Sunday, March 6, 2011

Reflecting from NYC

So much to process from this week; I've returned home sorrowed but informed, drained but fulfilled, and more than anything, inspired by my 'students', classmates, and gems in the NOLA community. Thank you to everyone who made this project possible!

Juilliard ARTreach - NOLA Group Dance - Everybody's Boppin!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

A Key to the City of New Orleans


Yesterday, at our final performance, our group was presented with a Key to the City of NewOrleans by the office of Mayor Mitch Landrieu, individual proclamations of thanks from the New Orleans City Council and a plaque from the Dryads YMCA!

We are so thankful for out time here in this city, and the amazing connections we have made, thank you New Orleans! Can't wait for 2012!


Thursday, March 3, 2011

Juilliard ARTreach - Habitat for Humanity Performance

Photo Diary - Days 3-5


Derek is pleased with the progress on site


Demolition this way comes


Beignets and Café au Lait at Café du Monde






Evan consults the blueprints


Catherine ecstatic over the portion sizes at Praline Connection


Josh and Corey get the big hammers.


Alli sees a puppy in the French Quarter.

Our Habitat Family!

We were lucky enough to meet incredible people at our Habitat site. Our construction advisors Mike and Katie, AND the family that is going to live in the house we are working on!



Alli, Yvonne and Mitch introducing the team to the many Habitat volunteers who came to the performance.

The family that will be living in the house we are building.

Katie and Mike in front of 1839 Allen Street to be finished by future volunteers for the White Family.

Habitat for Humanity

We have been busy the past three days splitting our time between teaching at the YMCA (see upcoming posts) and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

We showed up to our site on Allen Street to find a bare foundation and two friendly faces, one of which was a Habitat employee we worked with last year, Mike. We were saddened by the state of the surrounding neighborhood, which sustained surge of fourteen feet during Katrina and had standing water of over four and a half feet for two months after the storm. Here is a day-by-day account of our work.


Day 1, 6:45 am - nothing but a foundation

Day 1, noon - the beginnings of a floor

Day 2 - getting the walls up

Day 3 - resembling a house!