The Capital Kidds are a performing arts group that, on their website, is described as being “the modern day Little Rascals meets Fat Albert or the Mickey Mouse Club with a flare of the Silvers.”

Currently, there are 5 members of the Capital Kids. Izaiah, Devin, Fayeden, Treasure and Chyna, and they’re all between the ages of 11 and 14.

Last week, along with Georgetown University, the Capital Kidds made history by performing the world’s first ever Go-Go Musical.

The Capital Kidds have been on radio tours, have made over 100 appearances at schools in the DMV area, and have recorded over 40 songs. In six months alone, they have recorded 20 songs. Most of the songs have to do with anti-bullying, nutrition, and their newest song “Clubhouse” embodies a fun party song.

The group reaches out to African American and minority students who have a passion for the performing arts. On their recent radio tour, they gave away 5 bikes and raffle prizes as they educated the audience on subjects like money-saving, nutrition, and exercise.

“Wind Me Up, Maria!” is the first musical for the Capital Kidds in the history of the six-year program.

In the dressing room before the show started, we got to speak to the Capitol Kidds about their experience working with Georgetown on “Wind Me Up, Maria!: A Go-Go Musical”.

“Wind Me Up, Maria!” was written and directed by Professor Natsu Onoda Power, an associate professor in Georgetown’s Theater and Performance Studies program, along with Charles, “Shorty Corleone” Garris, a lead singer in the premier DC Go-Go band Rare Essence. Together, the two have created a musical that is the first of its kind.

While waiting for warm-ups to begin, none of the kids were nervous as they sat in their dressing room, playing on their phones and doing homework.

Each kid got involved in the group in a different way, but they all shrug like it’s nothing.

Garris, who produced the show, is also the founder of Capital Kidds.

In the production, the Capital Kidds get to engage with the students at Georgetown University, and as Treasure says “they’re always looking out for us.”

She says that Georgetown University students didn’t know too much about Go-Go dancing, so the kids would teach them about go-go, and in return, the university students would teach them line dances. The Capital Kidds had their own line dance already choreographed, and now it is used in the finale of the show.

Treasure talks about the long school days, followed by sometimes 4-hour rehearsals at Georgetown for the musical. “Wind Me Up, Maria!” has been in rehearsals since August.

Devin says that since rehearsals started, he’s missed a lot of school because of the practices

Treasure says that her favorite part of performing the show was watching the reaction of the other actors who had never seen Go-Go performed before.

“At first they’re like okaaaaaay,” she says skeptically. “And then they saw us doing the dance moves, and they were so amazed! They were like, ‘Oh my gosh, you guys have to teach us this. Right now.'”

During the performance, there was no shortage of the crowd cheering and dancing in their seats as the Capital Kidds danced their way through the Go-Go tunes.

For Izaiah, he says it all comes down to him doing his best to entertain people.

“When I dance I tell them my story. I’m not just dancing because people are forcing me to. I dance because it’s a story.” he explains. “I go out, and try my best.”

Looking forward, the Capitol Kidds will be going forward with a fitness TV show and reaching out to the greater D.C. and Maryland area.