Learn more about Story Tapestries
https://www.storytapestries.org
The Story Tapestries Ensemble executes performances and residencies that use the arts as a means to bridge barriers and help individuals foster a deeper connection to what they are learning and teaching. We meet both academic, career and college readiness and social emotional learning goals while simultaneously supporting the mental health of all of those supporting our students. 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 supporting students and families. For over 26 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 Elevate Voices and Celebrate Communities.
All of our programs are custom designed to support the needs of the community, adults and students. In addition to residencies/educational programs, we offer performances for all audiences and professional development workshops for educators and administrators.
All programs can be offered In-Person or Online
in synchronous & asynchronous formats
See our Mission in Action:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Storytapestries
Impact Video:
Local Podcast:
Audiences Served: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle, and High School, Adults, Aging Adults, and Families
Specialities: Social Emotional Development, Arts plus Mental Health, Multilingual Learners, Individuals with Disabilities, Sensory Friendly, Intergenerational Workshops, Amplify US! (led by a Racial Equity Facilitator and a Writer), 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 name just a few.
Art Forms Available: Theatre, Dance, Music, Storytelling, Slam Poetry, Spoken Word
Hip Hop: Music, History, Dance, Spoken Word, Beat Boxing, Visual Art: all mediums, Media Arts, Creative Writing
All Artists are available for:
Content areas met with academic and social emotional development success:
English Language Arts, Literacy, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), Social Studies, History, Geography, Creative Writing, Character Development, World Cultures, World Languages, Theatre, Music, Visual Art, Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
Art & Learning Kits or Art & Mindfulness kits:
Since 2020, we have given out 15,000+ art, literacy and mindfulness kits to schools and communities across the region, delivering kits on a monthly basis. For $9/kit, $4,500 total, we can provide 500 kits for a whole school. We can create Art & Learning kits with a mindfulness element that can be used at home with the students. These take-home kits include arts supplies and creative activities to support at-home literacy learning for every participating child/family.
A Sample List of our Performances Options:
Please note that this is a sample list of our programs. If you don’t see something that you would like to have at your site, let us know and we will work with our artists to arrange a customized program. In addition, all of these performances can be adapted to children and adults of all ages.
The Fastest Plane: Paint our World with Stories, Music and Movement (Arianna Ross or Valerie Baugh-Schlossberg) Explore the colors, sounds, art and stories of the world. Celebrate life on land, underwater and in the sky. Paint the streets with music, dance, art and drama. This multilingual program is an entertaining, international, dynamic program that weaves the power of dance, theatre, music and storytelling together. An entertaining dynamic show filled with adventure. Leave the room dancing like a monkey and roaring like a tiger.
Giggling Wiggling BookWorm (also known as the Fastest Plane): Around the World in 45 minutes (Arianna Ross or Valerie Baugh-Schlossberg)
Dance through the streets of Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, India or the United States. This multilingual program is an entertaining, international, dynamic program that weaves the power of dance, theatre, music and storytelling together. Students will leave the program with the knowledge of what a folk tale is and the ability to say “hello” in Spanish, English, Portuguese and Hindi.
Monkey Tales (Arianna Ross)
Animals certainly are the smartest creatures. In this delightful Asian version of Aesop’s Fables, it is the creatures that teach us about ourselves and Indian culture, geography, and history. An entertaining dynamic show filled with dance and stories of adventure. Leave the room dancing like a monkey and roaring like a tiger.
Classically Different Adventures (Arianna Ross)
On the surface, people and animals may look different, but at heart they can be our heroes and heroines. They can be compassionate, thoughtful and helpful. They can be intelligent, creative and problem solvers. Classic Folk Tales like Thumbelina told from the perspective of another culture, woven throughout with traditional music and instruments. A fun and adventurous program that shows through the universe of stories how a person and animal can come in many sizes, shapes, colors and languages.
America the Beautiful (Valerie Baugh-Schlossberg)
Travel from coast to coast singing and hearing stories and folktales that celebrate and explore the beauty of our nation through song, music, and dance. Visit the majesty of Redwood Forest, the rugged Rocky Mountains, and the hidden treasures of the East Coast. Leave the program with a sense of adventure and curiosity.
Joie de Vivre/Joy of Living (VERONNEAU Duo)
With a collection of colorful and engaging songs, award-winning VERONNEAU duo take you through storied Paris neighborhoods, serene marine get-always, and many art-filled stories of love of life. Vocalist Lynn Veronneau performs French classics such as Menilmontant, La Mer, La Boheme and many more fun tunes with beauty and vivacity. Together with Ken Avis on guitar, they charm audiences with their talent and playful personalities. They exemplify the iconic French belief that life should be joyful.
Powwow Dance (Angela Miracle Gladue)
Miss Chief Rocka is a multi disciplinary nêhiyaw (Cree) artist representing amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton, Canada) and a proud member of Frog Lake First Nation. Since 2016 she has toured throughout the world sharing her culture as one of the lead dancers for The Halluci-Nation, and loves sharing that “Good Medicine” to audiences through her high energy Powwow and HipHop Dance performances. She will be sharing stories and showcasing multiple styles such as The Fancy Dance, The Jingle Dress Dance, The Hoop Dance, The Round Dance and also invites audience members to participate in a live Powwow Dance class during the show.
Marsha and the Positrons (Marsha’s Solo/trio)
Sit back and enjoy the fabulous music. Experience clever original songs mixing science facts with messages about kindness and friendship. Led by former cognitive neuroscientist, Marsha Goodman-Wood, Marsha and the Positrons is a DC-based kindie (kids + indie) band that plays fun songs about science and how the world works with positive social messages.
Afro Blue: A Musical Journey (Allison Crockett)
“Afro Blue: A Musical Journey from Africa through America” is an engaging show that traces the rich history and transformative journey of Jazz music. It explores its roots in African-based songs like "Afro Blue," moving through the soulful expressions of Spirituals, Gospel, and Blues, and culminating in the vibrant era of Swing music. The show highlights the contributions of legendary artists such as Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald, illustrating how these genres and musicians collectively shaped the sound and essence of traditional jazz.
Spoof School (Drew Anderson)
Welcome to Spoof School, where we make learning fun by ‘making fun’ of our learning! Professional parodist and veteran educator Drew Anderson will teach you how to help your students take their learning into their own hands (and lives) through the gimmick of the mimic.
Once Upon a Time: (Performed only virtually by Carrie Sue Avyar)
Play and enjoy a fun hour full of stories for all ages with bi-lingual Storyteller Carrie Sue Ayvar! The great scientist Albert Einstein once said: “If you want your children to be brilliant, tell them fairy tales; if you want them to be very bright, tell them many fairy tales." Starting with the magic words "Once upon a time" we are going to play and explore, and use our imaginations to have a good time.
Choose Your Own Adventure: Folk and Fairy Tales with Character (Sarah Brady)
Once upon a time, there was a little girl—or a little boy—or a dog, or a dragon, or a fairy, or a giant. And that person, or animal, or mythical creature had an adventure, and the adventure brought choices, and the choices ushered in change. In this program, audience members have the chance to choose their own adventures, and even swap the outcomes of the tales, as they travel through stories to discover a world of character built with imagination.
Stories + Dance = JOY (Kelly King)
Join choreographer, dancer, and educator Kelly King in a playful, movement-centered performance and demonstration. We'll warm-up our brains and bodies, listen to a story, and add movement as we go. We'll dance the story with and without words, then listen to it again. Leave the performance ready to move and play while learning.
Open Mic (Bomani Armah)
Bomani uses his life experiences, mixed with his musical and poetic skills, to paint lyrical pictures of life, as he sees it, and the future as he envisions it. Bomani has been performing his brand of thought provoking-head-nodding music on stages big and small for over 15 years for thousands of people of all ages, from schools, to churches, to nightclubs and prisons! Bomani’s assembly is a multimedia presentation, explaining the fun process of hip-hop songwriting while comparing it to the practical skill of essay writing. Bomani has had videos featured BET and MTV2, as well as hosted and performed everywhere from the Washington National Cathedral to the Fillmore in New York City.
Talk with Your Hands (Praneetha Akula)
Create stories through Indian Classical Dance. Stomp it out, clap out beats and express it with this ancient technique in present-day. This multilingual program is an entertaining, international, dynamic program that weaves the power of dance, theatre, music and storytelling together.
How the Birds Became Friends: A Special Author Encounter (Noa Baum)
In this delightful take on a Burmese folktale, told by award-winning storyteller Noa Baum and illustrated by renowned ecologist and artist Zev Labinger, watch the power of kindness change the world. Rooted in her Jewish heritage, and focusing on timeless universal values, Noa engages young and old in an interactive conversation about the choices we can make to bring more healing and peace into our world. Noa also shares the process of turning a story told in the oral tradition into a picture book.
A Squared (Ashlee McKinnon and Avril Hernandez)
This hip-hop duo uses choreography, freestyle, and student interaction to bring the elements of hip-hop dance and culture to life. A Squared tells a story of creativity and expression through movement and music that resonates with both children and families. Ashlee McKinnon has been active in the DMV dance field as a modern and hip hop performer, teacher, and choreographer with AftaShock DC, Imagination Stage, and Story Tapestries. Avril Hernandez has been teaching throughout the DMV area, including Perfect Pointe, and has continued her training by annually attending Dance Masters of America and training in Ballroom dance.
Rise and Rock: The Story of a Poet and Teller (Arianna Ross and Regie Cabico)
Arianna and Regie take us on a journey back in time and across the world. Dream images with them as they weave story, poetry, music and movement together in this interactive show. Hear how you too have the talent to rise up and become anything you want. Discover how two distinct nationally renowned artists found their path and rocked their career as a professional storyteller and world-renowned poet.
My Hoprah (Regie Cabico)
How does a young Filipino American boy, growing up in Southern Maryland, escape the silver queen cornfields and the hold of his Catholic immigrant mother? After seeing the movie Fame, Regie is determined to get to New York City. With sharp character dialogue and comedic timing, the NPR Storyteller and spoken word artist blends slam poetry into the coming of age story, My Hoprah.
Magic of the Sea (Arianna Ross or Valerie Baugh-Schlossberg)
Travel around the world with only your imagination, voice, and body. Discover the many magical mysteries of water and the culture of Indonesians who live off of the water. An exploration of life above and under sea level told through song, story, and dance, students will listen and participate in folk tales and true stories from Indonesia. Leave the program knowing a bit about Marine Biology and World Culture.
Community Quilt (Arianna Ross)
Hear historical stories of immigration to the United States from the 1600’s to the present day told through Dance, Music and Story. Discover how each community adds another square to the quilt of America with their different stories, culture, and traditions. Students are encouraged to learn more about their family history and the stories of those in their community.
When I Stepped on a Lego, a Mermaid Discovered a Chicken Sandwich (Regie Cabico)
A poetic monologue of surreal dreams unfolds as Mr. Regie discovers a magical lego block of poetry and a kaleidoscopic array of poetic devices and magical creatures emerge. This solo play dazzles young audiences with Cabico’s quicksilver delivery and comedic character work. Inspired by bedtime stories told to his nephew, Kieran, the play connects generations of Filipino warriors and wordsmiths to the art of creative language and rhythm.
Mangos to Apples Tumble from a Filipino Rainbow (Regie Cabico)
Lean in to hear the Mango Poem and through the rainbow spectrum is transported to Cebu, a Southern Island in the Philippines. We swim on the shores to meet sea creatures: candy crab, leaf scorpion, paper kite butterfly & hawk owl. The show combines Filipino indigenous mythology with the flora and fauna of the islands & the spoken word poetry.
Rapping with Mr. Root - Get Involved! (Jamaal “Mr. Root” Collier)
This interactive and engaging Hip Hop based assembly is challenging, fun and entertaining! Each member of the audience has an opportunity to 'GET INVOLVED' with call-and-response, steady beat chants, beat production and even some group dancing! Jamaal “Mr. Root” Collier explains the importance of expressing yourself and explains how some legends of the culture such as DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa have done the same.
Be an Upstander (Sarah Brady)
Listen to stories of friendship, caring, and community-building that help us not only say no to unkindness but know how to help when we see bullying happening to others—or to ourselves. Kindergarten and up. Areas of Focus: Language Arts and Social-Emotional Learning, Character Education. Can Be Adapted to Focus on These Additional Areas: Fine Motor, Math, Science, and Social Studies Learning.
Thoughts of Freedom: Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose (Sarah Brady)
Munich, Germany, 1943. Two siblings who came of age in the Third Reich walk a well-known path toward an uncertain future, carrying hidden words of resistance and hope. Buoyed by faith, stories, and songs, they are confident that, in the midst of the darkest of times, their thoughts can still be free. Fifth grade and up. Areas of Focus: Language Arts and Social Studies Learning, Character Education.
Choose Your Own Adventure: Folk and Fairy Tales with Character (Sarah Brady)
Once upon a time, there was a little girl—or a little boy—or a dog, or a dragon, or a fairy, or a giant. And that person, or animal, or mythical creature had an adventure, and the adventure brought choices, and the choices ushered in change. In this program, audience members have the chance to choose their own adventures, and even swap the outcomes of the tales, as they travel through stories to discover a world of character built with imagination. Areas of Focus: Language Arts and Social-Emotional Learning, Character Education. Can Be Adapted to Focus on These Additional Areas: Fine Motor, Math, Science, and Social Studies Learning.
Halconcito Pichón (Little Hawk) and the Magic Quest (Melissa Foss)
This musical storytelling performance takes us to the faraway lands of Halconcito Pichón or Little Hawk, who is a bird who can’t yet fly because she doesn’t know her song. For her wings to take flight, she must go off on a magic quest to find it! She’ll need to call on assistance from different helpers to find the way and it won’t be easy, but Halconcito Pichón is determined to take to the skies.
Pharaoh’s Secrets: Myths and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt (Noa Baum)
Dive into the rich culture of ancient Egypt, one of the world’s most fascinating and important civilizations, in Pharaoh’s Secrets: Myths and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt. Through Noa’s captivating stories and songs, students learn about customs and beliefs, pharaohs, famous inventions, and even some fun facts about the Egyptians’ favorite animal, the cat! Noa brings myths and timeless stories of magic and adventure to life in Pharaoh’s Secrets: Myths and Mysteries of Ancient Egypt with animated voices, song, and audience participation.
Undaunted: Tales of Adventure and Courage (Noa Baum)
During times of crisis, stories help calm and guide us. Since the dawn of time, people in every culture have been telling stories about overcoming fear to remind us of our courage. This uplifting program offers stories that attend to social emotional needs in challenging times and are rooted in literacy. Noa invites students to listen deeply, imagine, and connect with the adventures of undaunted characters who are not discouraged by difficulty, danger, or disappointment.
A Taste of Eden: Stories from the Jewish Tradition (Noa Baum)
Award-winning Israeli storyteller and author Noa Baum invites you to a celebration of the Jewish tradition with tales of wonder, magic and faith from Israel and around the world. With warm authenticity and her animated style, Noa combines Jewish folktales and personal stories that are uplifting and entertaining for the entire family.
Peace in My Fingers: Tales of Peace from Around the World (Noa Baum)
Hear a richly woven tapestry of stories from around the world that create the foundation for understanding and compassion. Noa engages students with song, chant and movement to explore the themes of peace, justice and compassion across diverse cultures and consider our role in making the world kinder and more just.
Playing across America: A bi-lingual Adventure through Music and story (Melissa Foss)
Take a journey across the Americas through song. In this performance we’ll learn about instruments that have shaped the sonic landscape of folk and popular music traditions across Latin America. We’ll get an introduction to the Charango, a small Andean stringed instrument widespread throughout Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. We’ll also experience songs from the tradition of Canto con Caja, an ancestral music passed on through oral tradition across Andean cultures of the north and north-west of Argentina. All activities can be offered in English or Spanish, and can be adapted for different age groups
Empowerment Through Music (Emma G)
Author, two-time TEDx Speaker, Singer/songwriter, and Coach, Emma G uses the magic of music to empower, uplift, and motivate audiences worldwide. Emma G’s music and story are helping audiences overcome struggles, trauma, stress to step up and into their own authentic power. In her book, My Life, My Songs, My Healing, Emma G shares her own personal story of how she has turned her trauma into tunes and struggles into songs to give her music an inspirational and authentic message. With a unique style that marries the techniques of pop, soulful ballads, and a gritty rock edge, Emma G appeals to a diverse audience of teens and parents to deliver teens a connection with themselves and parents a re-connection with their teens.
Stories plus Games = Steam Fun with Story Tapestries and Game Genius
Join us for a 2 part program including games and stories. For the first part, sit back, relax and enjoy the entertaining, international, dynamic program that weaves the power of theatre, music and storytelling together with STEAM by Valerie Baugh-Schlossberg. Then slide into an interactive game with Peter Williamson. Play with your favorite animals in a battle of wits and fun! Dive into a number of games that challenge players to communicate to their team in creative ways. Think you have what it takes to be the big fish?
Frederick Douglass Show (Bomani Armah)
Students learn the importance of literacy by following the life and career of Frederick Douglass through multimedia presentations and song. This assembly takes students from Frederick Douglass’s humble beginnings on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to the cities of Baltimore, New York, and London, and then back to Washington DC as he fights for the abolition of slavery through writing autobiographies, newspapers, and speeches. Baba Bomani uses his lyric videos and performances of tracks like “Selfie King”(about Douglass being the most photographed American of the 19th century) “Rhetoric Like Frederick” (about the ways Douglass wrote) “Fit to be a Slave” (about how Douglass stole his education) and “Speak for Myself” (about how Douglass gained the courage and skill to be a public speaker).
Baba Got Bars Assembly (Bomani Armah)
Bomani’s program is a solo interactive performance, featuring music videos, multimedia presentations, call and response, as well as rhythmic movement with the audience. Students are taken on a fun, multimedia trip through the world of creative writing where they discuss the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) as well as being able to recognize main ideas and supporting details. Students will rap along to original, professionally released music created by Bomani, as well as songs highlighting his tips on how to be a better creative writer. Students will also learn historical facts about the birth and development of hip-hop culture and its elements. There will be dancing and fun had by all!
Sassagiggles (A collaborative show)
The show is aimed at families and stars a muppet-style puppet named Pinky Jackalope, who is 4 years old, a storyteller, a poet, and a musician. In each episode, Pinky is pondering a question or wrestling with a problem and turns to her Sassagiggle friends - Nick the Music Man, Arianna the Story Lady, and other special guests like Regie Cabico, the Bunny Genie - for help. Travel across the magic land to Sassagiggles where you use your imagination, dance, laugh, sing and learn. Each episode ends with Pinky resolving the issue, thanks to the support of the loving adults in her life. Sassagiggles is produced by Story Tapestries in partnership with Radiant Productions and PlayMotion Music. Our creatives include Michelle Faulkner-Forson, Rachel Hutchison, Nick Young, Arianna Ross, and Special Guest, Regie Cabico.
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A sample of the residencies and workshops for schools and community centers,
for youths and young adults:
These residencies can be student-centered or contain a Professional Development component.
We can customize any of these programs to meet the needs of community workshops open to students.
A Customized Arts-Integrated Workshop: Learn the Standards and develop your SEL skills through dance, spoken word, writing and drama
Design your own residency. Match your academic and SEL curriculum with the artists’ strengths as an artist and teacher. Begin by selecting the common core standards you want to integrate with arts strategies. Create a residency that is the right balance for your classroom of storytelling, multimedia, writing, drama, and movement. Allow the creative process to guide your students’ ability to synthesize and evaluate their understanding of new areas of learning. Through a series of arts integrated exercises, students understand how to solve a math problem, understand a scientific process, film a weather report, create a commercial, perform a modernized folktale, write a personal story, historical tale, piece of fiction, or nonfiction. The end result of the residency is a piece of writing and/or a performance ready to be shared with their community.
When I Say Poetry You Say Rocks (Regie Cabico)
In these spoken word performance workshops, participants will use “imagery” to create poems that incorporate pop culture & autobiography to celebrate "who we are” by exploring our dreams and our most fanciful urges. We will combine outrageous lies into hyperbole and use sense memory and experimental word play to invigorate our language. Students will enrich their vocabulary and support their ability to write with figurative language. They will discover the art of “Show not Tell”. We will unlock the basic elements of poetry slam performance: vocal, physical gesture & eye contact—demystifying the page from the stage. This residency can be adapted for each group’s special needs. Each session will include a 5-7 minute performance from the poet, theatre/movement activities, writing exercises, and several students coached on performance technique.
Mud to Music (Melissa Foss)
In this residency we take a journey back in time through the Ocarina, a type of ceramic flute that has been made across Central and South America for thousands of years. The unique sounds of this instrument awaken the memory of our common ancestry, recalling the songs of the birds and animals that inhabit our most sacred natural landscapes. (Residency can be delivered in English and/or Spanish)
Mud to Music: Instrument-making Residency (Melissa Foss)
Musical instruments have helped us to communicate and express ourselves since the dawn of humanity. Learning to build and play our own musical instruments slows us down, connects us to our bodies and to our self-expression, and helps us to rediscover a sense of wonder, curiosity, and play.
In these residencies students are introduced to musical instruments that have been made across Central and South America for thousands of years and learn through a step-by-step process with simple pottery techniques to construct their own one-of-a-kind rattles or flutes with clay. Together we navigate between the functional and visual aspects of Pre-Columbian instrument-making, exploring dimensions of sound like timbre, pitch and volume, while developing personal story through design and decoration. Throughout the process experimentation, individual expression, creative decision making, and problem solving are emphasized.
Residency can be delivered in English and/or Spanish
Grades: 4th - 8th Rattle building
Grades: 7th - 12th Flute building
Visual Arts Exploration: Creating Masks (Luis De Valle)
Offered in English, Spanish, or Both
Embark on a creative journey that merges the abstract art of Cubism with the rich tradition of African masks. In this immersive and relaxed class, you'll enjoy an evening of painting while delving into the fascinating interplay between these two art forms. You'll learn about the origins and techniques of Cubism, as well as the cultural and symbolic significance of African masks. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a beginner, this class offers a unique opportunity to explore new artistic perspectives and create a distinctive piece of art.
Empowerment through Songwriting (Emma G)
Author, two-time TEDx Speaker, Singer/songwriter, and Coach, Emma G uses the magic of music to empower, uplift, and motivate audiences worldwide. Students are given a space to feel safe and valued, but were also afforded the opportunity to develop community and camaraderie with their peers. During the sessions, Emma G gives each student a journal to work in, and also keep as their own to use as a tool when they need an outlet. During the workshops the students are able to develop their own songs. Emma G says .“My goal is to save the world one song at a time – both through the music I compose, and the songs I help teenagers write. Through my music, I aim to heal, inspire strength, spread love, and convey truth: helping individuals rediscover their true selves.”
Wonderfully Ridiculous Adventures
Silly stories are a perfect genre for encouraging students’ language development. This residency helps students recognize and hear the different phonetic sounds and the dolch while discovering how to tell, create and ultimately write a short story. Depending on the literacy level of the students, teachers will decide what sounds the children need to explore. Together, we write, dramatize, move and draw a story targeting specific language and sounds to improve students’ literacy development. The result: A comic adventure ready to be shared with another class about perhaps a Green Giant named Gita who grabs big bagels.
Baba Got BARS (Bomani Armah)
walks the students through the creative writing process using original songs and workbooks created by Baba Bomani. The residency shows how a well written essay resembles a well written song, with the introductory paragraph being analogous to the chorus and the supporting paragraphs being the verses. There are different lesson plans for k-2, 3-5 and 6-8 grade students. Lessons are centered around up to 18 original songs such as “The Three Rules of Creative Writing”, “The Writing Process” and “The Four Ways to Rhyme”. The process includes modeling the writing process, individual rhymes (for grades 3 and up) and group rhymes written on topics being discussed in class. The plan is carefully scaffolded and corresponds directly with most aspects of ELA and Fine Art requirements.
Digging In!
There’s adventure! There’s excitement! There’s silliness! It's fun! We usually think that we need a map and a shovel to find buried treasure, but sometimes all we really need is a stack of stories—and, maybe, someone to help us see their value. Join us in this interactive, activity-based residency as we work together to uncover the riches of stories, poems, and songs! Areas of Focus: Language Arts and Social-Emotional Learning. Can Be Adapted to Focus on These Additional Areas: Fine Motor, Math, Science, and Social Studies Learning, Character Education.
Spoof School (Drew Anderson)
Welcome to Spoof School, where we make learning fun by ‘making fun’ of our learning! Professional parodist and veteran educator Drew Anderson will teach you how to help your students take their learning into their own hands (and lives) through the gimmick of the mimic. It’s Common Core, yet uncommon to the core! From turning lesson objectives into hooks to converting unit content into whole songs, Spoof School will engage your students’ speaking, listening, paraphrasing, critical thinking and compare/contrast skills through a standards-based, fun approach.
Stories-in-Motion
Many students need support in developing their ability to read literature confidently and with comprehension. Embodied Storytelling, which combines elements of Dance, and Storytelling will motivate the students who normally shun reading and challenge the students who love to read. The strategies taught during this workshop enhance and motivate student understanding of new vocabulary words, build self-confidence, strengthen literacy skills, develop self-respect, create positive group dynamics, build inference and prediction skills and foster appreciation of the written word. Discover new strategies that the students and teachers can use to tell a story, demonstrate a scientific concept, or give a speech. Learn how to integrate reading and writing strategies with storytelling, dance and drama into one cohesive experience. Students end the residency by performing their own “Story in Motion” as a reflection of their understanding of the subjects.
Math + Arts Integration = Empowered Math Understanding
Many students need support when the time comes for them to synthesize their math learning and respond accurately to a question. In our 21st-century classrooms, we are also dealing with a diverse community who enter school with a variety of skills and abilities in both math and language arts. We use all forms of storytelling to teach math, including: Dance, Creative Writing, Drama, and Visual Arts. Movement-based storytelling and visual arts can both enhance and motivate children’s understanding of specific math concepts such as sequencing for our new learners and integers for our older students. This experience automatically increases their higher order thinking, builds self-confidence, strengthens literacy skills, develops self-respect, levels the learning and creates positive group dynamics. Students will learn a series of specially designed techniques to explore a variety of math concepts in line with the Common Core standards. Join us in a residency that will leave the students with an increased love of math and the ability to effectively demonstrate understanding.
Wonderfully Ridiculous Letter Stories: Creative Writing and Storytelling to Motivate and Improve Literacy
Adventures, comic characters and mishaps—silly letter stories are a perfect genre for encouraging students’ language development. This residency helps students recognize and hear the different phonetic sounds and the dolch while discovering how to write a short story. Depending on the literacy level of the students, teachers will decide what sounds the children need to explore. Together, we write and dramatize, move and draw a story using a word containing the target sound in every sentence. The result: A comic adventure ready to be shared with another class about perhaps a Green Giant named Gita who grabs big bagels …. Join us as we guide the students to write, draw and perform their own creative stories.
Discovering the Power of the Written Word: Creating Visual Storytelling with a Combination of Visual art and Creative Writing
From the beginning of time, writing and visual art has had the ability to empower, anger, hurt, encourage, or excite someone. Through a series of visual art and writing exercises, students discover the power of their words to tell a story or persuade someone to feel a particular emotion. The students will create a visual journal that uses a combination of drawing techniques, collage and word webs to brainstorm and tell different types of stories. This residency creates an atmosphere where students will use arts integration strategies to redefine and/or polish their written voice. The end result of the residency is a piece of writing surrounded by non-traditional illustrations ready to be displayed at the school or read to a live audience. Story Tapestries will coordinate a special writers’ event where the students have the opportunity to share the process they went through and the stories they wrote with their peers and community members. Join us as we guide the students into becoming authors.
STEM plus Arts = Learning Full STEAM Ahead: Using Story, Movement and Visual Images to explain the Principles of Science
When you listen to a storm or walk through the forest, you can hear nature's special symphony, an old story that has been told over and over again. In ancient times, people explained a scientific phenomenon with a story or a song. Through drama, storytelling and music, the students discover the how's, why's, and what’s of basic science. The class could explore either a scientific phenomenon like a storm in the Amazonian rain forest or answer an overarching question such as "Why are the Asian Tigers becoming extinct?" At the start of the residency, the students will explore their topic or question through a series of specifically designed arts integrated games. As a culminating event, the students will perform and/or display their art work from their residency to illustrate what they discovered during their scientific exploration. Join us in this kinesthetic, highly engaging residency that can be adapted to any basic scientific problem.
Stories plus Games = STEAM Fun with Game Genius
Games plus a maker space plus stories = creativity and learning. Gather together for an adventure. Slide into an interactive game. Play with your favorite animals in a battle of wits and fun! Play and win in under a minute. Stretch your brain muscles with a game of morse code. Dive into a number of activities that challenge players to communicate to their team in creative ways. Build your 21st century skills while laughing, creating, playing, and collaborating with friends. Think you have what it takes to be the big fish?
Science Spark for Creativity
Bring science to life with kinesthetic, visual, and auditory learning activities in combination with visual arts. Get inspired by science through literacy and the arts when we move, sing, and create together. Participants will follow their curiosity and creative spark to represent ideas by creating multi-media visual art independently and collaboratively. The experience will support the development of academic, social-emotional, and executive functioning skills.
Beautiful Oops!
Build confidence, social-emotional, and executive functioning skills as individuals while growing together as a Community. In this residency, participants will practice a variety of fundamental skills including curiosity, critical thinking, cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, metacognition, and perseverance through process-based, creative experiences that encourage collaborative skill development. Get creative and make a plan of artful action, adjust as necessary and ultimately see the beauty in the process as well as in life.
Literacy Spark for Creativity
Bring children’s literacy to life with kinesthetic, visual, and auditory learning activities in combination with visual arts. Get inspired by books and the arts when we move, sing, and create together. Enhance comprehension and an understanding of story elements by getting hands-on and creative with visual representations of ideas. Participants will follow their creative spark to represent ideas by creating multi-media visual art independently and collaboratively. The experience will support the development of academic, social-emotional, and executive functioning skills.
His-story, Her-Story, Our-Story: Explaining history through writing, drama and dance
Storytelling, Drama, and Dance provide the perfect bridge from rote memorization of historical facts to a deeper learning that develops comprehension and empathy for events and people. In this residency, classes are divided into small group “families” that personify the diverse perspectives that exist during a significant historical conflict, (For example: the British, the Tories, the Patriots, and the Continental Congress during the American Revolution). Students develop a narrated group story complete with choreographed movement and lines of dialogue based on their exploration of points of view through creative drama, storytelling, dance and character journaling. By the end of the residency, as a culminating event, students will perform a selection of the historical fiction they’ve created for their peers in another classroom. Join internationally acclaimed storyteller and arts educator Arianna Ross, in this kinesthetic, highly engaging residency that can be adapted to any period of history.
High Wattage: Elements of the Slam Poem
In these Hip Hop and spoken word performance workshops, participants will use “imagery” to create poems that incorporate pop culture & autobiography to celebrate "who we are” by exploring our dreams and our most fanciful urges. We will combine outrageous lies into hyperbole and use sense memory and experimental wordplay to invigorate our language. We will look at the poem as one explosive haiku and use the things that drive us crazy” to propel us into performance. We will unlock the basic elements of poetry slam performance: vocal, physical gesture & eye contact—demystifying the page from the stage. This workshop can be adapted for each group’s special needs. Each session will include a 5-7 minute performance from the poet, two writing exercises, and several students coached on performance technique.
Rise and Rock: The Residency
The building of Storytellers and Slam Poet, Arianna and Regie will take us on a journey to being performing artists, confident to write, create, and perform stories and/or poetry. Spoken Word, poetry, storytelling, movement, and creative writing can enhance and motivate children’s understanding of the vocabulary words, increase their ability to use figurative language, build self-confidence, strengthen literacy skills, develop self-respect and create positive group dynamics. The artists will use elements of poetry, movement, and storytelling to teach students valuable creative skills. As a result of the residency the students will dream in images and ideas as they weave story, poetry, and movement together in this interactive residency that creates writing results. They will discover how they too have the talent to rise up and become a writer, a poet and a storyteller.
Folktales and Myths for Cultural Understanding
This residency demonstrates how to utilize folktales from a variety of countries and cultures to encourage students to empathize and appreciate diversity while also improving their literacy skills. This workshop takes educators through a sample lesson using 3 Folk Tales from, for example, three different countries. The lesson leads participants through the basics of story structure and gives them tools to dramatize the stories. They’ll learn to use tableau to bring word stories to life and will draw a 4-panel book to tell their story. Students will gain an understanding of the sequence of a story and how to use power words to enrich their vocabulary and create imagery for their audience to engage more deeply with their story. Utilizing drama and embodied storytelling has been proven to help students comprehend material and ability to relate to the experiences of the characters in stories. Teachers will experience the power of using literature and drama to enhance students’ understanding and appreciation of the diversity of their own school community.
Language of Dance
Dance and language arts are connected in this residency to support literacy and creative writing skills in children. Creative movement is used to explore and make English language skills come alive for the student. Students will explore making sentences using prepositions properly, creating alphabet letters and punctuation marks with their bodies, creating transitions between sentences to create short stories, rhythmic patterns and more.
Building Shapes
Dance and geometric shapes are connected in this residency. This residency will support student's learning and understanding of how mathematical skills are used to create structure, become aware of space, and how to move as a unit. Students will explore geometric shapes, the element of space, mathematical skills such as finding area and perimeter, and how to create structures of function with their body.
Custom Designed Theatre Devising Workshop
Create a devised short play with teacher supported curriculum and student generated writing. Especially any EAP schools; help create a digital performance. (Multiple Sessions needed)
Building Powerful Voices
Read to become a powerhouse vocally? Learn various vocal techniques to improve voice production, projection, and articulation, as well as movement and physical conditioning for the stage. Explore techniques such as: Alexander, Laban, and Viewpoints, to name a few.
Grow Your Craft: Acting Technique
Spend an hour growing your craft, discovering the actor within you. Walk away with stronger acting and audition techniques through monologue and scene work.
Puppetry Power
Gather paper, scissors, markers and more to create a plethora of puppets and learn the basic exercises to begin mastering the art of puppetry. Make puppets, move puppets and voice puppets.
Capturing your Visual Story
Grab your cell phone or your tablet and learn how to take amazing pictures that capture YOUR story. Learn photography basics that will enhance your ability to shine.
Break Dancing Skills
In 3 short videos or lessons, students will get a brief history of breakdancing and learn some basic movements that can be connected into a short dance. The movement will focus on balance, weight shifting, and shapes.
Building Shapes
Dance and geometric shapes are connected in this residency. This residency will support student's learning and understanding of how mathematical skills are used to create structure, become aware of space, and how to move as a unit. Students will explore geometric shapes, the element of space, mathematical skills such as finding area and perimeter, and how to create structures of function with their body.
Poetic Movement
Using poetry and other short forms of writing, participants will take part in stretch and movement exercises that are grounded in the messaging behind the words. This session will give participants a focus during the session, and allow the body to become more aware of its connection to audio cues and the environment around it.
Art and Play
Ready to express themselves and their creativity through visual mediums. Join us for a residency visual art program designed to give the child the opportunity to explore multiple mediums of art with a certified teacher. Each class will explore a different art concept and technique from drawing to painting and beyond.
Discover, Create and Build: An Instrument-making workshops
Musical instruments have helped us to communicate and express ourselves since the dawn of humanity. With Melissa Foss, learning to build and play our own musical instruments slows us down, connects us to our bodies and to our self-expression, and helps us to rediscover a sense of wonder, curiosity and play. In this workshop we will learn about musical instruments that have been made across Central and South America for thousands of years and learn to build our own using clay.
Amplify US! Story Circles
Strong communities come from the ancient practice of sitting around the communal fires and relating our adventures. Story Circles provide the opportunity for employees to highlight and discuss the particular needs of their communities. Led by a trained facilitator and an artist, the meetings will include story circles that will encourage discussions of attendees’ journeys, hopes and fears, resulting in new action initiatives and personal connections. The story circles will provide participants a comfortable environment in which a diverse mixture of community members feel safe to share their stories, address sensitive subjects such as racial and religious discrimination, and resolve conflicts. Sharing our personal stories in this safe and open environment will help individuals understand and relate to others seemingly different from themselves.
Amplify US! Diversity and Inclusion Workshops
“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” - Maya Angelou
The great poet knew the truth. Despite our differences of race, gender, ability and age/generation, at the core we are all humans with wisdom to share. This multi-generational workplace workshop imparts how to embrace the differences and learn to leverage listening, expression, and experiential stories to foster better workplace and community understanding. In each workshop, a teaching artist and trained facilitator guides participants to find their voices and develop techniques to communicate clearly and powerfully. The facilitators model the language and mindset of inclusivity helping participants navigate through practice the challenging subjects that often emerge when exploring personal stories through multiple mediums. All workshops include both spoken word and visual art components (no prior experience required). Workshop participants leave equipped to amplify their voices and advocate for themselves and their communities within both the personal and work environment.
Wipe Out the Cobwebs of Burnout Through Creativity
Burnout and mental health issues are a threat to all. Participants in this workshop will reconnect with inspiration and give their creativity a jump-start through a variety of reflective and expressive activities. Theatre, dance, spoken word, writing, rap, visual art, as well as simply being creative and laughing can become tools that can help heal and prevent the sluggishness that comes from burnout. Take away a set of exercises you can do for yourself, and/or with your colleagues, every day to reinvigorate your joy and energize your mind.
Laugh Together: Family Improv Fun! (Michelle Faulkner-Forson, Baltimore Improv Group)
Join us for a lively, interactive improv workshop where families bond through laughter, creativity, and teamwork. Perfect for all ages, this session builds connections and memories while learning the art of improvisation.
The STEAM of Photography (Jessica Wallach)
Students dive deeper into learning the meaning of a second, a fraction, simple to complex sentences through learning how to take good photos and videos. As they dive deeper into what they are doing in your classroom, they will learn how to create depth, stop and capture motion, and compose through the lens using the math, science and art of creating still and moving images through a lens.. They will then practice by applying these skills to what they are learning in the classroom: by telling visual stories through the lens, exploring math and science concepts, picturing vocabulary words and so much more. Whatever the student is studying, we can use the camera to explore it.
The Body is Good, The Body Works (Jessica Wallach)
Explores positive body image in a time when we are highly self-critical. Students joyously create artwork and photographs that stand as a reminder that the body is good and that it is always working. They use the way the body works as a reference to create art. They experience how to take a concept from idea to final product while exploring drawing, action art, basic photography and editing skills, and matching words with images. This residency can also include mini lessons on the history of people with disabilities, representation of disability in art/the disability aesthetic and accessibility training. This residency is for any grade and is tailored to the topics and abilities of the class through implementing the principles of universal design for learning and a responsive classroom.
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Listed below are a sample list of the Workshops we can offer at community centers and in partnerships with nonprofits for Adults, Aging Adults and Teens. Please note that many of the workshops above can be adapted to adults, teens and aging adults
Digital Fundamentals
Everyone is welcome regardless of current skill level. Participants will gain practical skills to use a library of digital equipment. We will provide the equipment from our free lending library. If you so choose, you can create a digital piece to share with family, friends and children in the community.
Exploring Culture and Discover New Worlds
Ancient peoples of all times and latitudes have used an elaborate weave of myth, art and music to communicate their world visions. In the Americas we can connect with this heritage through a rich tradition of musical instruments whose forms, scales and sounds give us a glimpse into the extraordinary cultures that created them. Through an audiovisual presentation and live demonstrations with working recreations of ancient instruments, we will experience examples of sound and music from different cultures and explore their relevance in our world today.
Bard to Bars: Hip Hop Shakespeare
Join Drew Anderson as he invokes his experiences as a member of Baltimore’s acclaimed Fools and Madmen cast to help us reinvestigate, reappreciate, and remix the characters, plots, themes and wordplay of the Bard himself: William Shakespeare!
Discovering the Power of the Written Word: Creating Visual Storytelling with a Combination of Visual art, Movement and Creative Writing
From the beginning of time, writing and visual art has had the ability to empower, anger, hurt, encourage, or excite someone. Through a series of movements, visual art and writing exercises, participants discover the power of their words to tell a story or persuade someone to feel a particular emotion. Youth and Adults will create a visual writing piece that uses a combination of movement, drawing, collage and word webs to brainstorm and tell different types of stories.
Sage Stories
The elders of our community have wisdom and insights to be cherished and shared. Yet over the past years, as the most vulnerable community members during the COVID-19 pandemic, our elders have been isolated. This is a terrible loss for our elders whose mental health has suffered, and for our communities who have missed out on hearing their voices and stories. Story Tapestries (ST) envisions Sage Stories & Village Voices as a means to immediately reconnect across generations while providing a solution that accounts for long-term health & safety restrictions. Sage Stories & Village Voices uses the power of storytelling to re-engage elders as a vital part of the fabric of the community. ST sees great potential to safely and effectively engage multigenerational audiences in performances in-person.
Finding the Stories in History
Sites, artifacts, documents, and dates: these all hold clues to the events of the past. But how does one begin to find the evidence of history? And how does this evidence, once found, lead toward the construction of an understandable, fact-filled, and compelling narrative? Learn and practice how to uncover the fragments and hints of history—and then eventually end with an irresistible story. Areas of Focus: Language Arts and Social Studies Learning.
Wipe Out the Cobwebs of Burnout Through Creativity
Burnout and mental health issues are a threat to all educators. Participants in this workshop will reconnect with inspiration and give their creativity a jump-start through a variety of reflective and expressive activities. Theatre, dance, spoken word, writing, rap, visual art, as well as simply being creative and laughing can become tools that can help heal and prevent the sluggishness that comes from burnout. Take away a set of exercises you can do for yourself, and/or with your colleagues, every day to reinvigorate your joy and energize your mind.
Telling Stories: Clear and Concise
Communicating your ideas in a clear, succinct fashion to both your peers and potential clients requires careful planning with a dash of improvisational storytelling. Internationally renowned storyteller and coach, Arianna Ross, will share strategies that can be used to craft both prepared speeches as well as the framework for on-the-fly stories. With practice, creative thought, and a lot of laughter, walk away with a larger comfort in telling stories and sharing stories with your community
Movement, Movement
A lecture/workshop on how moving a specific way impacts your body physically. Depending on who is there, Kelly King, one of our dance, movement centered teachers would speak on the subject as well as potentially lead attendees through a series of movements that could support your overall health and well-being.
Art-making
A Visual artist would lead the attendees through a workshop that would result in a small painting, a sculpture, or a simple artistic craft that could be kept, shared or be donated to bring huge smiles and joy to those in our community.
Dance Class
We can provide a range of one off or a series of workshops. We work with dancers who can offer Latin dance, modern, jazz, and hip-hop.
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Other options are available upon request.
We always custom design programs - don’t hesitate to reach out so we can design the program that will best address your needs and support your community!