Sesame Flyers “Fire & Ice” Band Launch | New York Carnival 2012
On May 3, 2012, Sesame Flyers International unveiled its “Fire & Ice” presentation for New York Carnival, giving masqueraders an early look at the costumes the Brooklyn organization would later carry onto Eastern Parkway for Labor Day.
Julianspromos documented the band launch through a series of videos, with Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson and Intrigue Lane handling the on-camera media coverage while Julian C. Hackett filmed the event.
Built around the contrast between heat and cold, Fire & Ice gave its designers room to interpret the theme through different colors, materials and costume styles.
Fire & Ice Comes to Life
A Carnival theme has to work as more than a name, and Fire & Ice offered Sesame Flyers a concept that could be interpreted in dramatically different ways.
Some sections leaned into bright, fiery colors and high-energy styling, while others used cooler shades, metallic accents and designs inspired by ice.
The individual sections remained distinct while still fitting into one larger presentation for New York Carnival 2012.
Sesame Flyers International unveils its Fire & Ice presentation in Brooklyn on May 3, 2012, with Julianspromos coverage hosted by Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson and Intrigue Lane and filmed by Julian C. Hackett.
Inside the 2012 Costume Lineup
Several of the individual sections from Fire & Ice can still be identified today.
The Coldest Blue, designed by Caprice and Akin, offered multiple costume options, including an elaborate midline presentation with a large headpiece.
Hypnotice, designed by Exotica Ladies, mixed gray, teal and red in a futuristic-looking section.
Another section, Concoction, designed by Sibongile, incorporated mesh, feathers and additional costume detailing.
A contemporary visit to the Sesame Flyers mas camp later that summer documented these sections as masqueraders prepared for Labor Day.
More costumes from Sesame Flyers’ Fire & Ice presentation during the May 3, 2012 New York band launch.
Concoction
The Concoction section became one of the portions of the launch preserved especially well in the Julianspromos footage.
The costumes combined bright Carnival colors, feathers and decorative elements while giving models different ways to interpret the larger Fire & Ice theme.
Costumes from the Concoction section of Sesame Flyers International’s Fire & Ice presentation for New York Carnival 2012.
Vivaa and Intrigue Cover the Band Launch
The 2012 launch featured Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson and Intrigue Lane on camera for Julianspromos.
Their coverage took viewers inside the presentation as Sesame Flyers introduced its costumes ahead of Labor Day, providing more than a simple runway recording of the launch.
Behind the camera, Julian C. Hackett filmed the event, preserving the presentation as part of Julianspromos’ New York Carnival coverage from 2012.
The combination of on-camera coverage and extended costume footage offers a closer look at how one of Brooklyn’s established mas bands prepared for Eastern Parkway months before Carnival day.
Sesame Flyers and Brooklyn Carnival
By 2012, Sesame Flyers International had already established itself as an important part of New York Carnival.
The Brooklyn-based organization combined Carnival participation with broader cultural, youth and community activities, while its adult mas band became a regular presence on Eastern Parkway.
Band launch season gave masqueraders their first opportunity to see the year’s costumes before choosing sections and preparing for Labor Day.
For Fire & Ice, the May launch was only the beginning.
From the Band Launch to Eastern Parkway
Four months later, Fire & Ice moved from the presentation stage onto Eastern Parkway for the 2012 West Indian American Day Carnival.
Sesame Flyers went on to finish second in the Adult Large Band competition.
The top three were:
Ramajay Mas — “Wings: We’re Flying”
Sesame Flyers International — “Fire & Ice”
Natural Freaks Unlimited — “Illusions”
Sesame Flyers also produced one of the year's standout individual portrayals, with Daryl Cox winning Adult King for “The Black Ice Warrior.”
Fire & Ice on the Road
Julianspromos later returned to Sesame Flyers for the Labor Day parade itself.
The September 3, 2012 road coverage documented Fire & Ice on Eastern Parkway, with Intrigue Lane interacting with the masqueraders while the costumes first introduced at the band launch were now part of the full Carnival presentation.
That later footage provides a natural continuation of the May band launch.
From the Julianspromos Archives
Sesame Flyers International’s May 3, 2012 Fire & Ice band launch preserves the beginning of one of New York Carnival’s leading large-band presentations that year.
With Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson and Intrigue Lane providing the on-camera Julianspromos coverage and Julian C. Hackett behind the camera, the surviving footage captures the costumes before they reached Eastern Parkway.
Four months later, Fire & Ice would finish second in the Adult Large Band competition, while The Black Ice Warrior earned Sesame Flyers the Adult King title.
The band launch and later road footage now offer two complementary views of Sesame Flyers’ Fire & Ice presentation — from its unveiling in Brooklyn to New York Carnival on Eastern Parkway in 2012.
