Event Held in Denver Academy’s New Louise McCabe Performing Arts Center with Special Musical Performance by Denver Academy Head of School Mark Twarogowski

Denver, CO -- Denver Academy (DA), an independent school serving students with varied learning profiles in grades 2-12, hosted a live musical performance with Brad Corrigan of the band Dispatch and Reinaldo DeJesus along with a screening of Corrigan’s film “Ileana’s Smile” on Friday, Nov. 15. Denver Academy’s Head of School Mark Twarogowski was invited on stage for a lively jam session on percussion with the musical duo before the film screening.

The event was held in Denver Academy’s new 250-seat Gary Family Theater main stage of the Louise McCabe Performing Arts Center on the school’s campus at 4400 E. Iliff Ave., Denver, CO 80222. Nearly 200 people attended including Denver Academy parents, staff, and students (13+), along with other ACIS school communities. “Ileana’s Smile” opens worldwide in early 2025, with a date to be announced on the Love Light + Melody website. Watch the trailer for the film here.

This special evening was held in partnership with the Association of Colorado Independent Schools (ACIS) and Brad Corrigan’s charity organization, Love Light + Melody. Brad Corrigan’s documentary “Ileana’s Smile” captures the courage of Ileana, a young girl from Nicaragua’s La Chureca trash dump community. The film shares her story and how it inspired Corrigan to found the charity Love Light + Melody which supports vulnerable children through the power of education, music, art, and sports. 

A talkback followed the screening with Brad Corrigan and the film’s narrator Bismark Rocha from Managua, Nicaragua. DA High School Spanish Teacher Alyssa Gafvert provided Spanish translations. Part of the discussion included ways parents and teachers might leverage the film with students to inspire positive change.