Arts-in-Education

Last week, we had our four very successful performances of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Although everything worked out in the end, we had to reschedule the performances due to weather conditions. This was my first show as the new arts management intern here at the Arts in Education office, and these first few days were very exciting. The Very Hungry Caterpillar was scheduled for February 1^st and 2^nd, but on the 31^st of January, we found out that we were getting a snow and ice storm during the days of the performances. Our arts in ed. staff, the PAC staff, and The Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia were able to collaborate, and reschedule the show for the 16^th and 17^th of February. Almost all the schools that had purchased tickets were able to make it on these days.  In the end, all 2,400 people over the four performances had a blast, and the arts won their fight against the chilly northeast winter weather. So far, this experience has been great, and I can’t wait for next year’s performance of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and the rest of our 2010-2011 season.

With only a week to go until Strega Nona kicks off our AIE 10-11 Season, the excitement is palpable. Tomie de Paola’s classic tale of a good-hearted witch and her magic pasta pot, will be wonderfully brought to life with music, songs, theatrical trickery and sheer mischievous pleasure, by the Active Arts Theatre for Young Audiences.  Both shows are sold out!  Cheers, to another great season.

-Woryeneh

AIE Arts Management  Intern

At the Performing Arts Center nothing gives us greater pleasure than when students send us written or painted responses to our performances!  Within weeks of a performance, the AIE mailbox is flooded with letters, stories, poems, and pictures from kids who want us to know how much they loved being here and what they learned.  The kids’ art work is gorgeously colorful and witty, the written comments both heartwarming and inspiring. (The spelling may be a bit off, but, hey, some of our correspondents are in kindergarten!)  Here is one sample by way of example. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!                                                                  

As we transition from the old AIE season into the New 10-11 Season  -(click to access season info) -our belief in the importance of Arts Education within the current climate is stronger than ever. The need for creativity, conceptual thinking, and the sheer joy of performing are crucial to a rounded education.

I was glad to see that David Brooks in the New York Times offered his support for arts education in his Opinion piece last Tuesday (NYTimes 6/8/10). It’s good to know that we’re playing our part in helping students, teachers and just about everyone else, wrestle with their “Big Shaggy”. Intrigued? Here is the article for your reading pleasure: 

Click here: David Brooks in The New York Times : \”History for Dollars\”

Laughter filled the Pepisco Theater Tuesday, when 800 middle grade students responded with surprise and pleasure to the Shakespeare Theatre Of New Jersey’s ShakespeareLive’s uproarious educational performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The event underscored our belief in AIE that no introduction to the Shakespeare, or any other playwright, is complete with seeing or participation in a live performance event.

My name is Gabe, AIE’s newest intern. I have been in the office for three weeks now, and so far it has been a great experience. I have really enjoyed immersing myself in AIE’s goal of exposing the young minds of our communities to the wonder of the arts. I believe that the arts are what inspire imagination and creativity, and having a role in providing that inspiration for students all over the area has been a great thrill for me. For the past few weeks I have been on the phone speaking with and getting to know some of the teachers, principals, and parents from schools all over the area, and getting to know all of you is really what makes this job fun and interesting.
This has also been a great experience as a student pursuing a career in the arts. I have been learning a lot from the AIE coordinator. Ian Driver has been a great teacher in providing me with information that I will continue to use long after I complete my internship here in AIE.

The Larry Kegwin Company dance project with the King Street School of Port Chester was a great success this past week. These are some pictures from the event that show the joy and energy of dance!

Tomorrow sees the culmination of a two-week, multi-session dance residency presented by choreographer Larry Keigwin and his company in King Street Elementary School in Port Chester.

Larry Keigwin, along with his collaborator Nicole Wolcott, have created 4 unique dance pieces (2 with the 4th grade and 2 with the 5th) based on student suggestions and creations. And, tomorrow, we share them with friends, parents and teachers. For all the pieces the students have devised titles, including “Kitchen Crew” and “The Eygptian”.
It’s been an amazing experience, featuring fun, laughter and the occassional accident – the usual trials and errors in group creation. When Larry asked the students today, “what have you enjoyed most about making these dances” the answers all focused on “teamwork, friendship, and partnership”. “I’m thinking of another word”, said Larry at the end of the conversation, “anybody know what it is?”. The answer was “collaboration”. A wonderful description of the process – a powerful collaboration between two great dancers and choreographers, and 80 talented students. I’m so pleased that we, at AIE, could play a part in making this happen.

Go Eygptians!