Washington Performing Arts Teaching Artists

Beat Ya Feet Academy (Rhythmic Percussion Dance)

Founded by John Pearson, III and Porche Anthony, Beat Ya Feet Academy™ is the premier dance and arts education organization dedicated to preserving, expanding, and promoting D.C.’s native street dance style: Beat Ya Feet™. Under their leadership, Beat Ya Feet™ has evolved from an iconic local movement into a globally recognized cultural art form, expanding through international hubs in Poland, India, the Philippines, and Brazil. Beat Ya Feet Academy™ blends the high-energy, syncopated Go-Go music traditions of Washington, D.C. with intricate percussive footwork, athletic agility, and contemporary movement into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate rich cultural history, storytelling, humor, call-and-response, and dynamic audience participation. Through its core mission to ENGAGE, EDUCATE, and EMPOWER, Beat Ya Feet Academy™ uses dance as an educational tool for young people and adults—focusing on academic retention, physical wellness, teamwork, and cross-cultural understanding. Guided by the philosophy of impacting the community “one step at a time,” Beat Ya Feet Academy™ continues to inspire audiences, transform classrooms, and represent Washington, D.C. on
stages across the world.

PROGRAM OPTIONS

• The Rhythm of D.C.: Beat Ya Feet™ & The Power of Movement
  Appropriate for: Grades Pre-K–12 (Adaptable by grade level)
• Format: Interactive Live Performance & Assembly (45–60 minutes)

Get Ready to Beat Ya Feet™!
Step into the vibrant heartbeat of the Nation’s Capital with Beat Ya Feet Academy™! This high-energy, interactive school assembly introduces students to Beat Ya Feet™—Washington, D.C.’s native street dance tradition.

Through live performance, historical storytelling, and audience participation, students explore how the percussive, syncopated rhythms of Go-Go music shaped a movement style that has captivated youth worldwide. The blend of technical footwork, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding!

What Students & Teachers Will Experience:

• The History & Heartbeat of D.C.: Discover the rich cultural origins of Beat Ya Feet™ and its deep roots in Washington, D.C.’s local music heritage.
• Interactive Audience Participation: Students don’t just watch—they get active!
  Audience members learn foundational Beat Ya Feet™ footwork, participate in rhythmic call-and-response, and experience the supportive energy of the cipher.
• D.C. to the World: Learn how Beat Ya Feet Academy™ connects local D.C. street dance to global communities across Poland, India, the Philippines, and Brazil.
• Movement & Academic Retention: See firsthand how rhythmic movement, spatial awareness, and body percussion reinforce focus, memory, and classroom engagement. By connecting culture, history, and active movement, Beat Ya Feet Academy™ leaves students and educators energized, confident, and ready to impact their school community—one step at a time.

Christine Kharazian (Classical Music & Visual Arts)

Music & Painting: Sounds and Colors and What They Unveil
What do a Monet painting and a Debussy piece have in common? How does the swing of Duke Ellington’s music resonate with the worlds Jacob Lawrence and Beauford Delaney painted?

In this interactive program, students discover the fascinating relationship between sound and color across cultures and centuries. Masterpieces of Vivaldi, Mozart, Debussy, Ravel, Khachaturian, Joplin and Duke Ellington are paired with works of Leonardo da Vinci, Goya, Monet, Renoir, Jacob Lawrence, and Beauford Delaney. Together, we’ll explore how art and music don’t just mirror history but also shape the way we see and feel the world of their time.

• Appropriate for Grades 3–12 (can be adapted for younger grades)
• Requirements: tuned piano & digital projection screen

Students leave with fresh insights, inspired to listen, look, and imagine in new ways.

Christine Kharazian is a concert violinist from Armenia with a rich background as both performer and educator. She has performed with the Armenian National Opera’s Symphony and the Sharakan Ensemble of Ancient and Medieval Music, and since moving to Washington, D.C. in 1999, she has been an active performer in classical, jazz, and world music. Her versatility spans Gypsy Jazz, Brazilian Choro, and other world and ethnic music traditions, as well as collaborations with theater and ensembles such as Orchester Praževica.

She has taught violin and string orchestra at Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Sidwell Friends, and as well as at Fillmore Arts Center and Fairfax public schools, bringing her interactive approach to a wide range of students. Christine is also the author and presenter of innovative programs that connect music with other art forms, making classical music engaging and relevant for today’s students.

Christine’s original composition Valse Astolfi won Second Prize in the international Unsigned Only competition (2021).

Company E – Tara Compton

Program description to come.

Denna S. Purdie (Strings & Cello Music)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Ms. Purdie, a native of Washington, DC, has been teaching and playing the cello for many years. She has taught violin, viola and cello for Ottley Music School in Hyattsville, Md and Fillmore Arts Center in Washington, D.C. She is currently teaching for the D.C. Youth Orchestra Program and has been there for many years. She is part of the Visiting Artists Program in the DCPS for Washington Performing Arts Organization. Ms. Purdie is the Director of Strings and the Cello Technique Instructor at Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts and teache . Outside of DC, she teaches cello for the PG Philharmonic Symphony Kids.

Ms. Purdie studied cello with Ronald Feldman of the Boston Symphony, Robert Newkirk at Catholic University and with Russian Cellist, Sieva Lezhnev. She was the first black female to join the U.S. Marine Band, “The President’s Own”, playing cello for four Presidents and retiring as a Gunnery Sergeant. Ms. Purdie is co-founder of “Strings for Christ Ministries”. She is a member of the Soulful Symphony conducted by Darin Atwater. She has played with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra, the American Studio Orchestra and is currently playing with PG Philharmonic.

Mrs. Purdie loves teaching and instills in her students a love for both music and the instrument. She has traveled outside of the states playing with students from the Ottley Music School in Trinidad & Tobago. She was part of a ministry team from McLean Bible Church that traveled to the Ukraine to teach at a summer music camp for children. She feels that since music is a universal language, it is imperative that we support our children involved in music, helping the world to be a better place.

DMV Music Academy (Percussion Music)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Mr. Drah works very closely and frequently with the DMV Percussion Academy. He is a highly featured artist who readily performs at many venues with fervent initiative. Mr. Drah teaches a wide range of students from K-12 through college. Mr. Drah has proven himself efficient within clinics, workshops, and various high-level performances. Via Mr. Drah’s instruction, students will develop a thorough sense of time, feel, improvisational composition, and musical objective fulfillment.

Mr. Drah holds a reputation as being a well-rounded instructor due to his emphasis on fundamentals. Being known for his approach to essential rudiment implementation, encouragement of creativity, and overall rhythmic comprehension, Mr. Drah’s love for what he does speaks through his work and the candid feedback of his students. Mr. Drah also has notoriety for arranging in accordance with the playing ability of his students, preparing them for whichever next step they have planned within their musical journey.

Dr. Don Johns is in demand as a performer and educator in the greater DC metro area. He is a regular substitute musician with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and various groups around the region. He is been principal timpani for Apollo Orchestra since 2014. He also plays with the Gateways Festival Orchestra and the Colour of Music Orchestra – two groundbreaking ensembles highlighting black classical musicians. He is the Founder and Director of the DMV Music Academy, a non-profit working to expose, engage, and enrich young people through all forms of instrumental music education. Don holds a DMA from Shenandoah Conservatory along with a MM and BM from University of Maryland. He also serves as the President of the Maryland/Delaware Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. He is endorsed by Yamaha, Innovative Percussion, and Black Swamp Percussion.

Raja Drah is a highly experienced semi-professional percussion artist who extends his support and earnestly spreads his knowledge of music on a multicultural basis. Specializing in drum set performance, marching percussion, and a broad spectrum of hand percussion, Mr. Drah has been thoroughly immersed and well-versed within the percussion world for 20-plus years and counting. Mr. Drah holds immensely vast wisdom in multiple genres, most notably, but not limited to, Gospel, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latino, Jazz, Big band/Marching band, Concert, and Funk music. Having worked with ensembles such as The Tuskegee University Concert Choir, David Banks Gospel Jazz Collective, Mission 253, Alabama Mass Band, The 369th Experience, Bill Perry Jazz Trio, and countless others. As an educator, Mr. Drah has worked and still works with students from the elementary to collegiate level in New York, Alabama, and here in the DMV, having no boundaries regarding his preferred clientele group. Students can expect an engaging and thoroughly passionate teaching style from Mr. Drah, prone to teaching life lessons in tandem to music that Students can carry through life. Mr. Drah is a member of Mu Phi Sigma National Percussion Fraternity, Inc., and Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity.

Finding Rhythm (Music & Science)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Join Finding Rhythm for a musical and scientific journey through your musical brain! Covered by NBC4, DCist and dubbed “The most DC thing” by WUSA9 news, Finding Rhythm teaches children how rhythm grows their brains, and helps them find the source of their individual power… and their connection with community. Finding Rhythm had its world premiere at the Kennedy Center Family Theater in 2023, and is now an educational curriculum in elementary through high schools across the nation’s capital. Their single, Soul. Beat. Connection., inspired by Washington DC’s indigenous and official music, go-go, invites families of all backgrounds to honor and reflect on the origins of musical rhythm, and to respect the power of rhythm in brain growth and community healing. In this interactive performance, the Scientist, Father Rhythm, and Sister Song will share their music and teachings, and help children to find their rhythm and grow their brains.

Dr. Jessica is a music neuroscientist and the creator of the Finding Rhythm project. Dante’ Pope is a touring musician, educator-advocate, and the music arranger and producer for Finding Rhythm. Rochelle Rice is an award-winning jazz, soul and folk vocalist and host of Tell Her This podcast. Sylvia Soumah is the founder of Coyaba West African Dance Theater.

Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble (Percussive Dance & Live Music)

 
PROGRAM OPTIONS
World Dance: Music and Melody from Across The Globe
Embark on a captivating journey into the realms of rhythm, music, and percussive dance with the “World Dance” presentation by the Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble. This mesmerizing performance brings forth the rich tapestry of traditional dance and music from various corners of the globe, including Ireland, South Africa, China, Mexico, and the United States. Led by the virtuoso performers of Footworks, this interactive assembly invites students to join in, singing along, creating rhythms, and dancing to live music. It’s a joyous celebration of diverse world cultures that promises to engage and inspire all in attendance.
Grades: Early Learning, PreK-1st grade and K-12, All Ages

Celebrating over 45 years as a performing arts ensemble, Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble is an internationally recognized, roots-based music and dance company showcasing the cultural diversity of percussive dance. Footworks has a reputation for exceptional performances, bringing the joy and energy of percussive dance and music to audiences worldwide. All of Footworks programming is a celebration of cultural diversity and the joy of live music and dance.

Footworks is recognized for over 45 years in Arts-In-Education and is dedicated to teaching and working with youth and adults of all ages. Footworks’ prides itself in making learning fun and accessible for all ages and skill levels and in getting everyone dancing, singing, and feeling the joy of music, rhythm, and dance.

Footworks offers a wide range of services including theater productions, festival performances, community concerts, workshops, arts-integrated school assemblies and residencies, and youth and community outreach programming. The Washington Post declares, “The eruptive joy of Footworks dancers is as contagious as laughter!”

Imani Gonzalez (World Music & Jazz)

PROGRAM OPTIONS
World and Jazz music are tools for understanding relationships between music and other cultures. Through other cultures, we come to know and appreciate Jazz as America’s only original contribution to Western music and the significance of our American culture and its’ history.

World Music Program
This performance gives a tremendous new way to bring young people into the living, breathing vitality of other cultures. Through songs and stories, participants learn about the lifestyles and values of children in these faraway countries and come to appreciate the similarities and differences between these cultures and their own. It’s highly participatory while learning all songs through the traditional way of call & response.

Jazz Program
This fun and interactive performance features an introduction to Jazz music. Imani with a trio, will perform and participants will learn songs through call & response and feel the richness and importance of this American culture.

Imani Gonzalez is an international and national and professional jazz/world vocalist. Her voice is featured on many of the National Geographic Television’s Explorer Series soundtracks, including the Emmy-nominated film Jane Goodall: My Life with Chimpanzees. Imani has had the honor of performing, touring, and recording with renowned artist, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for eight consecutive years. Since 2016, Imani has been a grant recipient of the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities. Since 1989, Imani has held the distinction of being the first and only American woman who performs, tours, and records with the traditional Ghanaian ensemble ODADAA. She has written two children’s world music books entitled, Dhimiki and Iyipo Ayé with sing-a-long compact discs, which have received rave reviews from teachers, students, universities and libraries. The Washington Post has called Imani “one of the most important vocalists of all times.”

Johnny L. Walker, Jr. (Strings)

Program description to come.

KanKouran West African Dance Company (African Dance/Drums/Vocal)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
EXPERIENCE AFRICA RESIDENCY: LESSON PLAN
“Experience Africa” will integrate arts into the curriculum by utilizing movement, area studies, art, history, geography, singing, writing, and various means of creative expression as its tools for implementing the program.

CLASS LENGTH AND GRADE LEVEL:
45-60 minutes for Grade Levels K-12

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING: Traditional dances and drum rhythms promote communal harmony, self-discipline, sharing, and respect for elders.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

1. How can students understand traditional values in African dances and drum rhythms?
2. How can students find meaning in their own lives through traditional African dance and drumming?

OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will develop an understanding of African cultural traditions;
2. Students will explore non-verbal means of communication;
3. Students will be introduced to the history, language and traditions of African dancing and drumming.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Students will learn several songs and dances to demonstrate how values are conveyed;
2. Students will gain an understanding and appreciation for traditional African culture; and
3. Students will use instruments to accompany the dances and communicate messages to the dancers.

ASSESSMENT TOOLS:

1. Observation – students are observed executing the movements;
2. Skills Tests – students will be evaluated through skills tests that will allow them to demonstrate their ability to translate instruction into action;
3. Written Assignments – students will be evaluated through written assignments to assess their understanding and retention of information; and
4. Performance – students will be required to perform several choreographed selections for their parents and classmates.

CONTENT STANDARDS ADDRESSED: (DC Standards)
Strand I – Understand and create choreographic forms and meaning in dance
K.1.2: Explore a movement that expresses a feeling idea or image
2.1.2: Improvise dance movements based on a theme inspired from music, a song, a story or a poem
3.1.3: Respond to a variety of motivational stimuli in a movement to communicate literal or non-literal ideas in solo duet and group forms

Strand II – Performance
K.2.3: Dance to a steady beat of different tempos: fast, medium and slow
2.3.2: Understand the dance studio, stage and theatre as special places for dance, not general play or games
4.2.4: Perform a dance phrases, using changes in dynamics (energy) to reflect different ideas, feelings and meanings

Strand III – Analysis and Critique
2.3.2: Understand that the dance studio, stage and theatre are special places for dance, not general play or games
5.3.2: As an audience member, respect and honor the dancer for their devoted work in training, rehearsing, and performing dance

Strand IV – Interconnect: Apply dance and movement concepts to construct meaning and understanding in the arts, other subject areas, literacy, historical periods and multiple cultures
K.4.4 Observe dances from different cultures and describe what is interesting about the dances

National Standards for Music:
#8 Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts

Achievement Standards:
Students identify similarities and differences in the meanings of common terms (e.g., form, line, contrast) used in the various arts. Students identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music (e.g., foreign languages: singing songs in various languages; language arts: using the expressive elements of music in interpretive readings; mathematics: mathematical basis of values of notes, rests, and time signatures; science: vibration of strings, drum heads, or air columns generating sounds used in music; geography: songs associated with various countries or regions).

National English/Language Arts:
K-12.9: Multicultural Understanding: Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles
K-12.10: Applying Non-English Perspectives: Students whose first language is not English make use of their first language to develop competency in the English language arts and to develop understanding of content across the curriculum.

National Social Sciences/Geography:
NSS-G.2.
Places and Regions
Standard 6:
Understands that culture and experience influence people’s perception of places and regions (Grades 3-5)

KanKouran, a U.S. based dance company founded in 1983 in Washington, DC, was formed by Executive Artistic Director Assane Konte and former Director of Music, Abdou Kounta, who grew up together in Dakar, Senegal.

For 43 years, KanKouran has been preserving and promoting traditional West African culture by providing quality entertainment and educational programs to local and national audiences in an effort to facilitate cross-cultural enrichment. The company was founded for the purpose of contributing to the extension of the arts by introducing the essence of traditional African dance to audiences; enriching American cultural heritage through the integration of authentic West African performing arts; and promoting intercultural understanding through education and the performing arts.

The company’s success is perhaps best judged by its longevity and by the large number of company and community members who are involved in diverse academic, professional, and entrepreneurial pursuits, and who credit KanKouran with instilling within them the discipline, pride, and commitment to self and community which have made their life pursuits meaningful as well as successful.

Over the years, KanKouran has established itself as the premier center for the study and performance of traditional West African dance and is home to three performing companies: the Senior Company (adults), Junior Company (teens), and Children’s company. KanKouran provides a wide range of services to the greater Washington, DC community through in-school performances and residencies; creative projects to engage hearing-impaired, physically challenged, and elderly populations; customized dance and drum workshops for all ages in the authentic dance and drumming styles of select West African ethnic groups; and staged performances at countless local, national, and international venues. In addition, KanKouran hosts the only national African dance conference in the U.S., featuring three days of dance and drum workshops, serving more than 3,000 participants annually.

KanKouran has served the Washington, D.C. area for more than 43 years through 12,500 dance classes, reaching 800,000 participants; 28,000 school performances for 11.2 million students; and 26,000 staged performances. The company now boasts over three generations of Washingtonians dedicated to preserving its rich legacy.

For more information, please visit kankouran.org.

Karin Paludan (Vocal Music)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Singing is My Superpower!
A joyous, inspiring and interactive program celebrating the power of the human voice. We all have a voice we can use to change the world! Join soprano, Karin Paludan, as she introduces students to the magical world of classical vocal music and inspires them to discover and celebrate the strength and power of their own voices. Through vocal exercises, storytelling, collaborative singing, guided imagery and audience participation, students will gain tools to explore and celebrate their “super power” within – learning and discovering ways they can strengthen and use their voices to empower themselves and change the world. Singing can be your “super power” too!

Karin is dedicated to reaching and connecting to audiences of all abilities, and specializes in inclusion and collaboration. She works with teachers to ensure that her performances meet the needs of every student.

An “outstanding voice,” according to the Washington Post, soprano, Karin Paludan works in opera, recital, operetta, cabaret and musical theater, and also works extensively in educational and community outreach through Washington Performing Arts, the National Symphony Orchestra and Music For Autism. Performing as a soloist in opera and recital she has performed throughout the United States with such companies as Community Concerts, New York City Opera, the Utah Festival Opera and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, at The Kennedy Center, The Library of Congress, The National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian. Karin is also a past regional Metropolitan Opera National Council award winner. An artist committed to connecting communities through the power of music, she believes we all have the potential to raise our voices and change the world. Karin is dedicated to reaching and connecting to audiences of all abilities, and specializes in inclusion and collaboration. She works with teachers to ensure that her performances meet the needs of every student.

Karon Johnson

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Creative Movement: Explore, Create & Connect
Grade Levels: K–12
Program Format: Workshop or Residency
Program Length: 45–75 minutes per session
Creative Movement: Explore, Create & Connect invites students to discover movement as a tool for creativity, expression, connection, and storytelling. Through an engaging, community-centered experience, students are introduced to movement concepts and have the choice of dance genres to explore, including ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, pom, and contemporary dance. Students also discover the history and cultural context connected to the dance forms they select.
Students are not simply learning steps; they are creators and co-authors of the artistic experience. Through guided movement exploration, improvisation, creative prompts, and
collaborative activities, students make artistic choices, experiment with movement, and compose original work individually and with their peers.
Community circles and relationship-building are woven throughout the experience, creating opportunities for students to connect, share ideas, reflect, and learn from one another. Students explore space, levels, pathways, rhythm, dynamics, shapes, patterns, and musicality while developing body awareness, coordination, collaboration, and confidence.
The program connects Dance/Arts and Health Education standards, allowing students to explore the relationship between movement, physical wellness, self-expression, social-emotional well-being, and healthy relationships. Students leave understanding that their choices, identities, experiences, and communities can inspire meaningful artistic work.

Karon Johnson, M.Ed., is a dance educator, choreographer, teaching artist, restorative practitioner, and curriculum writer with more than 20 years of experience. A certified Dance and Health educator and former public school Dance Director, she teaches ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, pom, and contemporary movement and currently serves as a Resident Choreographer with Washington Performing Arts.
Karon’s community-centered teaching practice is grounded in the belief that young people should be creators and co-authors of their learning. Her doctoral research examining school discipline, identity, student voice, and educational systems informs how she creates restorative, relationship-centered learning environments. Students working with Karon can expect to build dance technique, develop meaningful relationships through community circles, and explore the history and cultural context behind the dance forms they study. As creators, students make artistic choices, take creative risks, and collaborate to create original movement that reflects their identities, experiences, communities, and ideas.

As co-founder of LABX, Karon aligns educational and creative programming with community voice, evidence-informed practice, and cultural brilliance so youth experience agency, dignity, creativity, and belonging. A Wolf Trap grant recipient and PGCPS Teacher of the Year nominee, Karon is pursuing her Doctor of Education at Johns Hopkins University to inform educational practice, systems, and policy.

Michael Bowie (Strings)

Program description to come.

Patrick Lin

Program description to come.

Rhythm Wranglers (Percussion Music & Storytelling)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Rhythm Wranglers duo presents a participatory lecture/demonstration throughout which the artists perform short works on a wide variety of percussion instruments, whose origins and sonic properties are compared and contrasted. The program is adaptable for all audiences, and features segments on mallet percussion, Persian drum rhythms, Cuban conga rhythms, and even a spotlight on the phenomenon of the cajon’ in varied styles, including hybrid drum set. Peppered with units of vocal call-and-response, rhythm games, and the like, this rapid-fire program challenges audiences of all ages, and entices them with insights into such musical domains as meter, melody, syncopation and polyrhythm.

Bahkini Battery of Havana Select
Concerts by the Bahkini Battery of Havana Select feature bata drumming and singing from ancient Yoruba traditions, as they have been preserved and developed in Cuba. The intense, complex combination of rhythms and tones produced by the three batas (in effect a conversation by six hands) is varied and beautiful. Applying their collective 50 years of experience, in Cuba and Stateside, the trio plays authentic bata “tributes” for several of the colorful folkloric figures, often with exquisite Cantos, or songs. Narratives woven throughout the performance bring these characters’ distinctive attributes to life. When possible and practical, the group’s Director, Steve Bloom, leads the audience in simple, joyful dance moves.

Since 1969, Steve Bloom has performed and/or recorded in over a dozen countries. His work in Afro-Cuban folklore, Celtic music, and in Persian percussion has taken him to the Lincoln Center, to top-tier folk festivals around the U.S., and in 2006 Bloom performed for the United Nations General Assembly, presented by Ban Ki-Moon. He has been engaged for the last four years as “Resident Creative” at the National Building Museum.

Since receiving his Master’s Degree in Percussion Performance from Indiana University, Kevin Mott has toured and performed extensively in Europe, the Middle East, and has also been designing and building Marimbas and Xylophones, and offering master classes at universities and conservatories around the country on Marimba repertory, technique and design.

Step Afrika! (Dance & Step)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
For 30 years, Step Afrika!’s school-based programs have used the power of rhythm, movement, and storytelling to spark curiosity, build confidence, and connect the arts directly to academic growth. From early literacy through college readiness, each program is designed to meet students where they are—whether reinforcing vocabulary and motor skills in our Step Afrika! Reads program, exploring cultural history and social-emotional learning in Stepping with Step Afrika! and Step by Step, or fostering leadership, collaboration, and reflective writing in our residency Step Up to College. By blending performing arts with academic standards in literacy, cultural competency, and wellness, our workshops and assemblies engage students in joyful, active learning while strengthening skills in teamwork, critical thinking, and self-expression. With every beat, clap, and step, we inspire students to see the connection between the arts, education, and their own potential.

 

Story Tapestries (Storytelling)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Story Tapestries: Arianna Ross and The Ensemble executes performances and residencies that uses the arts as a means to bridge barriers and help individuals foster a deeper connection to what they are learning and teaching. Story Tapestries creates international, dynamic programs that weave the power of dance, music, theatre, hip-hop, rap, written word, visual art and spoken word with any school subject. For over 20 years, Arianna Ross and her ensemble of artists have performed across the United States in festivals, concert halls, colleges, libraries, and schools. They believe in the power of the arts to Empower, Educate and Engage.

Main Artists Available, offering customized arts integration programming:

• Arianna Ross (Storyteller, Dancer, Writer, and Theatre Artist)
• Valerie Baugh-Schlossberg (Director, Devising and Movement Artist, and Musical Theatre)
• Regie Cabico (Slam Poet, Spoken Word Artist, Writer, Theatre Artist)
• Bomani Armah (Hip-hop Artist, Poet, Songwriter, Producer, and Performer)
• Ashlee McKinnon (Hip Hop Dancer, Choreographer, Jazz Dance, Musical Theater, Modern Dance)
• Drew Anderson (Hip Hop Artist, Parody, Spoken Word, Poet, Songwriter, Producer, and Performer)
• Noa Baum (Storyteller and Theatre Artist)
• Jamaal Collier (Hip Hop, Poet, Writer, and Performer)
• Praneetha Akula (Dancer)
• Emma G (Musician, Songwriter)
• Suzanne Richard (Theatre Director, Writer)

Artist Art Forms Available:
All Theatre Topics:

• Acting Technique, Voice, Movement, Puppetry, Devised Theatre, Playwriting
• Dance Topics: All Forms, Technique, Choreography
• Music: Melody and Song Creation, Parody, Rhyme
• Storytelling: Building a Story, Voice, Reflective
• Poetry: (Spoken Word, Slam, Written)
• Hip Hop: Music, History, Dance, Spoken Word, Beat Boxing
• Visual Art: All mediums
• Media Arts
• Creative Writing
• Arts integrated lessons: Discovering the Power of the Written Word, Empowered Math Understanding, Stories in Motion, Math plus Dance=Learning, Explaining Science Through Story, Spoken Word, Slam Poetry, Hip Hop and Shakespeare, to just name a few.

PROGRAM OPTIONS
Click here to view a sample of Story Tapestries programs.

Ziva’s Spanish Dance Ensemble

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Teaching Artist Ziva Cohen guides students through a historical journey of the roots of flamenco Spanish dance. Using footwork, hand movements and basic choreography, students are led through an authentic flamenco routine. Participants learn about the influences that led to the creation of these unique dances. Through dance and positive energy, Ziva teaches students the importance of leadership, teamwork, and collaboration, helping build students’ confidence in many aspects of their lives. Residency activities conclude with the students performing an authentic Spanish dance, including costuming and accessories.

Ziva’s Spanish Dance Ensemble engages students of all ages with dances that were inspired by the culture of Spain’s Andalusia region. A skilled professional dancer and instructor, she blends traditional Spanish and modern dance, resulting in unique neoclassical choreography. Her ability to connect with students through creative expression while educating them about the historical influences of dance, has made Ziva one of the most sought-after teachers in the Washington, D.C., area.

Guest artists have come from a variety of dance and musical fields such as jazz, modern, tap, Indian, African, and Moorish. The Ensemble has appeared in venues throughout the Washington, DC, area including the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Corcoran Gallery of Art, George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium, Alden Theatre, Jack Guidone Theater, Dance Place, and the Atlas Theater. Ziva’s Spanish Dance Ensemble provides programs for diverse audiences, including embassies and numerous private engagements throughout the region.

A certified yoga instructor, she hosts special sessions for students focused on ways to combat bullying by improving mental and physical health as well as improving a student’s body image and increasing self-esteem.