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Jen Calonita
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New York Times bestselling author of middle grade and young adult author of over 40 books, Jen Calonita offers both large and small group author assemblies and writing workshops that focus sparking creativity in children. Using popular fairy tales, Jen offers both a "Twisting Tales" workshop for younger and older grades as well as an editing workshop for older students. Her assemblies focus on how she went from a reluctant reader to a writer and how students can turn their own ideas into story magic.
EarthBeat Music
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EarthBeat Music presents West African Drum-Dance-Sing Presentations, Workshops and Residencies! Our programs enhance mental health and well-being, foster personal development and encourage creative expressiveness through the powerful, transformative practices of drumming, movement, and singing. We share West African traditional music, which includes diving into the rich history, culture and language, to create more resilient and empathetic communities. We strive to connect students to the Master Musicians - our mentors - from West Africa, as well as other regional visual and dance artists to create a WHOLE experience.
Flor Bromley
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We provide high-quality, interactive live music concerts/performances for children 5-12 years old. FIESTA WITH FLOR is a multicultural musical celebration! Kids and families will join in the fun as they learn about different musical genres through dance, storytelling and songs, traveling with Latin GRAMMY® nominee Flor Bromley to the countries where the rhythms were born. This is not your typical children’s concert, it’s a whole family fiesta!
LAUGH-A-LOT POETRY
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Darren Sardelli is an empowering poet and author who makes poetry exciting for young people. His assemblies are interactive, engaging, and very funny. Younger students act out poems with Darren, figure out poetry riddles, and learn how to express themselves in positive ways. Older students discover easy ways to put ideas in motion, make their writing stand out, and learn how to empower themselves with words. They’ll be motivated to read and write poetry, start an idea book, and think in a creative direction. LAUGH-A-LOT POETRY (K-5th grade assemblies and writing workshops) THE POWER OF WORDS! (Empowering assemblies for middle school and high school students) ADVENTURES IN RHYME (Pre-K, K, 1st - Introduction to Poetry) THE FUNNY POETRY SHOW (Family Night)
Treehouse Shakers
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Founded in 1997, Treehouse Shakers’ creates award winning, original dance-plays that encourage multi-generational audiences to experience greater connections to their community. Melding theater, dance, music and visual elements with a script, our current school repertoire includes 7 tour-ready performances that explore narrative styles through universal themes addressing every age level within youth programming. Solidifying our role in the American theater scene, we created and toured the first dance-play for babies, Hatched, in 2012. We remain one of the few companies making thoughtful professional performances for the very early years. Our current roster includes: Hatched for ages 0-6, Flutter for 6-18 months, Sail Away for 18-24 months, Olive & Pearl for ages 2-5, The Littlest Cove for ages 3-6, The Boy Who Grew Flowers, ages 5-10, and Under the Tangle for 8-13. We also offer Pillow Fort, a web-series & Dance Break, an educational series to be streamed into the classroom. Treehouse Shakers also offers a variety of exceptional public workshops, in-school residencies, and staff developments tailored to specific arts programming and age ranges. We specialize in Storytelling, Dance, Writing, Creative Drama and More. Our arts in education programs encourage young people to think, learn, and truly be engaged through the discipline, innovation, and creativity of the arts. We can offer a half-hour workshop to an entire year of learning!
The Storycrafters
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Award-winning, internationally renowned musical storytelling duo Barry Marshall and Jeri Burns PhD, aka, The Storycrafters, present performance, workshop and residency programs integrating storytelling with numerous areas of curriculum. Storytelling has been documented in multiple studies as a support and building block of literacy. Schools that participate in storytelling programs see marked improvement in student language, reading and creating writing abilities. Storycrafters programs work to enhance student literacy through the storytelling art form. Storytelling also acts as an active support to many areas of curriculum, including character education, history, multicultural and international studies, and more. The Storycrafters have been working in schools and other venues since 1991, building a vast repertoire of stories and workshops to introduce storytelling and use it to enhance many areas of student learning. In addition, The Storycrafters present workshops for parents and teachers introducing the many ways storytelling can enhance student development in the home and classroom. With 30+ years of experience in the storytelling art form and its many use in the classroom and school environment, The Storycrafters are a valuable resource for any school community looking to enhance literacy while supporting many areas of curriculum.
BookBreak
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Our virtual school author talk program brings the magic of stories to inspire, educate, and connect with students in the classroom. Whether it's the laughter from a funny tale, the curiosity kindled by a mystery, or the wonder of discovering new worlds, each BookBreak virtual author talk is designed to spark a love of reading and enhance literacy. Our innovative platform connects students with renowned authors virtually, allowing schools to participate who would not normally be able to afford the speaking fees of bestselling authors. With BookBreak, you can offer your students the excitement and inspiration of a live author event, empowering them to thrive as readers and writers. With over 2,000 subscribing schools and counting, our goal is to embed author talks as an integrated component of student learning. By seamlessly integrating these virtual author sessions into your curriculum, you’ll ignite a fire for reading, kindle a passion for writing, and captivate even the most reluctant readers. These interactive experiences are more than just talks—they’re a catalyst for transforming student motivation and cultivating a vibrant school-wide culture of reading. Use our curriculum aligned virtual author talks and included pre- and post- activities and watch as your students’ enthusiasm soars and their love for literature flourishes!
Kent Busman
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I offer folk & traditional, Adirondack, and personal stories. My focus tends to be on caring for the world and those human and more-than-human who dwell therein.
Zuzu Acrobats
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The Zuzu Acrobats are a world-renowned performance troupe that brings the vibrant energy and rich cultural heritage of African acrobatics to audiences around the globe. With roots deeply embedded in traditional East African arts, the Zuzu Acrobats combine breathtaking acrobatics, high-flying stunts, and awe-inspiring athleticism with an infectious enthusiasm that captivates audiences of all ages. We have performed at over 500 schools in New York State alone! Originating from Kenya and Tanzania, the Zuzu Acrobats have spent years perfecting their craft and honing their skills. Their performances are a seamless blend of agility, strength, balance, and precision, showcasing traditional African music, dance, and costumes. The troupe is committed to not only entertaining but also educating audiences about the rich cultural traditions of Africa. High-Energy Performances: Prepare to be dazzled by gravity-defying flips, contortions, human pyramids, and other incredible stunts. Cultural Immersion: Each show is a vibrant display of African heritage, complete with traditional songs, dances, and attire. Family-Friendly Fun: Perfect for all ages, the Zuzu Acrobats offer a show that is both exhilarating and family-friendly, schools, and community gatherings. Audience Engagement: The Zuzu Acrobats thrive on audience interaction, often involving spectators in their performances to create a truly memorable experience. Booking Information Whether you're looking to add a dynamic element to your event or seeking an unforgettable show for your venue, the Zuzu Acrobats deliver an unparalleled performance that leaves a lasting impression. Their talent, enthusiasm, and cultural richness make them a standout choice for any occasion.
Marianna Smith
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I’m a children's book illustrator who offers virtual and in-person presentations for students in grades K-12. I enjoy sharing my illustration process, inspiration, and joy for picture book illustration with students. My presentations feature a slideshow with images about my artistic process and life. Presentation topics and formats are flexible and can be tailored to the needs of each school. My goal is to inspire students to believe in their abilities, develop their own definition of creativity, and think creatively to solve challenges. If you’d like to learn more about school visits with Marianna, please contact ms@mariannasmith.com.
Mallory Zondag
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Living Wall Fiber Art Community Program The Living Wall is a community based, collaborative art program that focuses on the hands-on art of wet felting. During this program students learn a variety of felting techniques to experience how wool can be sculpted and painted with to create three dimensional forms, patterns and unique fiber creations. Over the course of three sessions, participating classes will learn to wet felt flowers, mushrooms, moths, leaves, stones and vines using different hands on felting techniques. They range from techniques that are purely hand based, meaning no extra tools are needed which are best for grades k-2 and techniques that require felting mats that are provided by myself, the teaching artist, which are best for grades 3 and up. Those felted pieces of flora and fauna are then added to one large piece of background felt to create the look and feel of a living wall. It is an organically textured quilt or 3D sculptural base is made entirely of hand felted wool and will sometimes represent trees, roots and branches. The final piece will be hung at the school in the location of the schools choosing. The Living Wall is meant to be a reminder of how important green spaces are to human beings, how important our environment is and how we need nature in our lives to be healthy and happy. It serves as a lesson in using, understanding and appreciating natural fibers, as well as learning about the sustainability of wool. It is also a symbol of community and the beauty of working together to create one beautiful piece of work. In the same way an ecosystem has many individual elements that work together in harmony to create beautiful natural spaces and systems that benefit us all. The cost of this residency program is $6250 which includes all materials, tools, in class time and the assembly of the final sculpture. There may be an additional cost to the program that will be dependent on the distance to the school and the length of the program to cover travel costs.
Community Schools Theater & Arts
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We offer Theater and Arts Mini Camps where youth learn and develop skills such as acting, singing, dancing, script writing, and other various theatrical skills