This adventure started in October when the girls selected the ‘Coming Attractions’ challenge. This challenge had the following rules:
- Create a live performance in the style of a movie trailer
- The movie is to have characters from two cultures
- Create an original soundtrack
- The team gets 1 min to setup
- The performance has to be less than 4 min
- Budget must be under $125
- No chemicals, explosives, dry ice or silly string
Within DI, all aspects of the work is to be kid driven. From the origins of the idea to the, creation of the script, set, props and costumes the kids have to do it all. The girls had put together a very creative skit and then the day of discovery occurred. Two weeks before the competition the team was working at the house and we decided to reread the challenge rules. As I read the rules, “Must have representatives from two nations (see definition of nation in the margin). Nation: a real nation that you can find on a map, historical or current times.
Then came the silence.
I broke the silence, “Does everyone understand the problem we have?”
“Yes.”
See after the first night of reading the rules, the team had just plowed ahead and their knucklehead team manager hadn’t reviewed the rules again. The problem was that the whole skit was around two made up cultures. Specifically, the cultures of Pens and Pencils and what occurs in a classroom over summer break.
After 5 mins of holy cow. I mean holy COW! I told the team that I think they had three choices and the team had to make the decision. 1) They could put on the play as is to have fun but knowing they wouldn’t score well. 2) They could decide there is too much work to do in two weeks and decide to not participate in the competition or 3) They could figure out how to change the play that they have in order to fit within the rules.
Instantly the girls said, “we are doing number 3!” This was the third best moment of the whole DI season. I couldn't have been more proud of them for that decision.
The girls quickly figured out that the fight between pens and pencils could fit within the story of the American Revolution which they had just finished studying in school. Within 2 hours the girls had scrubbed the script making the Pens the British and the Pencils the American Colonist fighting for independence. Work in a little midnight ride, give me liberty! and a unique take on Valley Forge and before you can say Concord and Lexington it was a brilliant adaptation packaged up and ready to go.
The girls went on to give a wonderful performance. Then Alex and I went back for the scores. Scores, that were to be returned within an hour, weren’t done and it was now more than two hours. We asked a coordinator for the challenge and were told they were having some trouble with the judging since things can be “so subjective”. I took that to mean we were just at the top of the rollercoaster hill and there is only one way to go. Sure enough the scores came out 23 minutes later and we had not scored well. The most striking line item was a score of zero for the ‘second nation’ and zero for ‘interaction between nations’. Alex asked about the zeroes trying to understand. It was explained to us that since the 13 Colonies were part of the British Empire that the team really presented one country not two and that is why we had zeroes. After questioning some other aspects of the scores we headed home crest fallen, knowing really bad news that we would then have to share with the rest of the team.
During the trip home came the second best moment. Alex asked, “Dad, when does a nation start? When people sign a piece a paper or when people decide to risk their lives for what they believe is right?” What a fantastic question and statement all in one.
Then came the awards ceremony. The girls attended knowing that the chance of reaching their goal of qualifying for the state wide tournament was out of reach. So we watched team by team get awards then came our grouping. Out of sixteen teams they start with awarding sixth place, not us, fifth place, not us, fourth place, not us – the faces were getting mighty long on the girls. I knew they had pretty much passed up their likely chances of placement. Third place, not us.
Then the announcement – “We have a special award to hand out at this time. Team ‘Steele the Show’ is awarded the Da Vinci award.” The girls were frozen for a moment (the best DI moment) – they turned looking back at me. “Well, go get your medals!’ I yelled back. The team scrambled up to the stage and the medals were placed around their necks. I don't think they touched the floor all the way back to me. They were beside themselves, especially when they found out the description of award.
Da Vinci Award
This award is offered for exceptional creativity, a unique approach to the problem and /or risk taking.
The solution need not be successful to qualify for this award.
This is Destination ImagiNation's most prestigious award and should not be given lightly.
After all of that – here is their performance. I hope you enjoy it. The girls were a little soft spoken (they need better coaching on projection) so you will likely need to turn up the volume to take it all in.
