Colours was founded in 1992 as an after-school program at Charles Carroll Middle School by two first-year teachers in Prince George's County, Douglas Anthony and Jason Cook. Colours is now based in the new Northwestern High School.

Anthony and Cook noticed that students had little or no opportunity to experience and learn from the performing arts. As a result, Colours was created as a performing arts troupe that combines music, dance and song to teach students about life.

This is what their current show, "It's a Groove Thang!," is about. The show is a high energy, interactive show that gives a review of black history through dance and music.

"I call it a foot-stomping, crowd-pleasing, soul-stirring celebration of black history and life," says Cook. "It starts with the blues to current music. It starts out with music their parents know. Then later on in the show, the kids really get into it more because it is music they know."

However, Colours is about more than dancing and singing; it is about the experience and the lessons they learn.

"The crux of Colours is discipline, structure and teamwork. The same principles of many athletic groups," says Cook.

"We teach students the understanding of what leadership is and community involvement. Students learn how to work in a group. The needs of many outweigh needs of few. You can't put personal needs above the group. You are expected to be working."

Cook expects a lot of the students.

"He instills a positive work ethic. He has high standards in personal behavior and performances," says William Ritter, principal of Northwestern High School. "He is a very talented and creative person. He is a very demanding guy. He has a good rapport with the kids."

Colours also provides an outlet for the students.

"It gives them the opportunity to express themselves. As adolescents, they don't have many opportunities to talk about their feelings or convey what's on their minds. They can do this through a program like this," says Ritter. "The kids grow in this program. They become so much more poised."

Colours has three parts: a traveling troupe, in-school groups and a summer performing arts program.

The traveling troupe consists of 42 students from elementary to high school. They perform throughout the county and Maryland. They have also performed in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Indiana. Every spring break, the students travel to Florida to perform.

The in-school groups are performing arts groups based on Colours. These groups provide a performing arts program for elementary schools. The in-school groups are located in the Beltsville Academic, Mount Rainier Elementary, Arrowhead Elementary, New Carrolton Elementary, Paint Branch Elementary and Cooper Lane Elementary. Cook works with the in-school groups during the day. The groups perform at their schools as well as an end-of-the-year, combined performance with Colours. This performance is already set for June 1.

The summer program is for five weeks and it is open to all children between the ages of 7 and 18. Students are in class each day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The students' classes are in drama, dance, creative writing, music theory and vocal music.

The performances of Colours leave a big impression on audiences. So much so that they were invited by Prince George's County Councilwoman Dorothy Bailey (D-Dist. 5) to perform for a visiting delegation from Bafokeng, South Africa, Prince George's County's sister city.

"They were so moved that they invited the group on the spot to South Africa. They want to replicate a group with the sister city," says Bailey. "This is a group worth getting the attention of the community. We want to see another way of getting involved, building self-confidence, talents and treasures we have in Prince George's County."

With such top-notch performance, you might think that Colours was a very selective group, only admitting the best singers and dancers in the county.

"Anyone can join Colours. No auditions, but you have to attend four consecutive sessions," says Cook. "There are no perfect students. You just have to make an effort. We ask to don't make the same mistakes twice, make new ones."

The regimen of Colours is physically challenging. The performance is virtually non-stop dancing and there are many fast-paced routines.

"The students rehearsed 100 hours per week for 'A Groove Thang.' The show will continue to tour until June," says Cook.

Students seem to feel the hard work pays off.

"When you see the expression on people's faces and you had a lot of fun, it is worth it," says Sara Tansey, 13, an eighth-grader at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School.

In addition to the physical workout, students must maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average to be in the group. If the student's grade point average is below a 3.0, there is mandatory study hall and they must turn in progress reports from their school. The summer program is also mandatory for students. The students must learn to balance all of this to stay in the group.

This message comes across loud and clear to students, especially the older ones. They have the added responsibility to teach a number of hours to younger students.

"We teach big brother to little brother," says Bianca Williams, 17, an 11th-grader at Northwestern High School, "They follow by our example."

"We tell everyone to get to their level, so when we leave it is their turn to teach the younger students. Then, when you get there, you don't forget where you were," says Veronica Garrison, 17, a 12th-grader at Parkdale High School.

For many of the students, Colours is an extended family.

"Colours is our second family. We have five to six mothers and 20 sisters and brothers," says Garrison. "You live around these people."

"I would like to pursue dance choreography," says Chris Law, 18, a 12th-grader at Parkdale High School.

Law is one of the many standouts in Colours with a story similar to many young people.

"I got into trouble," says Law. "There was a time when teachers and administrators said I would not amount to anything and now the same teachers and administrators compliment after a show. They never should have said those things in the first place. I am proving them wrong. Everybody has a spark and a talent."

Colours seems to have impacted how these students live their lives and the way they think about life and the world.

"To be open to other people and to accept differences. You learn to get along with people you don't know and become close to them," says Khelsey Marshall, 11, a sixth-grader at Carmody Hills Elementary School.

"I learned you can do something with your life instead of stupid things, like skipping school. Join Colours, but be ready to work, work, work," says Ashley Sterling, 11, a sixth-grader at Paint Branch Elementary.

"I learned the true meaning of hard work and love," says Law, "Never take talents and gifts for granted."

To find out more about Colours and

showtimes, you can access the group's Web site at www.colours.org, or call 301-454-8388.