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Diaspora West African Drum and Dance Traditions Workshop

  This program is an intense study of the elements of various Diaspora West African drum, dance, song, storytelling, and masquerade traditions from Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Ghana. This Jeannine Osayande & Dunya Performing Arts Company workshop allows students to understand how dance is used to communicate in different ways, and how dance […]

Freedom Stories

Gifted storyteller TAHIRA shares tales of freedom fighters in this dramatic performance. A compelling look at the people who took extraordinary risks for freedom, the program can be tailored to highlight such topics as the Civil Rights Movement, Black women in history, or the Underground Railroad. The program includes freedom songs such as “John the […]

Shadow Ball

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. Rochel Garner Coleman plays Cool Papa Bell, one of the League’s most famous players. A sterling fielder and an outstanding batter (regularly averaging over .400), Bell was legendary for his uncanny […]

Harriet Tubman: The Chosen One

Available On-Demand only for the 2021-22 School Year. Gwendolyn Briley-Strand’s powerful one-woman performance takes students along on one of the many treks Harriet Tubman made on the Underground Railroad. Through rousing song, insightful history, and extraordinary acting, this program helps students understand the strength, courage, faith, and steadfastness of this remarkable American, once enslaved herself, […]

Eda Ne Kakati (From the Past to the Present)

This jubilant assembly introduces students to the artistry of East African cultures through dance, music, and storytelling. Sharing music from his native Uganda and authentic East African instruments, Ssuuna inspires students to compare cultures and to learn the importance of respecting cultural differences. The program ends in celebration as students play alongside Ssuuna and learn […]

A Seat for Rosa

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. This poignant Yearning to Learn production includes many songs of the Civil Rights era and brings this historical time to life. […]