Filmed during the Fall 2009 Arts Education Showcase presented by Young Audiences New York. The event was held at P.S. 335 Granville T. Woods School in Brooklyn, NY. The Young Audiences New York Showcase is a free sampling of some of the city's best multi-disciplinary arts programs. Principals and educators were invited to spend a morning experiencing over 12 performances and workshops in a live student setting.
Poets Darian Dauchan, Shanelle Gabriel, and Advocate of Wordz disuss their show Slam 102: Verbal Velocity showcased in the Meet the Artist Series at Lincoln Center.
The Anaphora Poem. The Ode Poem. The Declarative Poem. The Persona Poem. These are only four of the myriad types of poetry thrown down in this rapid-fire, high-energy, beat-driven competition known as the Poetry Slam. In Lincoln Center's first-ever School Series Poetry Slam, students witness and participate in one of the hippest performing arts scenes in New York City today. Young audiences are introduced to the origins of live performance poetry, learning the format of an Open Mic and Poetry Slam competition. Students and teachers are invited to become judges for a live competition between a talented and dynamic poet-performance team, directed by Cecelia Rubino with poets Shanelle Gabriel, Advocate of Wordz, and masterfully led by Darian Dauchan. Audiences join in on the verbal kung-fu match by creating and free-writing original works on the spot. The gauntlet has been thrown, and young people join in on the fun of verbal combat and become Slam Poets on the School Series stage.
Slam 101: Verbal Kombat, directed by Cecilia Rubino, was conceived by Darian Dauchan and co-written with Shanelle Gabriel and Advocate of Wordz. It was commissioned for development by Lincoln Center's Meet the Artist Series and ran from 2009-2010. It's also on the artist roster for Young Audiences New York. Its sequel Slam 102: Verbal Velocity, also written by Dauchan, Gabriel, and Wordz, has had sold out runs from 2011-2013 and is the longest running show at Lincoln Center's Meet the Artist Series. Slam 103: Historical Remix completed their spoken word trilogy at Lincoln Center, and in 2016 they developed Slam 104: Enviroslammin' in the New Victory LabWorks Series at The New Victory Theater.
-Deborah S. Greenhut, Playwright/Arts Documentarian
