Teaching Footnotes: Reading Initiative Through Dance

RESIDENCY

Jalia Movement Arts

Students will engage in reading and interpreting age-appropriate poetry and prose by bringing its words to life through the use of dance. Through this experience, students will create and perform their interpretations of the texts. This residency may be offered in as few as 6 sessions or as an ongoing program.

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Virtual Option Available 

Wiggle With Words

RESIDENCY

Jalia Movement Arts

Students will explore expression through words they hear through fables, short stories, and poems. Young movers will expand their vocabulary and bring words to life through the medium of dance. This program may be offered in as few as 6 sessions or as an ongoing program.

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Virtual Option Available 

I Hear the Drum

RESIDENCY

Jalia Movement Arts

African dance celebrates life and joy. The cultural movement will be explored in conjunction with history, highlighting its unique dance styles and music. Connections are made between African dance and hip-hop that we know today. This can be taught as a one-time workshop or ongoing classes. A minimum of 8 classes is needed to prepare students for performance. If it is taught in conjunction with a cultural event, arrangements can be made so small artifacts can be brought in to further deepen learning.

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Virtual Option Available 

POETRY through the Ages

Workshop

Kalpana Subbarao

Using poetry from grade-specific curriculum and the story-telling Indian classical dance form Kathak, students will learn concepts of rhythm, meter, verse, mood, figurative language, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, etc. They will put together this information and gather an understanding of the content by creating movement and dance compositions.  Throughout this residency, the students will learn to build relationships and work with each other to solve problems with both critical and creative thinking.  This program works well with a poetry unit for the classroom with showcase performances to the class. A longer residency will allow the classroom to prepare a showcase performance for others. 

Yoga + Mindfulness

RESIDENCY

Kinetic Vibez

Kinect Vibez’ yoga element is designed to introduce participants to the basics of the yogic system which includes guided stretches, guided breathing practices, and guided sound-based meditation. Students will learn how to use these practices to develop a strong sense of mindfulness, increase mental and physical flexibility, and take control of any depression, anxiety, or stress they may be experiencing. Through our integrated curriculum, students will understand the correlation between hip-hop culture and yoga.

Pan-African Dance Workshop

WORKSHOP

Kucheza Ngoma Dance Company

The workshop teaches dance, drum and song instruction corresponding to West African dance and its influences in the Caribbean. Students will learn the accompaniment to traditional West African and West Indian folk rhythms, a selection of dance moves, and the corresponding songs. During the program, students will receive in-depth training in each genre to include song, dance, and percussion. Students will be in two groups: dancers and drummers.

Staging Stories! Workshop

Customized to fit desired TEKS 

WORKSHOP

Open Dance Project

Open Dance Project offers school audiences a multi-sensory feast of daring physicality and theatrical virtuosity. With content and themes that compliment students’ core curriculum subjects, Open Dance Project’s school shows and workshops move seamlessly in and out of dance, theatre, and music. In our performances, workshops and residencies, students learn to create, analyze and interpret original performance material based on content and themes pulled directly from their classroom work in English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies.

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*Subsidies available, call for details 

Henry the Hip Hop Hippo

WORKSHOP

Ondi Love

Presented by Fly Dance Company’s Jorge Casco, Henry is a positive Hippo surrounded by negative jungle animals. Henry turns the jungle brethren’s attitudes around by staying positive and influencing the animals with a dance challenge. Through this interdisciplinary literacy program, students help Henry and the jungle animals turn their negative attitudes into positive relationships through movement and self-reflection. Students are encouraged to be creative, make healthier decisions towards others and for themselves, and to find their place there they can be happy, active & positive like Henry the Hip Hop Hippo!

Rhythm Ride Residency

WORKSHOP

Ondi Love

Through this creative and fun production, students will learn the importance of Recycling and the effect it has on the environment by making instruments out of recycled materials. Using buckets, the students will learn different drum patterns and explore different beats. We’ll create fun skits with students using “beats, rhythm, & movement” as topics. We’ll pour into each student, and encourage their self-esteem and let them know they can achieve anything they put their mind to!

The Beauty Within: Hip-Hop

WORKSHOP

Rosie Barron

In an art form which is predominantly practiced by males, where do females stand in Hip Hop culture and dance? All too often they are stereotyped and put into a box and even portrayed in a negative light. Rosie Barron will help young girls realize that the beauty within Hip Hop is in themselves, instilling values, confidence and motivation to stand out and stand apart while teaching a clean style of Hip Hop dance that is fun and challenging at the same time. A short writing exercise will develop self-affirmation and students will be encouraged to continue developing new ideas in dance.

Exploring Indian Classical Dance

WORKSHOP

Silambam Houston

This workshop will allow students to explore the vocabulary of movements, gestures, and facial expressions that form the basis of Indian classical dance and use this vocabulary to create their own piece of artistic expression. Our workshops can be modified to fit into one class period (45 minutes) or can be extended up to 2 hours. Over the course of the workshop, students will:

• Learn about the history and origins of Indian classical dance

• Preview photographs of historic temple sculptures showing dance poses

• View videos and images of Indian classical dance through the centuries

• Explore basic technique and gestural vocabulary, progressing from simple to intermediate

• Use expressive facial and gestural movements to interpret a favorite poem, passage, or rhyme

• Learn a simple choreography sequence*

These workshops can be tailored to grades K–12, and can be most effectively targeted to participants from 2 to 3 consecutive grade levels. 
*This portion of the workshop can be modified to integrate a STEAM activity – instructors will guide students to explore, express, and visualize grade-level-appropriate STEM concepts through the choreography sequence.