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Believing in the magic
YOUNGSTOWN
A 185-student performance titled “Believe!” celebrated what Tracy Schuler-Vivo called the “magic of the season” at the city school district’s Chaney Campus.
“We hope our message for this holiday season is that everybody should hold those that are closest to them and the magic of the holiday in their hearts,” she said Monday night.
Schuler-Vivo, the school’s visual and performing arts coordinator, told a story of receiving a bell after losing both of her grandparents and giving birth to her second daughter five days later.
“It was a season of ups and downs for our family,” she said.
The bell reminded her of childhood and phone calls with Santa and the importance of believing in holiday magic.
Now, Schuler-Vivo said she has never felt more magic than with her daughters Macey, 2, and Emily, 1.
Students brought the magic to life in their performances in drama, dance, vocal and instrumental.
Sounds of holiday cheer permeated the audience with students’ performances dramatically reading letters to Santa written by younger students and songs and dances to “Ave Maria,” a unique “Jingle Bells” rendition, Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” and more.
Melody Hall came to see her seventh-grade granddaughter Kiara Savage perform.
“I think it’s beautiful and a good program to teach [students] culture,” she said. “I’m so excited to be here, and they’re doing a wonderful job.”
Curtasia Daniels, a junior, mirrored Halls’ sentiment.
“I like being able to show people from Youngstown that we are doing things here and expressing ourselves at the same time,” she said.
Monique Abron, a senior, said the people who really deserve the credit for success of the program is the teachers who have been working with students for only two months on the night’s entertainment.
“It’s just wonderful with all of us being here together,” she said. “It’s fun. We have all worked together, and we make sure no one gets left behind.”