🎶 Drumming, dancing, singing, drawing, and storytelling! 🎶
YA offers many exciting and dynamic programs for Black History Month in February.
Our talented teaching artists offer joyful learning experiences that celebrate many African cultures. Students learn about history and the importance of respecting cultural differences through many different art forms.
Who’s ready to join the celebration during Black History Month?
Grade Levels: Pre-K–5th Baba Bomani’s program uses rhythm and rhyme to explain basic reading and math concepts such as how to recognize syllables and showing how a rapper’s flow is simply a number bond math equation! Students have fun breaking...
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: 3rd–12th Frederick Douglass Writing Club brings history to life and ignites students’ creativity. Baba Bomani opens by introducing himself and his community through music, setting an energetic tone.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: 2nd–12th Hip Hop Fundamentals , Hip Hop Fundamentals
Kids learn best when they can actively take part in what they’re studying.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–12th Two versatile dancers the OKRA Dance Company take you on a cultural tour through three centuries of American history to explore how the combination of migration, culture and communication created the popular American...
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–12th This interactive program is filled with story, rhythm, history, and song.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Pre-K–6th Queen Nur, an international storyteller and Dwight James, renowned jazz drummer present a flavorful seasoning of interactive tales from the African and African American Oral Tradition that will ground you in tradition,...
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–8th The Beats Beneath my Feet assembly features award-winning performing artist Quynn Johnson.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Pre-K–12th The drum is the heartbeat! Percussionist Senfu Stoney and other world-class musicians teach students about varied instruments and diverse cultures around the world.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–8th Rochel Garner Coleman plays the Black cowboy Nat Love. The performance chronicles the journey of a former slave who joined thousands of others to explore and settle the West.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: 3rd–8th Shadow Ball pays homage to the men who played in Negro League baseball and paints a picture of America’s suffering during the Great Depression.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–8th Soul Steps speaks the language of rhythm! This showcase of the African-American dance tradition known as “stepping” explores how step started among African-American fraternities and sororities on college...
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–8th This jubilant assembly introduces students to the artistry of East African cultures through dance, music, and storytelling.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–8th Gifted storyteller TAHIRA shares tales of freedom fighters in this dramatic performance.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: 2nd–8th When a child tells his aunt about a bully on his bus, she gives him advice by recounting the tale of Rosa Parks and the events that led to a revolution in racial justice.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: Pre-K–6th Jammin Djembe Folktale Sizzle carries the audience on a storytelling journey across Africa, the Caribbean and the Canary Islands.
Program Type: Assembly Performances
Grade Levels: 1st–12th In Beats Beneath My Feet 101, students enjoy learning ways to create their own rhythm with tap dance. Students learn basic tap steps and explore the elements of dance and music.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–12th The REMIX is an action-packed, rhythmic roller coaster, that explores the five elements of percussive dance (rhythm, energy, musicality, improvisation, and our x-factor).
Program Type: Assembly Performances
A travel fee of $95 is applied for each day.
Grade Levels: 3rd–12th Stereotypical images have negatively impacted the self-esteem of people for hundreds of years. We will examine how these negative images are used in media, cartoons, and in art.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: 3rd–12th In this dynamic and fun, hands-on workshop, fine art photographer Erik James Montgomery introduces students to both historic and contemporary photographic practices while building visual literacy and creative confidence.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–12th Students will amaze themselves as they learn basic moves and create their own choreography by exploring the American art form of Breakin’.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: Kindergarten–5th Students will learn the language of rhythm from acclaimed tap dancer and choreographer Maurice Chestnut. Each session begins with a rhythm stretch and a percussive call and response warm-up.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: 1st–12th In Beats Beneath My Feet 101, students enjoy learning ways to create their own rhythm with tap dance. Students learn basic tap steps and explore the elements of dance and music.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: 2nd–8th This Soul Steps program explores the rich African-American cultural tradition known as step.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: K–12 Using vocal and songwriting techniques rooted in the traditions of Soul Music, students will learn how to express and celebrate themselves through song.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: 3rd–12th Students learn traditional drum rhythms and dances from different regions of Uganda in this workshop with Ssuuna.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: 3rd–8th In Stories of Africa, students take a journey through the African Diaspora via story.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
Grade Levels: 4th–12th This poetry performance workshop offers a dynamic and interactive learning experience.
Program Type: Workshops / Residencies
A travel fee of $95 is applied for each day.
Programming Director