Fresh Fest!
presented by Allstate Insurance Company

South Shore Drill Team uses the performing arts to engage inner-city youth throughout their critical teenage years, mitigate the dangers of gangs, drugs, and violence, and guide members towards completing their education and becoming responsible citizens.  Founded in 1980 with a handful of neighborhood children, South Shore Drill Team now serves 300 young people ages 8-21 who perform at more than 100 events annually.

Learn more at southshoredrillteam.org

Blues Kids Camp is a program of the Blues Kids Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. It was established to preserve, perform and promote the Blues among America’s youth, parents and educators under the tutelage of highly qualified instructors, globally. The Camp’s focus includes: social and emotional learning; music literacy; pedagogy and andragogy; and music as a second language. 

Each summer, the Blues Camp is presented in different parts of the United States and Europe; participation for all kids is free. The fun-filled, highly-instructional experience is designed to impact the life of the “Blues Kid” who simply wants to experience this cultural enrichment opportunity in an organic and nurturing environment with like-minded others. 

Learn more at blueskids.com

CMDC is a not for profit organization which has served Chicago’s communities for over 20 years under the leadership of Founder and Artistic Director Homer Hans Bryant.  He founded the Bryant Ballet School and Company in 1990 to create a neoclassical ballet technique which integrates a diversity of dance styles and honors the richness of our varied multicultural heritage.  The name of the school was officially changed to Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center in 1997.  In 2008 he merged ballet and street dance to create Hiplet™, a new technique featuring hip hop dance in pointe shoes. 

Learn more at cmdcschool.com

Kuumba Lynx is an urban arts youth development organization founded in 1996 by three women, Jaquanda Villegas, Leida Garcia-Mukwacha, and Jacinda Bullie. For two decades, alongside many of Chicago’s artists, activists, educators, and youth communities, KL has honed an arts making practice that presents, preserves and promotes Hip Hop as a tool to reimagine and demonstrate a more just world. KL’s Program Facilitators are a collective of artists, activists, educators, and healers.

Learn more at kuumbalynx.com

Steven Baloue began his viola studies at the age of 10. He is principal violist of the Merit School of Music Philharmonic Orchestra and co-principal of the Moody Church Orchestra. In 2016, Steven was chosen for the inaugural year of National Youth Orchestra 2 (NYO2). He selected for the 2017 National Youth Orchestra USA which performed at Carnegie Hall and in Mexico and South America. He has placed or received honorable mention in numerous concerto competitions. Steven was selected to participate in the 2015-2017 Chicago Youth in Music Festivals. He has performed with the Blue Man Group of Chicago and on the 2015 Chicago Bull’s Video Christmas Card. As a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Steven was principal violist of CYSO’s Concert Orchestra and was a member of CYSO’s Symphony and Encore Orchestras.

Forward Momentum Chicago provides high-quality, affordable dance education programs in the classroom and in the community to children typically not exposed to this art form with emphasis on health and fitness.  It embraces Big Ideas, Enduring Understanding, and Essential Questions to transcend each discipline allowing students to leave “dance class” with critical thinking, communication, and creative processes that they can apply to their other subjects.

Learn more at forwardmomentumchicago.org

Joshua Mhoon made his orchestral debut at the age of nine playing an arrangement of Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum with the Chicago Sinfonietta Orchestra. Since then, Joshua has played many places around the world. He has played and performed in Germany, Ireland, England, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Austria, and France. He has played at a wide range of venues from The Ravinia Festival in Chicago, to Festhalle Riegelsberg in Germany, to Musikverein in Vienna, to a Chicago Bulls halftime show at United Center. He has also played at the Kennedy Center, Pritzker Pavilion, Chicago Symphony Center, Copernicus Center, University of Chicago’s Logan Center For Performing arts, Preston Bradley Hall, Studebaker Theater, Ganz Hall, McCormick Place, Steinway Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

The world famous production of Beethoven Lives Upstairs features a lively exchange of letters between young Christoph and his uncle. Their subject is the “madman” who has moved into the upstairs apartment of Christoph’s Vienna home. Through a touching correspondence dramatically underscored with the composer’s most beautiful excerpts, Christoph comes to understand the genius of Beethoven, the beauty of his music, and the torment of his deafness.

Audiences are captivated by more than twenty-five excerpts of the master’s music, including the Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise, and the great Fifth and Ninth Symphonies. The music is magically woven into the drama as two actors share their anecdotes and observations based on true incidents from the composer’s life. Presenting history, drama, music and fun, this engaging concert is an ideal addition to any children’s education program or family concert series. The performance is approximately 50 minutes in length and is recommended for audiences age six and up.

Learn more at classicalkidsnfp.org.

Since 1982, Trinity Irish Dance has brought the art of Irish Dance to Chicago, Chicagoland Suburbs, Milwaukee, Madison and More Wisconsin Children and their families. We offer award-winning, affordable Irish Dance classes taught by patient and experienced teachers. Trinity provides an energetic environment with inspiring instruction that helps children develop a love of Irish dance, increases coordination, builds friendships and drives the self-confidence to perform in front of an audience!  It is our balanced approach to solo dancing, performance dancing, and team dancing that leads us to our greatest successes on and off the dance floor. The opportunities here are unmatched in any other Irish dance program in the world. Become part of the Trinity Irish Dance legacy by registering for classes, booking our talent or watching us perform.

Bryce and Bruce Thompson have true passion for creating art. Homeschooled their entire lives, they have been fortunate to live in a world filled with a diversity of friends that share their love of creativity. Their musical careers began at Merit School of Music and both have played with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra until selection to Merit’s Conservatory Program. As conservatory students, Bryce and Bruce are engaged in many genres of music, including their fourth season at the Musical Art Institute’s String Ensemble on the city’s south side in Washington Heights.

These dynamic young men are also active in a variety of other issues and endeavors. Both have earned advance degrees in karate, are avid swimmers and enjoy pickup basketball. In addition, Bryce is an accomplished filmmaker, having created several short films, movie trailers and videos. He has also composed music as early as age 9. Totally immersed with the career of Chance the Rapper, Bryce (aka King Melik) will release his own EP by the end of March.

Bruce is lead bassist with the Musical Art Institute Jazz Ensemble and can also be found each Sunday morning playing gospel music at St. Stephens Lutheran Church in the Chatham neighborhood. Following in the footsteps, Bruce has too become an actor and photographer in his own right.

Both boys enjoy life at home with parents, Melvin and Briget; older sister, Deanna; little sister, Miyah; extended family and a bounty of friends from every walk of life.

Aliya Alsafa is a 13-year old pianist from Chicago. Aliya has participated in local, national, and international piano competitions. She won First Prize in the primary division of the Emilio Del Rosario Concerto Competition, Chopin Youth Piano Competition, and Walgreens National Concerto Early Music Division. She also won First Prize in state and regional contests and Second Prize nationally in MTNA for composition. This year Aliya has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards: she was a medalist and category winner of “Best Chopin Etude” at the 2017 Seattle International Piano Competition; and, as MostArts youngest competitor, Aliya played with the festival orchestra at Miller Theater in New York, becoming a recipient of the Audience Favorite prize. Most recently, Aliya was awarded First Prize in the Sejong Piano Competition.

Aliya has performed in several prestigious concert venues throughout the country: Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Ravinia Bennett Gordon Hall, Harris Theater, Merkin, and Benaroya Hall. As the youngest pianist, Aliya played for Orchestra Hall at Chicago’s Symphony Center for the “Keys to the City” festival hosted by Emanuel Ax. In 2013, Aliya was one of twelve pianists worldwide, selected for the inaugural Allianz Junior Music Camp through the Lang Lang International Music Foundation.

Learn more at aliyaalsafa.com.

School of Rock Chicago’s Performance Program is all about translating students’ abilities to play in the lesson room to performing on stage. In addition to refining their overall skill and proficiency as musicians, students learn what comes with being part of a band: teamwork, collaboration, and the special brand of fun that only comes from sharing awesome experiences with others. Students learn, absorb, and perform iconic hits from some of history’s greatest rock and roll performers including: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Van Halen, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and many more. No matter what they perform, our students will learn incredible skills and enjoy epic experiences that will last a lifetime.

Learn more at locations.schoolofrock.com/chicago.

Since 1982, Trinity Irish Dance has brought the art of Irish Dance to Chicago, Chicagoland Suburbs, Milwaukee, Madison and More Wisconsin Children and their families. We offer award-winning, affordable Irish Dance classes taught by patient and experienced teachers. Trinity provides an energetic environment with inspiring instruction that helps children develop a love of Irish dance, increases coordination, builds friendships and drives the self-confidence to perform in front of an audience!  It is our balanced approach to solo dancing, performance dancing, and team dancing that leads us to our greatest successes on and off the dance floor. The opportunities here are unmatched in any other Irish dance program in the world. Become part of the Trinity Irish Dance legacy by registering for classes, booking our talent or watching us perform.

Bio coming soon.

The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) is dedicated to preserving Puerto Rican culture by maintaining our traditions, promoting our arts, providing educational opportunities in arts programming, and cultivating pride in our heritage for future generations.  For almost 20 years, the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance has been dedicated to fostering community pride through culture and arts education. PRAA’s programs serve primarily low-income youth and their families, using the arts as a vehicle to increase cross-cultural and inter-generational understanding.

Learn more at praachicago.org

Move Me Soul is youth Dance Company that fuses technique, performance and character development. Teens are empowered to “move” their limits on and off stage.

Move Me Soul was founded in 2008 by Ayesha Jaco at Austin High School. The program began with 30 students taking the class as a gym elective. It then developed into an After School Matters club.

Today more than 150 teens participate throughout Chicago in several programs that develop dance technique, spoken word artists while enhancing their character. The programs additionally provide college readiness workshops, field trips and performance opportunities. The company presents 3 main stage concerts during its Winter, Spring and Summer seasons.

Three ensembles of talented high school students from the Jazz Institute’s Jazz Links Jazz Ambassadors and Jazz Links Student Council groups perform.  The NextGen Emerging Artist Project was developed to train and prepare high school students for a professional performance career. The inaugural performance series was created in 2017 in partnership with William Harris Lee Luthier at the Fine Arts Building.