'Young Americans' inspire young Canadians to sing and dance (12 photos)

For some students, it may have been an inspiration to go into show business one day.

260 Algoma District School Board (ADSB) students, from eight to 17 years old, sang and danced with an energetic group of performers known as The Young Americans onstage at the Sault Community Theatre Centre Saturday.

The hour-long variety show came after students were given 12 whirlwind hours of voice, dance and acting training by The Young Americans company at White Pines Collegiate Thursday and Friday.

Students were bused in from the Sault and area, including students from Central Algoma Secondary School (CASS).

“We go on three month tours. We go to schools, even detention facilities, anywhere really. The world needs music. We go in and we teach them a show, and then we do a show at the end of the three days. We introduce them to singing, dancing, acting. It’s a variety show,” said Taylor Andersen, The Young Americans company manager, speaking to SooToday as students registered at White Pines Thursday.

The show included a Disney medley and tunes such as Gloria Estefan’s Get On Your Feet. 

“We sign them in, hang out for a little bit, and then we bring everybody into the theatre at one time, and then we, The Young Americans, do a little show for them to introduce ourselves and make everybody feel really comfortable,” Andersen said.

“Then we show them their opening dance and say ‘hey, it’s your chance to learn it,’ then we bring them all onstage and we all individually start teaching the groups of kids the opening dance, the opening number for their show. From there we move on to our choral number, we break off into different age groups. That’s how the whole workshop runs, we just split off into different groups and teach each of them a new song or dance.”

Amazingly, Andersen said “it all flows together and our whole show is done (taught and learned) in 12 hours in total, today and tomorrow. In 12 hours they learn a whole hour-long show.”

The Young Americans College of The Performing Arts, located in southern California, is a school where young people take vocal, dance and acting training, earning an Associate of Arts in Performance Degree.

Second year students go on three-month tours across the U.S. and around the world, giving performances and leading performance arts workshops for children and teens.

There are 41 college students in The Young Americans cast currently touring North America, 250 in total in four separate tours around the world.

Andersen, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, graduated from The Young Americans College of The Performing Arts in 2017, now on her 10th tour with The Young Americans company.

Sault Ste. Marie is the only Canadian stop on the current North American tour.

“Infinite energy is the secret to their success,” said Alicia Annett, CASS teacher, of The Young Americans and their work with students.

Annett played a key role in bringing the company to the Sault.

“We met Alicia last fall on our U.S. tour. She came to see our workshop and then brought us up here to Canada. We usually get to go to Canada a couple of times throughout the year. We’d love to come back more because we love it here so much,” Andersen said.

Annett said “I was blown away” by the company when she saw them perform in Boyne City, Michigan last fall.

“They’re super talented. Performing and speaking comes naturally to them. They’re very organized. Everything is ‘a system.’ Everyone knows everyone else’s part just in case they need to fill in. They have the most positive energy out of any group I’ve ever worked with,” Annett said.

“The kids can’t help but be invested in them, because they’re so invested in the kids.”

“The coolest thing that happens is when even the shyest kid will come in. We’ll work with them,” Andersen said.

“Our cast has 41 different people, and at least one kid can relate to at least one of us, and we can reach out to them, and by the end of the three days they’re crying (with gratitude), they want us to sign their shirts and take pictures and don’t want to leave, and we don’t want to leave either because we love it so much.”

“It works every time,” Andersen said.

The show featured the entire Young Americans company and all students onstage at certain points.

“Young Americans do the show with the kids. We’re all doing it together. Sometimes everybody’s going to be onstage at the same time, 300 of us onstage, and then other times we’ll transition to different age groups doing different numbers,” Andersen said.

“(The variety show) is all about living your life, living your story and living it up. It’s all about life,” The Young Americans company manager said. 

“It seemed to me, when I went to watch their show, they were saying ‘push your limits, step outside your comfort zone, try new things,’ and that ignites a passion for the arts, which is what we want for our children, to put themselves out there, push their limits if it’s something they’re comfortable with,” Annett said.

“They would notice the students that were shy, who didn’t want to stand up and sing, they would pull them aside and work with them a little bit and encourage them quietly to push their own limits. I felt like each child, even among 260 kids, was given individual attention, which I thought was really cool.”    

The Sault, Ontario Young Americans show was funded by the ADSB, performing students drawn equitably from each of the board’s schools.