STRAIGHT UP ABILITIES RETURNS TO MAKE ARTBREAK TRULY A VERY SPECIAL ARTS FESTIVAL
No other art event celebrates the achievements of ALL Caddo Parish Students better than ArtBreak and its Very Special Arts Festival (VSAF). The 2023 ArtBreak and the Caddo Schools Department of Exceptional Children with Dr. Sheila Lockett, Director, and SRAC are bringing back the wildly popular Los Angeles dance Straight Up Abilities to make ArtBreak 37 a truly Very Special ArtBreak. Straight Up Abilities will provide professional performance art training to student of ALL Abilities at several Caddo Parish schools throughout the week and will perform Friday evening and Saturday, April 21 and 22, at the Shreveport Convention Center.
Straight Up Abilities showcases and encourages the talents of children and adults with intellectual or physical disabilities. The group’s mission is to spread a message of inclusion among everyone, to challenge perspectives, break stereotypes, and create a higher quality of life for some of the most deserving individuals. Straight Up Abilities has performed with The Royal Ballet, contemporary dance group Pilobolus, Special Olympics World Games, Disneyworld, and Disneyland. The group takes pride in creating more inclusion in classes, workshops, and performances.
Robin Olive is a professional dancer, choreographer in Los Angeles and the founder of Straight Up Abilities. Joining her at ArtBreak is John Tucker from the Emmy award winning tv show “Born This Way” on A&E; world-famous BBoy Donnie “Crumbs” Counts from Step Up2, You Got Served, and Battle of the Year; well-known Scratch DJ and Music Producer DJ Hymn; and Michelle Kim, an extremely talented ballerina with down syndrome.
Olive says, “I founded Straight Up Abilities in 2016 with the mission of giving the differently abled community a voice that is often not heard. We have made it our mission to teach Patience, Inclusion and Empathy through our performances and lessons. John Tucker has been my student for over 10 years. He is a mega star who raps, choreographs, dances, and is a good speaker. We can’t wait to share with your community during ArtBreak 37. We bring the party and the vibe with a simple message of Patience and Inclusion for All.”
The Very Special Arts Festival has been a featured part of ArtBreak for almost 30 of its 37 years, encouraging artistic expression in people of all backgrounds and abilities while highlighting the transformative power of the arts. VSAF showcases the power of inclusive opportunities that allow individuals to show what they are able to do and illustrates that “everyone is an Artist.”
