ORLANDO, Fla. – Hundreds of students from Title I schools across Central Florida took the spotlight this week at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, performing scenes and songs from Disney musicals as part of a unique arts education program.

The Disney Musicals in Schools Student Share Celebration brought together nearly 350 young performers from 34 schools to Steinmetz Hall, a venue celebrated for its exceptional acoustics. The event marked the culmination of a 17-week residency designed to build confidence, communication, and teamwork skills among students from low-income families.

Ryan Simpson, director of education at the Dr. Phillips Center, said the program has reached close to 6,000 students since launching locally in 2016.

“Hopefully, they’ve gone on to, you know, just be stronger communicators, more confident in their classroom,” Simpson said.

For many participants, the experience has been transformative. Fifth grader Valeria Yepes Ballesteros initially hesitated to join the program but now calls it “one of the best decisions of my life.”

Valeria’s art teacher, Linda Robinson of Michigan Avenue Elementary, recalled how the once-quiet student blossomed into a confident performer.

“We heard her voice… She became our Elsa. We just knew it,” Robinson said.

The program also supports students learning English.

“We have a very high population of non-English speakers. When you get involved in theater like this, it really helps them to improve their speaking and they come out of their shell,” Robinson noted.

As part of the Dr. Phillips Center’s largest community outreach effort to date, students were also gifted tickets to see Disney’s “The Lion King,” offering inspiration that complements their own stage journeys.

By combining professional-level performance opportunities with skill-building workshops, Disney Musicals in Schools continues to empower Central Florida’s youth, helping them find their voices both on stage and beyond.