Archives

Paper Quilling

Originating in 17th-century Europe, paper quilling is the art of rolling, shaping, and gluing thin strips of paper together to make complex designs.  Students will learn how to curl paper to create different shapes, and explore what makes good design and how to choose which colors and shapes to use to create dynamic three-dimensional pictures, […]

Tales from Turtle Island

Many Native Americans refer to North America as Turtle Island. Storyteller Rob Aptaker shares traditional Native tales, including Earth on Turtle’s Back (Iroquois), The Coming of Stories (Lenape), and more. Voices, gestures, animal sounds, and audience participation help bring the characters to life, along with authentic Native American songs accompanied by drum and rattle. Historic […]

From Africa to Brazil – The Afro Brazilian Folkloric Show

The ensemble brings the rich African influenced rhythms and dances originating in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, a region known for customs deeply rooted in the traditions and spirituality of ancestral Africa. Our ensemble tells the story of Africans brought to Brazil as slaves. To alleviate the suffering and preserve their identity they maintained their rituals, dances […]

Civil Rights Movements

This Hip Hop Fundamentals assembly focuses on student involvement in the American Civil Rights movement through dance, audience participation, and a variety of interactive activities. The dancers tackle racism, segregation, and the struggle for freedom in a safe, family friendly atmosphere. Students hear the words of Dr. King, learn how nonviolent direct action helped end […]

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 […]

I, Nat Love

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. This performance explores an uncommon narrative of the Old West while recreating a period in American history that has captivated generations ever since. The performance starts […]

The Ways of the Lenape

Who were the Lenape Native Americans of New Jersey and Pennsylvania? Following years of conversation and relationships with Native people, Rob Aptaker gives students the opportunity to explore the tools, clothing, toys, games medicine and music that have historically been a part of their daily lives, building a picture of pre-colonial life. Program options: In-person […]

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, […]

Yah-Oh-Way

Yah-Oh-Way means “It is good” in Hopi. This exciting and athletic performance by the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers highlights the depth and complexity of several Native American societies. Students witness the origins and meanings of songs, dances, and traditions of many tribes that inhabited North America before the arrival of Europeans. By participating in traditional ceremonies—including […]

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. […]