All news
Mayor Nutter attends Finals as RHD's Philly Youth Poets select national team
5/15/2010 11:04:59 PM
Contact: Kevin Roberts, RHD Communications at 215-951-0300 (ext. 3714) or email at: kevinr@rhd.org
Kavindu “Kavi” Ade heard her name announced and shrieked, hands clasped to her mouth, and her knees got weak and she sagged. Friends grabbed her and pulled Kavi to her feet, exhausted but triumphant.
She’d made the team.
The Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement has selected the team that will travel to Los Angeles for the national slam in July in a rousing Philadelphia Finals that was attended by Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter, actor Tony Danza and former PYPM poet and 2008 Brave New Voices Champion Joshua Bennett. The 2010 Philly team: Kavi Ade, Sinnea Douglas, Jamillah Harris, Anwar Jabari, Yusef Kromah and Ceez Live.
“People out there who are talking stuff about our young people haven’t spent time with these young people,’’ Nutter said. “This is something we have to highlight. Your city is proud of you, and when you return from Los Angeles we will make sure we welcome you back properly.”
Nutter pledged the city’s support for the Youth Poetry Movement, including opening up City Hall for future performances. PYPM director Greg Corbin presented Nutter with a T-shirt that read: “Poet,” and gave the mayor a T-shirt for his daughter that read: “Speak Your Soul.”
Danza, an award-winning actor, Broadway star and pro boxer, was in attendance to support one of his students, Alex Santiago. Danza is filming a reality TV show based on his experiences teaching at Philadelphia’s Northeast High School, and Santiago is one of his students. The only filming Saturday, however, was Danza videotaping Santiago’s final poem.
The poets had to survive a grueling test of three rounds. First was a long-form poem, then a Haiku round and finally a 90-second lightning round. In addition to being evaluated artistically by an exacting panel of judges, the poets had to hit marks of exact time with nothing but the clocks in their heads to guide them, with penalties for going over their allotted time.
Each round featured staggering and very personal performances; several poets left the stage weeping and some collapsed. Each found teammates and friends surging forward to catch them. They took the stage to chants of “PY! PM!” and left it to a warm embrace. At the end, the dozen finalists celebrated together, even as only six advanced to the national slam in Los Angeles in July.
“This was the best finals I’ve ever seen in Philadelphia,” Corbin said. “These poets came with their hearts on their tongues and inspiration in their lungs. They represent the greatness and infinite possibilities of humanity.”
