Idyllwild Arts Summer Program Students Produce RAIN DANCE Video; In Wake of Southern California’s Devastating Mountain Fire; Fire Contained by 1-1/2 " of Rainfall
Idyllwild, CA (PRWEB) July 22, 2013 -- In response to the Mountain Fire, in Southern California’s San Jacinto Mountains, Idyllwild Arts Academy and Summer Program alumni and students from around the world spontaneously produced an extraordinary RAIN DANCE video and posted it on YouTube, where through a variety of social media, it went viral. See RAIN DANCE here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nixWV_fT5IM
“We have received such encouragement and support from around the world; the video these students and alumni produced has touched us all deeply,” said Steve Fraider, director of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program. “We can’t say for certain that their RAIN DANCE brought rain, but it did bring many heartfelt smiles at a challenging time for us all.”
Idyllwild Arts will resume its Summer Program classes on Tuesday, July 23, 2013. The Mountain Fire had caused the suspension of Summer Program classes and a mandatory evacuation on Wednesday, July 17 of 450 students and 115 faculty and staff from the Idyllwild Arts campus.
Since the students’ entertaining RAIN DANCE video received such overwhelming enthusiastic response, it leaves some wondering: could it have produced the 1” to 1-1/2” rainfall overnight? That amount of rainfall is twice the average amount of rainfall Idyllwild receives during the month of July.
“The weather allowed us to attack the fire,” said Riverside County Fire Chief John Hawkins. “It knocked down the flames. The benefit of the rain not only helped put the fire out but allowed us to end the evacuation.”
The mandatory evacuation order for Idyllwild was lifted today Sunday, July 21 at 11:00 a.m., causing students, staff, and faculty cheerfully voicing delight and thanks to the students’ RAIN DANCE.
The rain has significantly aided the 3,500 firefighters’ efforts in containing the fire for the first time since the fire broke out on Monday, July 17 and has since burnt more than 27,000 acres.
The RAIN DANCE was produced by Idyllwild Arts Academy alumni and current students, and posted to YouTube by Kate Graham, a current Idyllwild Arts student. Alumni and students appearing in this YouTube video are: Mikeala Gerwing, Sabrina Melendez, Delaney Clark, Liz Shwindenhammer, Anna Karina Guiterrez Sotomayor, Andrea Guiterrez Sotomayor, Rebecca Cox, Clara Stark, Michael Powell, Naomi Iancu, Ana Garcia Ldec, and Marianna Orozco.
The evacuated students had been transported to the nearby desert communities where 110 students, mostly from out-of-state, were hosted for a BBQ Pool Party at the Palm Springs home of Idyllwild Arts Foundation board members Jeff Dvorak and Michael Slocum. “You would never have guessed that the 110+ students were displaced under tough circumstances; they were each so polite, appreciative, complimentary and genuinely happy to be here,” said Michael Slocum.
“While they had fun, it was clear they can't wait to get back on campus, they love that place,” Jeff Dvorak added.
Idyllwild Arts celebrates its 64th Annual Summer Program (June 16 – August 11, 2013) and offers more than 100 intensive hands-on workshops for all ages in a variety of fields including music, dance, theatre, visual arts, writing, filmmaking and Native arts. A major component of the Summer Program is the annual Native American Arts Festival Week. Visit: idyllwildarts.org/summer
Lydia Kremer, Vortex PR, 760 322-2502, [email protected]
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