started my internship because I know that soon I'll be starting college and I wanted to be prepared for the real world. As an intern you get a lot of duties that can help prepare for that. This is my second internship. My first was for the Obama "Brooklyn for Barack" campaign, which involved a lot of the same things I do over here at D.T.E . Before I started interning, I didn’t really know too much on how to go about helping others out- especially not adults. I wasn’t used to being sort of in charge and not being treated as teenager. At my D.T.E internship, some things I’ve done were help with the annual benefit , look after the area while other programs were occurring, and day-to-day maintenance. Here at Dance Theatre Etcetera they treat me as an equal and no less .

Some things about me - I plan on attending college in the Fall of 2009 studying Communication. I love to laugh…I love listening to my ipod, hanging with my friends and…I am very friendly and I love and have no problem with trying new things.

Our Journeys …and what will you bring?

A collaborative, original production created by the Brooklyn International H.S Drama club and NYU students.



Monday, December 15 at 4:30 PM (Doors open at 4:15)
Jerry H. Labowitz Theater at NYU
(715 Broadway- enter on Washington Pl.)

Monday December 8th
3:30 in the BIHS Gym


This performance is drama club’s final project of the fall of 2008. If you want to come you are welcome to. If you do, you will see what Drama club is about. You will see what we have been doing since September 17.

This performance is our idea from Drama club. It is our work from Mondays, when we meet, where we split everyone into small groups. At the end of each week we perform to the class what we had been working on. That’s how we make the smaller pieces that make up this big performance.

The performance is very cool, you should see it- the NYU students are amazing to work with. You should see us perform.

Performed by BIHS Students:
Mariama Jalloh, Djane Joseph, Aissitou Barry, Djussica Carzo, Patricia Etienne, Wilbenson Eugene, Nadine Fleurival, Rahilou Jalloh, Nebojoth Jean, Christopher Leger, Fedia Louis, Rosenerlyn Morisset, Dieunie Morisset, Agathina Nozy, Donald Jean Pierre, Gregory Pierre, Quan Tang, Christina Cadeau, Michel Franski, Awa, and Jean Tony Sthilaire,

And NYU Students:
Angie Crain, Ava Houshmand, Keri Lyons, Tegan McDonough, Jessica Muise, Emily Rozanski, Rachel Shapiro, Sloane Taylor, Rebecca Thom,

Facilitators:
Martha Bowers, Greg Manley, Lindsay Shields

Tony Talks About Drama Club

In my school, Brooklyn International High School every year we have Drama Club. In Drama Club we help students with their English. It doesn’t matter if you just came to the United States, we make you try to learn how to say everything in English. We also make you teach us how to say it in your language.

Every workshop we have to perform; students have to show something they have worked on that day in Drama Club. Sometimes we show a dance, or a scene or even a poem. On 12/8/08 we have a performance at Brooklyn International High School, and 12/15/08 we are going to NYU to perform. The theme for our performance is Journey. In Drama Club we create our own story to perform. Each of the students has to tell about their journey from their home country to the U.S. After that we look at all of those stories that the students have told, then we give our opinion about what we think. After we finish talking it over we create one big performance and perform in our school and NYU.

An interesting thing about Drama Club is having NYU students work with us. The NYU students are taking a class called Equal Exchange. Coming to work with us at BIHS is part of their class work.

In Drama Club we always have a buddy system. The buddy system is when we match a BIHS student to an NYU student. They can plan to go to a movie or visit the college, and the BIHS students can teach about their home country and their culture. My buddy, Rebecca, asks me a lot of questions!

-Jean Tony St. Hilaire, Junior, Brooklyn International High School

New Intern at DTE

If you were at Green-Wood for Angels and Accordions, you may have already met Tony. If not, now's your chance to get to know the newest member of the DTE team.





Check out Tony's bio on the DTE webpage.

What Does Julia Need?

DTE Interns have been teaching us all sorts of things. The most important tidbit so far?

Achete yon chocolat pou Julia.

We'll let you figure out what that means...Julia will be waiting.

Student Thoughts - Drama Club at BIHS

Hi, my name is David Etienne, and I have been a student at the Brooklyn International High School for three years. It gives me a lot of joy knowing that I have been part of Drama Club.

When I used to be back in Haiti, my country, I used to be a performer. I acted, danced and sometime read poems. When I came to the United State on May 16, 2003, I cried. I cried for many reason and one of them was the fact that I was leaving behind something I really loved doing. When I got to the U.S. during Junior High, I didn’t have a chance to do much. I only performed once in my two years of Junior High School. In September of 2005, I started school at the Brooklyn International High School. After a couple of days, a lady came to my class and mentioned Drama Club. Before I even went for the first time, my heart had already signed up to be a member.

I was a member of Drama Club during my Freshmen Year, and I was so happy to have the opportunity to go to a place where I was on the same level as the seniors. I allowed myself to learn from the teachers and the other students. I was performing, which is what I felt I was meant to do.

Sophomore Year was not so different from freshman year. I gave the staff a hard time when it came to being on time, but I always managed to make it onstage. In my second year of Drama Club, I was no longer a newcomer. I had the opportunity to grow more each time we met. In Drama Club, I was welcomed. I didn’t have to change anything about me. If I had something on my mind, the other members made me feel comfortable enough to share.

This is my third year with Drama Club. Junior Year is one of the busiest years in High School. At the Brooklyn International High School, all the Juniors have to do internships. With so much school work to do, students rarely get time to do any after school activities. My friend Jean and I are the luckiest ones because our internships are with Drama Club.

As for right now I am just hoping that in my senior year, I will have the opportunity to keep on coming to Drama Club. And I know for fact that if I end up not having the chance to be part of Drama Club in my senior year, I will still be a member of Drama Club always. Because everything that I have learn from the performers and staff members will stay with me until the day that I die.

- David Etienne, Junior at BIHS and DTE Intern

Student Thoughts - BIHS Drama Club

I’ve been a student at the Brooklyn International High School for two years. When I first came to the United States of America, I really wanted to find a place to express my thoughts and feelings. America was a place where I hoped to develop my talents. I also realized that America can be a stressful country, depending on the community that you belong to.

As I am an individual who is introspective and thoughtful, I really wanted to be a part of Drama Club. On my first day, it was really hard for me to understand what was said, although I really wanted to share my thoughts. I didn’t even know how to introduce myself. It was going to be a very horrible experience for me to continue because I always had an internal conflict between what I wanted to realize and the difficulties of going through the activities. At one time I was thinking that would be a waste of time, but I kept on going and I have never been discouraged.

Three months later, I found out that Drama Club was an accepting place. I found my spot here. It’s the only place where I have a chance to relax. I have also had a chance to write my own poem and rap based on how Drama Club has turned me into a different person.

Drama Club has done for me what a psychologist cannot do. Drama Club has taken away all the stress that I had. As an immigrant communicating with others, Drama Club has helped me to improve my English and learn about other cultures. Drama Club is my best experience I have ever had in my whole life.

- Nebajoth Jean, Junior at BIHS and DTE Intern

Meet Our New Interns!

Dance Theatre Etcetera is thrilled to have three extremely talented High School students from our programs at South Brooklyn Community High School and Brooklyn International High School beginning as interns. They will be working with staff members on Spring programming, as well as learning administrative and artistic skills.

David Etienne is a junior at the Brooklyn International High School and is a member of the Performing Arts Program. He is originally from Haiti. He came to the United States at the age of twelve. He loves to do many things, such as dancing, playing sports and making people laugh. He has been to many places. David always tries to make enough of an impression so that people remember him.

Daesean Lassiter is an energetic young man. He currently studies at the South Brooklyn Community High School and is a member of TheaterWorks. He is dependable, willing to learn and loves when people give him constructive criticism because it helps him better himself. Daesean’s main goal is to learn as much from the world as possible.

Nebajoth Jean is a student at the Brooklyn International High School and a member of the Performing Arts Program. He is very active and understanding. One of the reasons that he is so interested in working with DTE is because he loves to write poetry and music. Nebajoth hopes to become an actor and a screenplay writer.

Student Thoughts - TheaterWorks

This fall, I was in a program called TheaterWorks with several other students at South Brooklyn Community High School. The purpose of the program was to teach students ways to improve their acting and other theater skills.

When I first started theater works, I was nervous because I’ve always had a bit of stage fright. As the program went on, I became more comfortable performing in front of people. We were all so afraid at our first show. We thought that we were going to mess up. We did, but the audience didn’t notice, so we just kept going.

We did a lot of acting exercises in rehearsal. We also talked a lot about the war in Iraq. Our discussions made my opinion even stronger. The war has become just a waste of time. I don’t understand why the U.S. is there.

Being in TheaterWorks has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I am an aspiring actor, and this program has helped me to pursue that dream. It has also opened doors to many other opportunities. For example, one day, Martha came to TheaterWorks to watch our rehearsal. To make a long story short, I now work as an intern for DTE.

-Daesean Lassiter, senior at SBCHS and DTE intern