Firestarters - Assumption College Charity Fashion Show 2003
Firestarters - Assumption College Charity Fashion Show 2003
The atmosphere was "blazing" on Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26, due to ACS's phenomenal 2003 charity fashion show! The most important aspect of the fashion show this year was the fact that all of the proceeds went to The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada. The students and staff of Assumption did an amazing job in preparing the show and providing a worthwhile experience for all who attended.
The Children's Wish Foundation is a federally chartered, non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling a favourite wish for kids afflicted with a high risk, life-threatening illness. Due to all of the hard work and effort put in by so many people in order to pull off this year's production, a lonely and saddened child will be able to receive their own individual adventure through a wish that will bring them memorable moments of joy. "Firestarters" raised over three thousand dollars this year alone for The Children's Wish Foundation. Assumption College School is honoured by the many people who helped in making a suffering child's wish come true.
The 2003 Fashion Show was directed and choreographed by Assumption's own, Chaplain Wayne Lachapelle. It was no wonder that whenever he was spotted in the hallways of ACS he was either carrying a quick bite to eat, a boombox and some cd's, or a stack of papers and his car keys. For several months leading up to the show, Chaplain Wayne organized weekly practices, filmed and compiled music videos, and got in touch with the stores providing clothing for the models in "Firestarters". This year's show was made possible by more than 18 stores throughout Brantford, Hamilton, and Toronto, and over 90 models participated in the three hour long fashion show experience.
Both nights of the show, the doors opened at 6:30 p.m., and there were already a multitude of people waiting to go in and see what was in store for them. The fashion show itself commenced at 7:00 p.m. with the opening number being Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire", which matched the overall theme of the show perfectly. "‘Firestarters' was born out of trying to make the show more eclectic to all ages" explains Chaplain Wayne. The collection of artists was meant to include those who had started a "fire" with their music, from the 1950's all the way up to 2003.
Some memorable numbers that followed included "Return to Innocence" by Enigma, which was modelled entirely backwards, Shaggy's "Dance and Shout" in which each model "typed in" her favourite good looking guys onto the big screens, and a romantic "Unforgettable" by Irving Gordon where formal wedding dresses and suits were modelled, provided by Bridal Fashions By Jacri & Freeman Formal Wear. The "Satisfaction/Respect" number definitely got the audience pumped, due to the enthusiasm the models projected, as well as the hilarious video which accompanied it. The video showed a parody of a typical slumber party, where the girls dressed in shirts and ties, played pool, and ate chips; while the boys sported pink curlers, mud masks, and had an all out pillow fight! It was hard to believe that each number could equal the previous one in quality, but sure enough there was a lot more in store. Three hugely well-choreographed and performed numbers definitely amazed the crowd both nights as well. A mixture of Janet Jackson's "Pleasure Principle", "Rhythm Nation", and several other of her top hits collided to produce an amazing and seemingly flawless dance routine; the opening number for the show, "Backstreet's Back", was performed almost identically to the original BSB music video; and the Michael Jackson routine topped off the night's extravagant choreography-based numbers. There were too many other routines to name in just one article, therefore a huge congratulations goes out to the hard work each dedicated model put in to their performances!
An honourable mention must go as well to Assumption's adopted second anthem, "I Can Only Imagine", which was sung on video accompanied by a tribute to all of the people our ACS community had lost during this past year, as well as the special people others in our community have gotten taken away from them, whether it was just recently or in days gone by.
This year's fashion show, as well as future ones, has required an enormous amount of time and energy in order to make it amazing. This was accomplished in large part due to the "high security" 
setting the models, clothes, and contents of the fashion show were put under. The night before the first show, all models were required to come to a mandatory dress rehearsal running from 3:30 right after school to about 10:30 p.m., in order to put the finishing touches on dance routines, as well as work with the newly assembled stage. Both nights of the show, the models had to be at the school no later than 5:45 p.m. They were required to have had their hair already done, and because Sears' Clinique department was unable to make it to ACS in time for each model's makeup appointment, each model took care of their own.
The dressing room expectations were continuously stressed as well. No clothes were to be worn out of the tech or gym hallways (off limits to anyone who was not in the show), and no food or drink could even be in the presence of the models' clothing. During the 20 minute intermission just before the second half, models could in no way go out and join their family and friends when wearing their clothes, and the clothing itself could only be worn two numbers before the models would be performing.
Behind-the-scenes though, more went on than the audience could have imagined when witnessing the talent and hard work displayed on stage before them. The young people who shined on stage were the same ones who's stomachs fluttered just seconds before they were about to go on. People were being sent almost last minute to call models from their change rooms, to find individual people who were nowhere to be found, and of course group dance routines were being perfected just outside the drama room before their number was scheduled. In spite of the seemingly endless events of the night, models came together in groups to exchange words of encouragement as well as excitement.
The most memorable moments behind-the-scenes were those transition periods when a group would be chatting and laughing just before their upcoming performance, and then all of a sudden, from behind the pitch-black drama room door, appeared Chaplain Wayne's, "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!". It was never a dull moment seeing as how the fashion show experience itself was new to so many, and still as amazing as ever to all the rest. It was no wonder that the show portrayed the same energy on stage as well as off!
"Firestarters" 2003 was a truly inspiring performance. Many people who saw it said they could see the amount of time it took to put each number together, from the choreography, to the video, to the clothing. Everyone who participated made an amazing impression on the standing-room only audience, and one thing is for sure ... it will be interesting to see how this years extravagant performance will be topped off next year!
10:02 AM 6/11/2009
