The (Emily) Jewel in Parkland’s crown

There is a castle on a cloud, I like to go there in my sleep,” sings 9-year-old Parkland resident, Emily Jewel Hoder, in her solo as Little Cosette in the national Broadway touring company of “Les Misérables (Les Miz).”

Standing 49.5-inches tall (the half inch is very important, as she must recite this for casting directors) and weighing in at 51 lbs., Hoder is already a triple threat. And like Shirley Temple before her – can sing, dance, act and charm an audience right out of their seats.

With a career that began at the age of 7 at the Wick Theatre in Boca Raton playing Molly in “Annie,” alongside Sally Struthers as Miss Hannigan and George Dvorsky as Daddy Warbucks, Hoder was on the Les Miz tour when the pandemic struck.

“I didn’t let it (the pandemic) stop me from doing what I love,” says Hoder. “Les Miz is the most amazing experience of my whole life.”

With the tour, Hoder traveled to six different cities in two-and-a-half months, including Springfield, MO,  Kalamazoo, MI, CIncinnati, OH, Sarasota, FL, Greenfield, SC and Durham, NC where the tour abruptly ended in mid-March.

Her dad, Eric Hoder, a chiropractor, flew out to attend each show.

Performing “Castle on a Cloud” alone on stage was the highlight for Hoder.

“I could see Patrick Dunn (Jean Valjean) and Preston Truman Boyd  (Inspector Javert) fighting through the curtain,” she says.  “That was the coolest part.”

As a performer, Hoder admires Dunn and says, “He’s a great singer and so cool and funny.”

Performing her solo on stage, Hoder denies feeling nervous and says, “I feel happy and in the moment.  I love to perform.  My favorite part is making eye contact and connecting with the audience.”

In 2018 Hoder took third-place and $100 at the Coral Springs Got Talent competition for her dance solo and won her first national title as the Believe National overall winner for her solo jazz-acro dance at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

Back in Parkland, Hoder has been using her free time during quarantine to network, dance, take classes at Performance Edge Two studio in Boca Raton and perform in three shows at the Wick Theatre.

Through social media, she connected with Tiler Peck, principal dancer of the New York CityBallet, and performed live on Peck’s  Instagram feed.

Hoder also has a role in director Brian Schmidt’s feature film, “Payton’s Caper,” and appeared in a music video for Israeli singer Gad Elbaz.

“We’re very proud of Emily,” says her mom, Caroline Hoder, a stay-at-home mom who became Emily’s production crew, IT person and helps her run her lines.

Despite having so much disappointment this year (the tour ended and Broadway closed) Emily continues to connect with people virtually,” says Caroline Hoder.

“I’m happy to support her dreams,” says Caroline Hoder, who was on a similar track as a child, performing at the Swap Shop Circus and with the Miami City Ballet.

“She keeps going and brings joy to others,” she says.  “We’re blessed to be able to be home with her and we make a good team.”

A former student at Riverglades Elementary, Hoder is now enrolled in Florida Virtual School and when she’s not rehearsing or taking classes loves to play with her 5-yr. old sister, Sunny, and her two cats, Buttercup and Oreo.

Her advice for other children pursuing similar dreams is “You have to be yourself because you are your biggest cheerleader.”

What are her post-pandemic plans?

Hoder plans to return to New York, says her mom.  She has her eye on the “Music Man” (for which she auditioned twice and danced for five consecutive hours, surviving all the cuts).

“Emily wants to inspire other kids to do what they love,” says Caroline Hoder.  “Even if they can’t act, dance or sing, they should follow their dreams.”

“I advise other parents to be aware of what your kids are interested in and nurture that,” she says.

Marilyn Wick, CEO of the Wick Theatre says, “Emily has performed many times at The Wick throughout the years, most recently in our Christmas show this past December.”

“Every time she is on stage, she delights the audience with her talent and innate charisma,” says Wick. “She is quite the performer and has been trained very well.”

“We are all expecting big things from this young lady,” Wick says.

 

To see Emily Jewel Hoder perform, visit Dancekidemily on YouTube and on Instagram: emilyjewel7.

Revised Feb 2nd, 2021 based on updates from the contributor

MSD senior spreads sunshine and kindness

Freshman year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was difficult
for Daniel Tabares, then 17.

It was the year of the worst tragedy in the school’s history when 17 students and staff were murdered and Tabares lost friends.

He was sad and depressed and only when he became involved with the
Parkland March For Our Lives rally on Mar. 24, 2018 as a featured speaker, did he find his calling.

“I may seem serious,” says Tabares. “But once you get to know me, I’m
funny, outgoing, and always kind. Sometimes people have preconceived notions about people who look different, but don’t always trust your first impressions and give people a chance.”

Born with achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder, Tabares is not unfamiliar with the unkindness of strangers.

Achondroplasia is the most common type of dwarfism. It is a genetic
condition that affects about 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 40,000 people.

Emmy-award winner Peter Dinklage, who portrayed Tyrion Lannister on the wildly popular TV series, “Game of Thrones,” has the condition.

“I’ve been through so much,” he says, noting that he’s been called names, been excluded and stared at, not to mention undergone more than 10 surgeries.

“It’s no fun,” he says.

At the rally, Tabares spoke about how he was feeling and says he was quoted on CNN as saying, “Give yourself a hug like there’s no tomorrow.”

His inspirational words had an effect on those around him and boosted his morale and confidence.

From that day on, Tabares was a changed person and no longer depressed.

He had found his voice.

Daniel Tabares

“It’s a crazy world,” he says, “and maybe someone is going through a lot, and a kind word is all they need to get through their day.”

He has taken to sharing his kind words and inspirational messages on his social media and with the residents of Parkland as he rides from one end of Holmberg Rd. to the other on his bike showcasing his inspirational signs.

He counts his dad, Luis, as a role model (and for his good looks) and says he’s inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Theresa.

“You’re amazing,” proclaims one sign. “Be the change you want to see in the world,” says another, paraphrasing Gandhi. His LinkedIn page states, “Dreams and dedication are a powerful combination.”

Another sign declared not only black lives matter, but Latino, disabled, and LGBTQ lives as well.

He took Gandhi’s message to heart and challenges himself to be the change he wants to see.

Now, in his senior year at MSD and co-president of the Student Board of The Friendship Journey and Ambassador of Wings of Friendship, Tabares hopes to be a speech- language pathologist or a motivational speaker, and his dream since second grade is to attend the University of Florida.

This summer he was a lead counselor and student ambassador in an 8-week virtual camp for people with disabilities and was inspired by the students’ empathy for others.

The camp, sponsored by Dylan’s Wings of Change (DWC), is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the memory of Dylan Hockley, a student killed in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 along with 19 other first-graders and six teachers.

They partnered with the locally-based The Friendship Journey, with its mission to educate, empower, and include individuals across all cognitive and physical abilities.

Tabares said coming to the camp allows participants to be fully themselves and share their true colors with others.

“I’m thankful for that,” he says.

After the Parkland shootings, Tabares was invited to Pittsburgh to receive the first Loving Kindness Award from the Pittsburgh JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness, where 11 people lost their lives and six were wounded in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Oct. 2018.

Rabbi Ron Symons, the director of Pittsburgh JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness, says Tabares was selected for the award “because he exudes kindness in every way.”

“When we met him after the shootings in Parkland and Pittsburgh, we met a person with a depth of optimism and soul that few adults have,” Symons says. “No matter what he does throughout his life, I am confident that my friend and teacher, Danny Tabares, will inspire thousands.”