PROGRAMS
for YOUTH and SCHOOLS
"Thanks
for your outstanding assembly. It generated
alot of positive energy (which hopefully
will carry over to the testing period!)
I had an experienced teacher tell me that
it was the best assembly she's ever seen
- you taught geography, rhythm, etc. and
had excellent control (and she's been teaching
for 31 years!) Thanks again for providing
a real treat to our students."
-
Paul J., Principal of Saticoy School
INTERACTIVE
PERFORMANCES
Dancing Drum’s Interactive Performances combine high-energy drum performance with abundant opportunities for audience participation. Within the first minute, audiences are clapping, stomping, and playing rhythms, and the fun doesn't stop! We bring an array of African drums and invite groups of 10-20 people to drum with us onstage several times throughout the show. All Dancing Drum programs integrate music education with geography, social studies, history, and character education, giving audiences an unforgettable hands-on experience of the wonderful world of rhythm.
Choose
from 3 different shows:
"Drumming
Up World Music" takes
audiences on an exciting tour of the world
to experience the rhythms and music of
West Africa, the Caribbean, New Orleans,
and New York City – covering traditional
African drumming, steel drum music, parade
rhythms, and hip-hop beats. Students join
Dancing Drum onstage to learn drum rhythms
and dances from each destination. (Grades
K-12)
“Faces
of Culture: Masks and Drums of the World” brings
students an unforgettable experience of
the richness and diversity of the visual
and musical arts of the world. This interactive
performance combines stunning masks and
explosive drumming with art history, geography,
dance, and exciting audience participation
as we take an imaginative journey from
Africa to Central America, and beyond! (Grades
K-8)
"Drumming Up
Character" uses
original hip-hop music, interactive drumming, “character
raps”, and dances to highlight character
themes including Respect, Trustworthiness,
Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship,
Self-Control, Honesty, and Perserverance. (limit:
3 characters per hour show) This high-energy
program brings character education curriculum
to students in a fun, thought-provoking,
and musical way. (Grades K-8)
SCHOOL
RESIDENCIES
Dancing Drum School Residencies can last 1 week
to 1 month or more and involve drumming, mask-making,
performance, dancing, singing, geography, social
studies, and multicultural arts. All
School Residency programs end in a performance
for the school community. Residencies generally
require a minimum of 6-8 hours of class time
per maximum group of 30. Please contact us to
discuss the specific needs and resources of your
school.
Choose from 3 different programs:
"Drumming
Up World Music" takes
students on an exciting and informative tour of
the world to experience the rhythms and music
of West Africa, the Caribbean, New Orleans, and
New York City – covering traditional African
drumming, steel drum music, parade rhythms, and
hip-hop beats. Includes
a student workbook with reading and art activities.
Students learn drum rhythms and dances from each
destination and perform what they have learned
in a show for the school community. (Grades K-12)
“Faces
of Culture: Masks and Drums of the World” brings
students an unforgettable experience of the richness
and diversity of the visual and musical arts of
the world. Students make masks and learn drum rhythms
and dances from around the world, and feature what
they have learned in a final performance for parents
and the school community. (Grades K-8)
"Drumming Up Character" uses
original hip-hop music, live drum rhythms, “character
raps”, and dances to highlight character
themes including Respect, Trustworthiness,
Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship,
Self-Control, Honesty, and Perserverance. Includes
a student workbook with reading, writing, and art
activities. This high-energy program brings character
education curriculum to students in a fun, thought-provoking,
and musical way, ending in student performance
for the school community. For more on "Drumming
Up Character", see the video below. (Grades
K-8)
DRUM WORKSHOPS
We
bring African drums and percussion instruments
to your school and lead students through a memorable
experience of music, community, and the discovery
that everyone has a rhythm to share! Emphasis is
placed on learning how to play together through
listening, cooperation, respecting, and working
together as a team. We teach about the origins
of the different instruments and how they are played
in different parts of the world.
All drum workshops are custom-tailored to be age appropriate.
Dancing Drum is equipped to work with Pre-School through High
School. Workshops can be held one time or as a series and generally
last 50-60 minutes.
Drum workshops
cover the following themes:
- Introduction
to drums (djembes & djun-djuns)
and percussion instruments, with lessons on how
to play the different sounds of the drums
- Learning to play
rhythms together creates cooperation,
listening skills, & team-work
- Learning rhythms
from different parts of the world (Africa,
Caribbean, New Orleans, etc...) raises geographical
awareness and appreciation for diversity
- Creating original
rhythms through rhythm play and drum
solos builds self-confidence and creative self-expression
- Learning dances to
accompany drumming builds motor skills
and helps focus physical energy (optional)
- Performing for parents & school
community gives students a chance
to shine and show off their new drumming and dancing
skills! (optional)
MASK-MAKING
WORKSHOPS
Masks
and drums have been paired throughout human history, and mask-making
is a natural visual art compliment to the musical arts offered
by Dancing Drum. In addition to completing hands-on art project,
students in Dancing Drum's mask-making workshops learn about
the ways that masks have been used by different cultures of the
world. Mask workshops require a minimum of 1 hour for simple
mask-making, and 2-10 hours for more complex designs. Workshops
are led by Lindsay
Rust, who has worked
professionally as a theatrical mask-maker and is presently working
on a book for teachers titled, "Faces
of Culture: Drums & Masks of the World".
Choose between:
African Masks
Caribbean Masks
Masks of the Americas
