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American Dance: From Africa to Broadway

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 theater and stage dances we know today. From European classical court and folk dances and African plantation narratives, to vaudeville, tap, the […]

Afro-Puerto Rican Folkloric Music: la Bomba y la Plena

Segunda Quimbamba is a cultural gem based in Jersey City. Led by Master Drummer Juan Cartagena and Master Dancer Nanette Hernández, the band performs and teaches Afro-Puerto Rican folkloric music La Bomba and La Plena, honoring their ancestors and heritage through practicing this preservation. The call-and-response music creates a collaborative artistic space in Bomba for […]

Patterns in Nature: From Science to Art

This workshop (or series of) will focus on the beauty, design and function of patterns, forms and structures found in the natural world. Topics including branching, the spiral/Fibonacci, star/radial, retiform/mesh, hyperbolic geometry, symmetry, etc. will be explored. Students will observe and draw from natural specimens and images, define and study, then create 2D and 3D […]

ERACISM: Erasing Visual Racism

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. During this interactive workshop students will learn the power of anti-racist art by creating photography portraits and photo-collages. By students learning about and then confronting stereotypical images they […]

Good Character

This performance includes a series of interactive stories about good character told by Muslim grandmothers to their grandchildren. The performance is accompanied by percussive instruments from each of the countries presented, including Pakistan, America, China, Mali and Guyana. Highlights include the sharing of values that are similar across Muslim and non-Muslim countries as well as […]

Artistic Sculpture

In this virtual workshop, students will work with paper materials to create three-dimensional sculptures.  This creative process is linked to other content areas. Students draw on their imaginations, the principles of science, engineering and contemporary and historical artistic practices.  Triada’s approach helps students learn how to connect creative practices with academic success. This workshop places […]

No Mystery in Black History!

  This interactive program is filled with story, rhythm, history, and song. Featuring a call and response song followed by “An African Drum Story,” Queen Nur introduces various drums from West Africa and describes their communal importance. Engagement continues with Black History in the U.S. through freedom stories, civil rights chants, poetry, music and empowerment […]