Beau Monde Float, A Beatiful Success!

All of the hard work and day long rehearsals certainly paid off for the students of Hope University, Saturday, September 25th at the Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton California.
The show was amazing, the students were all shining stars on the stage.
Here are two photos of the students rehearsing dances with guest artist Marco Schindelmann.
Here is what some of the Hope University students said about the show:
"I liked my costume because it hung down my back like a tail."
Karen Leeb
"I liked aria that I sang in."
Cathy Acton
"The drum circle outside of the theater before the show, I liked drumming."
Christopher Friedman
"Playing the bells was my favorite."
Margaret Kelley
"I liked dancing on stage, throwing paper airplanes into the audience and holding up a doily."
Rene Smith
"I got to hold up one of the big fish and make it go across the stage, I liked doing that."
Dolores (Shadow) Franks
"Using the rope to dance with Marco."
Jennifer Doyle
"I really liked moving my arms in the solo dance."
Crystal Serna
Congratulations to all of the students in the show, it was an amazing performance by a group of amazing people.

Disability Spotlight ...PKU

What is PKU? By Virginia E. Schuett, MS, RD, Director, National PKU News

PKU (phenylketonuria), in its “classic” form, is a rare, inherited metabolic disease that results in mental retardation and other neurological problems when treatment is not started within the first few weeks of life. When treatment is begun early and well-maintained, affected children can expect normal development and a normal life span. (Not all elevations of blood phenylalanine require treatment; any child with a level less than 6 mg/dl does not need to be on a special diet and is not risk for mental retardation.) Until recently, the only treatment was a very strict diet that limits the amino acid, phenylalanine. Now, however, there is a drug called Kuvan that can help in some cases.

Excerpt from The National PKU news.

One of the students at Hope University has PKU. Her name is Cathy Acton. Cathy has an amazing singing voice, many have likened her to Barbara Streisand or Patsy Cline. She has been performing since the '70s. She is one of the lead singers in the Hope University Group, The Hi-Hopes.

Having PKU means that Cathy has to eat differently from people without the disease. She cannot have steak, a cheeseburger, chicken or fish. So she follows a strict vegetarian diet. Some of her favorite allowed foods are corn on the cob, her Mother's cooking and broccoli slaw with ramen noodles.

Cathy enjoys singing, knitting, crocheting, acting, traveling and reading books about the British Royals.
She is currently working on a recording called 'Cathy Celebrates England' a CD of songs that were either sung by British artists or written by British composers. Some of the songs on the CD will be 'Yesterday', 'I Could Have Danced All Night' and 'Feed the Birds'.

Having PKU and adhering to the diet have been difficult at times for Cathy, fortunately with the latest research a pill has been created to help those with PKU to be able to eat more foods with protein. Kuvan was developed by the pharmaceutical company Biomarin.

Cathy sure has not let her disability slow her down! She has traveled to England, Wales, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico and Canada. She loves to travel and hopes to do much more in her future. Scotland may be next on her list!

Her favorite color is purple and she loves to go to tea houses for tea and scones. She had her last birthday party at 'Paris in a Cup' at the circle in Old Towne Orange Ca.

Cathy's philosophy is "Don't let anything stand in your way." Cathy sure has not let anything stand in her way, and we look forward to many more performances from her.

Thanks Cathy Acton, a woman with PKU.

Students Rehearse for Beau Monde Float

Beau Monde Float is coming up fast! The staff and students of Hope U are rehearsing dances, arranging music and making sets and costumes. Here we have Marvin Castillo playing a traditional Djembe drum, which is used in the opening drum circle pictured. Next are staff, guest artists and students working together on the electronic sound effects. This performance has complex sound and visual components coordinated through laptop computers. The music is evocative and haunting. The visuals are a compilation of student artwork, movement and sounds. An origional score was created by the guest artists from MLuM. The sets were designed, knitted, painted and sculpted by the students at Hope University. The performace is interactive and audience participatory. A wonder to behold! We hope that you will join us for this one of a kind show that will delight your eyes and your heart.

One Night Only Beau Monde Float!

Beau Monde Float is back for one night only! If you missed this amazing performance last year you will not want to miss it this month. Have you ever wondered about 'beauty'? What does it mean? Who is beautiful? What is beautiful? How is it different for different people? How about people with different abilities? What does it look like? How does it sound?
Beau Monde Float, Thirteen Six Views of Sound Beauty may just answer some of these questions and possibly raise several more! This performance is a poignant and passionate celebration of the vitality of the human spirit and the beauty in us all.
Developed through a collaboration between Hope University and the artist group MLuM, Beau Monde Float, Thirteen Six views of Sound Beauty is a profoundly moving experience that takes audiences on a journey exploring the nature of Beauty.
About this original sound and performance art production, Director Marco Schindelmann says, "It doesn't have a narrative. It does not have to be understood, but should simply be experienced. In our culture, people frequently expect to be instructed by 'a greater will' as to what to think, what to buy, what to expect, how to live, etc. Beau Monde Float is about making connections that are personal and not based on outside expectations. Beau Monde Float hopes to present a world in which people create their own personal mythologies and entertainments. It is a dream parade, an aesthetic circus, mystical vaudeville or whatever else the spectator-auditor imagines it to be"
This piece is truly an experience and the Hope University students have created a dream world of beauty to be enjoyed by all. We hope you can attend this performance of Beau Monde Float as it is a celebration which shows us that beauty is and is not always in the eyes of the beholder.
Here we have Tina Gopinath painting set pieces, Lori Slikker knitting part of the stage set and a close up photo from the costume of Karen Leeb who portrays 'Eternity' in Beau Monde Float.
Beauty is Eternal.
Please see the 'Upcoming Events' section at the right of this page for location, times and ticket information.