Congrats to the Evanston Escola de Samba for a phenomenal performance at the Evanston 4th of July Parade! Not only did we win 1st place in the category “performance,” but we were one of three overall parade winners (we are defending champions for both of these honors). EEDS was awarded the “Pelton Plaque” for “Outstanding Neighborhood Group.”
Everyone gave an amazing show, and our heartfelt hanks go out to all of the dancers, musicians and volunteers that made everything possible! There are so many people to thank we are not sure where to start! We want to express gratitude to the EEDS parade committee: Matt Rarey, Chris Hasselbring, Kirsty Montgomery, Dill Costa, Lindsay Fullerton, Jessica Anzaldua, and Reed Flygt for helping to conceive of the parade and for doing the incredible amount of hard work to get it done.
Thanks to all the dance and percussion students who performed with such skill and energy – we definitely impressed the crowds. It was wonderful to see so many new faces in the parade this year, EEDS is so glad to have you! Heartfelt thanks also to the loyal EEDS veterans who have marched with us in the parade year after year.
Thanks to to amazing Dill Costa, our head of dance and rainha de bateria, who helped create one of the most phenomenal EEDS dance performances ever. Your hard work and dedication are always appreciated. Thanks to all the dancers coming to us from the Old Town School of Folk Music and Gingarte Capoeira. Even if it was your first time working with EEDS, we consider you part of the EEDS family and we hope you will join us again soon. Special thanks to out wonderful mestre-sala and porta-bandeira, Zenaida Saez and Jaime Angeles, who showed the EEDS flag proudly.
Thanks to Reed Flygt for fearlessly leading our bateria. You’re awesome, and you helped the EEDS bateria reach new heights! Special thanks to our Lane Tech bateria members, who brought so much fun and spirit to classes and the performance. It goes without saying how much everyone at EEDS loves our friends from Bloco Maximo who give our bateria extra energy, and kudos to Andrew Green for helping lead class.
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped build and decorate our best float ever (complete with working lighthouse): Dave Newman, Jorge Escobar, Reed Flygt, Anya Kovalenko, Max Kondratyev, Chris Hasselbring and Jack Hasselbring. Thanks to Michael Kormanik and our partners from Greenwise Organic Lawn Services who provided wonderful support before, during, and after the parade. Thanks to our Ala of Friends, who showed their support for EEDS and helped get the crowd hyped up. Thanks to our professional musicians Marcos Oliveira and John Beard who have dedicated their amazing talent, time, and energy to the EEDS. Thank you to our photographer Laura Hamm and videographer Lindsay Fullerton for capturing the parade. Thanks to the volunteers who helped keep our dancers hydrated during the parade, and took countless photos and videos.
Thanks to all of our sponsors and partners, without whose support the EEDS would simply not exist. In the coming days, we’ll be posting lots of photos and videos from the parade so you can catch some glimpses of our award-winning performance. If you have any photos you would like to share – email them to
evanstonsamba@gmail.com. Don’t forget to
like us on Facebook, and follow
us on Twitter and
Instagram for more info on classes, workshops, and events (as well as some generally awesome photo updates). The 4th of July is just the beginning! Stay Tuned!
Second City Samba 