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Brave New Voices DVD cover
Anyone who missed this powerful docu-series the first time around, should take the time to check it out. Brave New Voices is the most recent poetry project of entrepreneur Russell Simmons ever since the demise of Def Poetry Jam. While Def Poetry Jam featured adult performers of various backgrounds each performing a single poem, Brave New Voices offers more.
The show is named for the annual Brave New Voices poetry competition for 13 through 19 year olds. But these performers do not stand alone. They are part of teams that represent their hometown and are competing to be the city with the highest scores.
However, the most interesting thing about the series is that we see the entire poetry writing process. We see the poets auditioning for teams, facing writer’s block, fighting with their teammates, and more. As the audience, we see the entire process that leads up to a series of 3 minute poems onstage.
Some of the teams featured in the series are Philadelphia, New York, Rochester, Ann Arbor, and Hawaii. The cameras capture where these poets live, write, perform and become inspired.
If you are interested in slam poetry, performance art, or simply enjoy competitions, this show is for you. The DVD is available at most major stores, as well as on Netflix.
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