Danielle Franzen Interns with Express Yourself
Freshman Danielle Franzen ‘15 has been interning with Express Yourself (EXYO) this past spring semester. She met with EXYO’s Co-Executive Director, Paula Conrad, during in the fall to initially discuss the internship opportunity. Franzen was immediately excited about the work, the youth and the upcoming spring production at the Wang Center! In addition to being accepted as an intern, Franzen has been given a part in the spring show, PULSE!
Franzen will perform in the annual Express Yourself show Thursday, May 17th at the Wang Theater in Boston at 7 pm. Along with performing in the show, Franzen has also been working with the students to create the stage and props!
She has some background in dance and was active in extracurricular activities while in high school. Franzen’s time with EXYO is only considered an elective internship and she will still have to complete a required internship when she is a junior. Franzen is the first intern Montserrat has had working with EXYO.
The Montserrat community wishes her good luck on her performance!
>>Click here to learn more about Express Yourself!
Express Yourself immerses young people into the creative world of music, dance, and visual arts and empowers them with life-changing results. EXYO celebrates cultural diversity and collaboration with isolated youth from 17 Department of Mental Health residential and inpatient facilities who form their own large community. Since 1989, over 2,200 kids in newly created communities have worked collaboratively with artists and celebrities such as Blue Man Group, STOMP, Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart, and Broadway dancers. Youth and artists become inspired during a full-year program creating set designs, visual art, and performance pieces for their grand celebration at the Citi Performing Arts Center’s Wang Theatre. EXYO challenges myths surrounding young people with mental illness and at-risk youth, allowing these individuals to explore art as a path toward a healthy sense of identity and belonging and toward feeling valued for their artistic contributions. More than 300 young people per year emerge from a sense of isolation in hospitals, residential programs, and community settings to a strong sense of collaboration and celebration in a thriving multi-disciplinary art community.