Washington Performing Arts Teaching Artists

Beat Ya Feet (Rhythmic Percussion Dance)

PROGRAM OPTIONS
Geometry “Angle Dance”: We use dance movements and poses that give students a visual recollection of basic angles and terms commonly used in basic geometry. This helps youth identify and understand geometric figures, angles and terms.

Life Skills “CHOICES”: We produce and act out skits that show the importance of decision-making, and how daily decisions affect the outcome of various situations in life through dance.

African Heritage “Taking it back”: We share a unique understanding about traditional African culture by relating the “Beat Ya Feet” dance styles with traditional tribal dances. While performing the routines we provide background information on each of the dance styles. (Great for Black History Month.)

Health & Exercise “Beat Ya Feet Cardio”: We offer our fitness program initiative that was formed to tackle the obesity epidemic in youth. We empower the youth to be confident and use different dance styles to target different parts of the body during a workout.

Kevin Davis, known as “Noodlez” in the dance community, is the leader of the third generation of Go-Go Music’s Beat Ya Feet Dance Movement. As an artist and educator, Kevin represents dance excellence in the Beat Ya Feet dance style and has opened up doors for the younger generations by teaching them different ways to thrive within the community while empowering them with dance skills, in addition to providing emotional support and realistic advice.

Kevin has been in the movement for about ten years and has earned the title of “fan favorite” through winning dance battles and representing DC in competitions. He has recently invented a new dance move for the Beat Ya Feet style and actively brings innovation to the style as a whole by incorporating retro dance moves stemming from his early interest in dance, which is heavily inspired by the iconic moves of Michael Jackson. Kevin was introduced to the Beat Ya Feet style in middle school and dived more into the Beat Ya Feet culture after meeting the second generation of the movement (including John Pearson, known as “Crazy Legs”) in high school. He has now taught the style for seven years and has mentored young artists during this time, including “Safee,” (a producer of Go-Go music infused with Rap) and Timothy (a Rapper/battle dancer).

Beat Ya Feet dancing is a bridge for the upcoming generations to keep the DC Go-Go music tradition alive. Our Go-Go culture is unique, and we encourage the community to embrace it and help it continue to evolve. As a leader of the third generation, Kevin strives to keep protecting and helping the culture evolve.

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 (Contemporary Dance)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
“Gather all four seasons today?? I’ll do it, but I have to be home by dinnertime. It’s mac and cheese night!” Follow one child’s journey around the globe in one day in To Sail Around the Sun with D.C. dance company, Company | E, and music ensemble Sound Impact in an enchanting tour of the world. Through dance, live music, and storytelling, To Sail Around the Sun travels beneath the springtime waves off the shores of Australia, deep into the summertime rainforests of Argentina, under the autumn leaves of Japan, and through the wintry snows of Kazakhstan in an adventure for children of all ages! Set to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and performed live by music group Sound Impact, To Sail Around the Sun is “an aural and visual feast” (Jennifer Perry, Broadway World). Students are encouraged to react to the performance: clap, gasp, laugh, cheer, etc.

To Sail Around the Sun was originally created by Company | E in 2017 for the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences program. It has been performed in 10 DC Public and Public Charter Schools since February 2022, and has debuted in Richmond, VA at Dogtown Dance Theater and Richmond Public Schools.

Company | E is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)3 nonprofit interdisciplinary dance and performing arts organization centered on contemporary dance, movement education, and arts exchange programming. The company’s mission is to foster mutual understanding in diverse cultures, both internationally and in the U.S., creating capacity, developing excellence, providing educational programs, and concertizing with U.S. and international artists in collaborative and interdisciplinary capacities. The company has worked in 45 countries with the U.S. Department of State and through private presenters. Company | E’s educational programming includes a studio for dance, the Movement Center, as well as in-school programming in education and performance in DCPS and DC Public Charter Schools.

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)

PROGRAM OPTIONS
Keeping the Beat: Multicultural Influences in American Music and Dance
Footworks conveys the power and joy of percussive dance while illuminating the multicultural roots of American music and dance, including African, European, and Native American traditions. Live music and an exciting array of percussive dances are performed, including step dance, gumboot dance, tap, clogging, and hamboning, along with inspiring audience participation.

Irish Roots and American Branches is a celebration of Irish culture with live music and percussive dance and their descendant American styles. With intricate footwork and high-energy music, this show is a celebration of Irish and American culture. Footworks’ talented dancers, musicians, and singers will take you on a journey through Ireland’s rich cultural heritage, featuring sean nos steps, jigs, reels, and illuminate an American story with tap, Appalachian clogging, and more. Footworks will get you tapping your feet, singing along, and feeling the joy of traditional music and dance so come along and join in the fun!

Build A Better World
Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble presents “Build A Better World”, a family-friendly show for all ages that includes live music, dancing, audience participation, and lots of fun that will inspire students and audiences of all ages to do their part to build a better world. Come join world-class artists as they perform an interactive and uplifting show that is sure to get you smiling, toe tapping, singing and clapping!

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!”

Friday Morning Music Club (Classical Music)

PROGRAM OPTIONS
FMMC offers in-school classical music programs performed by small chamber ensembles. These engaging presentations feature music from the 17th through the 21st centuries, exposing students to a wide range of styles, composers, and instruments. Each session includes a 20–30 minute concert and can be followed by a Q&A or an interactive discussion of the music and instruments.

Our goal is to spark curiosity, creativity, and appreciation for music—especially in students who may have limited access to live performance. Programs are flexible, age-appropriate, and designed to fit within a typical school schedule.

About the Friday Morning Music Club
Founded in 1886, the Friday Morning Music Club (FMMC) is a community of dedicated musicians and music lovers committed to sharing classical music throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. For nearly 140 years, we have provided free public concerts as a cultural service to the community. Our performing members—professional and highly accomplished amateur musicians from diverse backgrounds—give over 60 chamber concerts annually.

FMMC is committed to nurturing the next generation of music lovers. Our school outreach program brings live classical music directly to students, introducing them to the richness of musical expression and the joy of live performance.

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.”

Kalanidhi Dance (South Indian Dance)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Our assembly is based on the South Indian dance style Kuchipudi, which is inherently a dance drama form. We introduce Kuchipudi to the students as comprising three main elements: 1) rhythm and footwork, 2) hand gestures, and 3) facial expressions, all of which combine to tell stories through dance.

Rhythm and footwork: We teach the students how to say a simple 4-beat sequence in traditional Kuchipudi syllables through call and response. They then keep the beat for the dancers as we create patterns and variations within the beats. The dancers then perform a short segment of a dance in which the students can identify these rhythmic patterns. Hand gestures: We then introduce them to the vast vocabulary of hand gestures used in Kuchipudi. Students learn between 2-3 gestures and learn a variety of applications for each gesture. Facial expressions: Students then learn how Kuchipudi dancers use facial expressions to show emotion. Student volunteers are asked to demonstrate how they can show various emotions by using their faces and bodies like dancers. Students then see how the gestures, when combined with facial expressions, communicate meaning by watching a segment of a dance.

Finally, the dancers talk about how Kuchipudi uses all three elements to enact stories through dance. We then perform the story to original music that has been specially commissioned and composed for Dancing Stories and which is narrated in English. We then bring a few students up to learn how to dance like the characters while the others keep the beat for them like they learned during the call and response section.

Kalanidhi Dance is committed to the preservation, promotion and education of Kuchipudi, an Indian classical dance style that originated in Andhra Pradesh, India. Since its founding in 1991, the Kalanidhi Dance School has provided high quality dance education to the Washington metropolitan region.

Kalanidhi Dance offers classes, workshops, and performances at schools and community centers led by our professional dancers and teaching artists as a part of the outreach.

Kalanidhi Dance captivates audiences with exquisitely conceptualized performances that push Kuchipudi in new and exciting directions. The New York Times has called Kalanidhi a “combination of bright energy, full-bodied sweetness and rapid precision” and “a rare amalgam of prime dance virtues.” The company presents its work regularly at prestigious venues in the U.S. and around the world. In 2007, the company became the first ensemble based outside India to perform at the Delhi Ananya Festival. According to The Hindu, the company “took the audience by storm.” Kalanidhi Dance’s work is recognized and funded by Maryland State Arts Council and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and National Endowment for the Arts.

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

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
KanKouran showcases the dances and instruments of Senegal, Guinea, and Mali. Students explore nonverbal means of communication and participation through dance and percussive instruments, and learn African cultural traditions through the arts. Accompanied by the djembe and doundoun drums, the dancers also use such instruments as the balafon and shekere. The program objective is to increase the audiences understanding and appreciation of African culture via the presentation of traditional African dance and music.

KanKouran West African Dance Company was founded in Washington, DC, by Artistic Director and Senegalese native, Assane Konte. The Company’s success is perhaps best judged by its longevity and the large number of company members who are involved in diverse academic, professional, and entrepreneurial pursuits, 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. Since 1983, KanKouran has established itself as a premier center for the study and performance of traditional West African dance. Weekly classes for adults and children have been a key component of furthering the Company’s mission and establishing an appreciation for African performing arts. The Company has also worked extensively to bring African dance and drum to children of all ages through various in-school and extra-curricular programs. KanKouran performs concerts based on the traditions and rituals of West Africa and has showcased at numerous national and international venues, local and federal government agencies, civic and private organizations, and educational institutions throughout the U.S.

kankouran.org

Karen O. Brown (Visual Arts)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
As a professional arts educator and visual artist, Karen draws students into learning curriculum as they discover the joys of artistic expression. She teachs workshops, residencies and professional development with a concentration on arts integration, cultural studies, social justice and ecology for Howard University’s African Studies Department, Africa Access, The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, and Teaching for Change and numerous public libraries. She has led professional development workshops for Native American Teachers in North Dakota for the Smithsonian’s Education Outreach Program and conducts workshops for the District of Columbia Public Schools to train early childhood educators. She is currently working with Howard University and Princeton University on a project focused on Ethiopian manuscripts.

Karen has permanent art installations at the DC Arts Commission, Children’s National Medical Center and the DC Convention Center as well as a mural based on the art of the Ndebele people of South Africa. With a background in art and anthropology, Brown is an avid traveler, and has studied and worked in Poland, Russia, Japan, India and Haiti and has traveled to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Cuba, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Eastern and Western Europe, and South Africa.

Her international travels inform and enrich her creative and imaginative approach to teaching. Her education includes graduate studies in textiles, ceramics, sculpture, 3-D and surface design, bookmaking, and photography.

Karen’s teaching methods reach all types of students and their individual learning modalities. Content is deepened as art is infused into every aspect of classroom curriculum. She is passionate about her work with students and teachers and loves bringing creative and thoughtful learning to all.

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.

Rhythm Wranglers (Percussion Music & Storytelling)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Rhythm Wranglers
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 (Spanish Dance)

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.