Diana & Ariel dance to the music played on sangbans as Bush Mango Summer Campers amaze a packed audience

August 15, 2008 -- Rochester, N.Y.

Bush Mango Drum & Dance Summer Camp students ROCKED THE HOUSE with their grand finale performance on the last day of camp. To an audience of 150 parents, community members, artists, and funders, these kids danced and played their hearts out, while the audience responded with amazement at all they had achieved in two short weeks of day camp.

Fallon Young-Streaker describes the mask she made to visual artist Shawn Dunwoody.

Two young ladies from Chicago's south side attended camp while in Rochester visiting family and have vowed to be back every year! Another young woman attended from Brooklyn, New York. Our youngest camper, Fallon, was five, and our oldest camper, Diana, will be back next year before she leaves for college.

Ziad EL-Bejjani dribbles onstage to drum & dance.

The audience consisted of Bush Mango Drum & Dance youth students, adult students, parents of campers, Quad A for Kids Board members, business owners and executives, visual artists, neighbors of Elton Street -- yikes, everyone was there, and we missed you!

Youth Project alumni Marrston Blackburn and Kendra Dickinson attended. They are both wonderful 20 somethings who began dancing and drumming with Bush Mango in their early teens, then went on to perform with the company. Yes, they left to go to college, though each summer they come back to take classes. Marrston helped out with camp this year and asked if he could work full-time at next year's camp, instead of his job as a trainer at Seabreeze Amusement Park. We can't wait to have him!

Al Brault was there from Quad A for Kids with his wife, Phyllis, and other friends. Al is new to Quad A and was ecstatic about the artistry, discipline, joy and fun the young people sent out! Shawn Dunwoody, visual artist in residence downstairs at Bush Mango, was there to cheer on the kids and describe the time they spent with him creating masks of their inner goddesses, warriors and guardians.

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Quad A For Kids board member Al Brault congratulates emcee Tyson.

Summer Camp 2009 is already being filled by returning participants. Check back soon for an early registration page to assure your child has the most extraordinary camp experience of their lives!