Since September 2006, Dancepatheatre has been offering educational programs to students through Young Audiences of Houston. An important aspect of Dancepatheatre’s mission is to reach diverse audiences, and that includes audiences of different age groups. Dancepatheatre has created a special outreach to younger audiences through the following programs:
Students journey through the solar system to behold delightful visions of celestial bodies, depicted in dance by Sara Draper, Catalina Gutierrez, and Timothy Johnson. Stellar choreography portrays the life cycle of a star and the earth-moon relationship. A musical soundtrack with an exciting, fact-filled narrative helps to portray each of the eight planets as a unique, memorable character. Fun, guided audience activities aid in recalling planet characteristics. The power of modern dance to convey astronomical concepts is a theme that glides throughout the program. Separate versions of this program for grades K-3 and grades 4&5 tailor it to the appropriate developmental level for the students.
This program was conceived with the entire family in mind! Our audience for the August 11, 2007 performance included children from a variety of world heritages, including some youngsters visiting from Pakistan.
Nasser Lone of Pakistan says, “My children were mesmerized. They were involved throughout the entire show.”
At the post-performance talk-back session, eight-year-old Peter spoke up, saying, “I love it! It was great!”
Coloring books based on Al Andalus multicultural and artistic themes and educational souvenir books with beautiful color photos are planned and should be available at the May performances.
To find out more about the The Al Andalus Project and productions, click here.
