Check Out the Public Service Announcements Created by the Ordway Teen Media Residency Program

The Teen Media residency took place at Perpich Center Arts High School in two Mass Media & Democracy classes lead by  teacher Sun Yung Shin.  The classes worked with Sherine Crooms, media artist and educator, to create collaborative public service announcements (PSA) surrounding social justice issues of their choosing.  The students were inspired by the  social justice work of artist Angélique Kidjo, who performed for more than 1800 students and educators at the Ordway on January 20, 2011.

Check out the students' final public service announcements below!

If you are unable to view TeacherTube videos, you can also see public service announcements all together on YouTube

PSA: Child Exploitation


PSA: Don't Ask, Don't Tell


PSA: Anti-Bullying


PSA: Racial Equality


PSA: Drunk Driving


PSA: Disability Advocacy


PSA: Water Access


PSA: Family Violence


PSA: Media Representation

Video Lessons: What kind of video lessons would you like to see from Ordway Education?

What kind of video lesson would you use in your classroom?

Check out the Story Murals Lesson created around the 2009 Flint Hills International Children's Festival by Ordway Education and educator Jan Louise Kusske from Obama Service Learning Elementary, SPPS.  This video lesson was a study guide activity for the performance of The Very Hungary Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favorites. Please note the video may take a minute or two to load.



What other video subjects or art forms could Ordway create short video lessons for that would be helpful in your classroom or for preparing students to come to Ordway performances?

Please use the comments field below to let us know!

Teen Media Presents Public Service Announcements!

Tomorrow, students from Perpich Center for Arts Education will present their Teen Media creations to an audience of their peers following the Angelique Kidjo Performing Arts Classroom. Students have been working over the last ten weeks to create public service announcements (PSA) focused on select social justice issues.

Collaborating teams under the direction of teaching artist, Sherine Crooms, and classroom educator, Sun Yung Shin, have created ten PSAs with topics ranging from media exploitation of women to violence in the family. Students have done an excellent job of exploring topics and coming to consensus on the content of the videos before producing the films!

Get Ready to Submit Student Work to the 2011Festival ARTwalk: A World of Surprises!

The ARTwalk is a month-long exhibition of young artist's artwork in downtown Saint Paul. It is a unique opportunity for schools and community organizations to highlight the visual arts achievements of young people. As a part of the Flint Hills International Children's Festival, the ARTwalk celebrates young artists’ creativity from across the region. Last year over 600 submissions from around the region were featured. Given the ARTwalk is a non-juried exhibition; participants are encouraged to be selective in their entries.

Entries can be submitted on a class, group or individual basis.

All artwork must be delivered by February 28.  

The ARTwalk will be on display May 6 through June 6, 2011.  

Click here to learn more about the ARTwalk and how you or your students can be a part of the art!

$3 TICKETS AND BUS REIMBURSEMENT STILL AVAILABLE FOR ORDWAY SPRING PERFORMANCES!

Engage your students in the arts by attending an Ordway Center school performance.  $3 tickets and bus reimbursement are still available for several spring performances, as well as the Flint Hills International Children’s Festival. See performances information and ticket availability below!

Please contact Erin Gomach with any questions at 651-282-3135 or egomach@ordway.org.

BeijingDance/LDTX
April 6 at 10:30AM - 500+ Tickets Available 
April 6 at 12:30PM - 500+ Tickets Available 
April 7 at 10:30AM - 500+ Tickets Available 
April 7 at 10:30PM - 500+ Tickets Available 

Recommended Grades: 6-12 

Born out of a controversial time of cultural change in China, BeijingDance/LDTX became China's first professional dance company founded independently from government. Artistic Director Willy Tsao, one of China's foremost pioneers of modern dance, introduces the political and cultural context of contemporary choreography in China through two pieces. The Cold Dagger, based on the Chinese chess game GO, includes a contemporary version of ribbon dancing as well martial arts-inspired choreography. All River Red is the company's version of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

TU Dance
May 4 at 10:30AM - 489 Tickets Available 
May 4 at 12:30PM - 500+ Tickets Available
May 5 at 10:30AM - 500+ Tickets Available
May 5 at 10:30PM - 500+ Tickets Available  

Recommended Grades: 4-12 

Led by Alvin Ailey veterans Toni Pierce-Sands and Uri Sands, TU Dance's work aims to reveal the connective power of dance, celebrating a beautiful diversity on stage. Inspired by the depictions of urban life and dance in the paintings of African American artist Ernie Barnes, choreographer Uri Sands brings Barnes' work from the canvas to the stage using contemporary and modern forms of movement in this commissioned World Premiere supported in part by a Joyce Award from the Joyce Foundation.



2011 FLINT HILLS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES:

Corbian the Dinosaur
Tue. May 31 at 12:30PM - 500+ Tickets Available 
Wed. June 1 at 10:30AM - 500+ Tickets Available
Wed. June 1 at 12:30PM - 500+ Tickets Available
Thu. June 2 at 10:30AM - 500+ Tickets Available
Thu. June 2 at 12:30PM - 500+ Tickets Available

Fri. June 3 at 10:30AM - 52 Tickets Available
Fri. June 3 at 12:30PM - 500+ Tickets Available
Recommended Grades K-8 – For younger students please note the theater will be dark
Corbian the Dinosaur is a truly unique theater experience featuring larger-than-life, glow-in-the dark characters that light up the stage. Created by a magical scientist, Corbian is much more than a pet! As Corbian's animal instincts take over, the scientist creates a heart for him and encourages him to experience life beyond the scientist's workshop. Join Corbian as he meets a gangly ostrich, a beautiful fish and a menacing red dinosaur that help him learn the value of compassion, friendship and love.
iancarney.com

The Man Who Planted Trees
Tue. May 31 9:15AM - Sold Out 
Tues. May 31 at 11:15AM - Sold Out
Wed. June 1 at 11:15AM - 7 Tickets Available 
Thu. June 2 at 9:15AM - 20 Tickets Available
Thu. June 2 at 11:15AM - 18 Tickets Available
Fri. June 3 at 11:15AM - 7 Tickets
Recommended Grades 1-4
This magical, comical and multi-sensory performance by Puppet State Theater Company of Scotland is an adaptation of Jean Giono's ecological fable and tells the inspiring story of a French shepherd and his dog. Together they set out to restore a ruined ecosystem by planting a forest, acorn by acorn, tree by tree. An unforgettable story, The Man Who Planted Trees reminds us that one man and his dog can change the world!
puppetstate.com

Oyu Oro Afro-Cuban Dance Ensemble
May 31-June 3, 2011-Sold Out 
Tues. May 31 at 9:15AM - 2 Tickets Available
Tues. May 31 at 11:15 AM - 10 Tickets Available 
Wed. June 1 at 1:15 PM - Sold Out 
Thu. June 2 at 9:15AM - Sold Out 
Thu. June 2 at 11:15AM - 1 Ticket Available 
Fri. June 3 at 1:15 PM- Sold Out
Recommended Grades PreK-6
Oyu Oro fills the stage with their energetic fusion of dance, rhythm and song that pay tribute to Afro-Cuban culture. Oyu Oro explores traditional dance forms that derive from the cultures of West Africa such as the Yoruba and Congo; the rich Haitian influences that remain in Cuba of vodu and Haitian bembe; along with popular dances of Cuban heritage, including rumba and conga.
 oyuoro-afrocuban.com

Dala

Tue. May 31 at 1:15PM - 181 Tickets Available
Wed. June 1 at 9:15AM - 124 Tickets Available
Wed. June 1 at 11:15AM - 47 Tickets Available
Thu. June 2 at 1:15PM - 250 Tickets Available
Fri. June 3 at 9:15AM - 104 Tickets Available
Fri. June 3 at 11:15AM - 141 Tickets Available

Recommended Grades PreK-2
Darlings of the Canadian music scene, singing duo Dala is bringing a fresh take on acoustic pop to the Ordway!  Drawing upon influences like The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan, Dala presents a joyful, interactive concert designed specifically for young students.  Enjoy the seamless blending of Amanda Walther’s soprano voice and Sheila Carabine’s velvety alto tone as they perform original songs about family, friendship and following your dreams.

Dance to Learn Programs Kick-Off Performances!

Tribunal Trilogy Photo: Amy C. Miller

Ordway Education welcomed more than 400 students and educators for the Dance to Learn Kick-Off performances on November 30th and December 1st.  The performances featured the work of the programs teaching artists Karla Nweje and Leah Nelson!  Students and educators from Linwood/Monroe Arts Plus, FAIR School Downtown, and Sheridan Hills started by watching a piece choreographed by Leah Nelson called Asphalt Yards, and then experienced a piece choreographed by Karla Nweje titled Tribunal Trilogy.  Students and educators then reflected on the two dance pieces using reflection tools from the Artful Handbook guided by coaches Becca Barniskis, Bettine Hermanson, and Barbara Cox.    

Asphalt Yards Photo Amy C. miller

What is Dance to Learn? 

Dance to Learn is an arts education program that fosters learning in and through dance in K-12 schools.  Inspired by experiencing culturally diverse dance performances at the Ordway and utilizing the tools in the Artful Handbook, Dance to Learn provides support for teaching teams at each school site in understanding dance as an art form and creating strong, authentic connections between the principles and key concepts of dance and other curricular subject areas.  The program is managed by the Ordway and the Perpich Center for Arts Education, with major support provided by the Hearst Foundation.

What is the Artful Handbook?

The Artful Teaching & Learning Handbook provides blue prints for a versatile arts education model. Full of tools, processes and examples from its field sites, the handbook offers the practitioner research-based support for building arts based and arts infused learning. This model is powered by the belief that all students can achieve high academic standards in and through the arts.

Learn more by visiting http://www.pcae.k12.mn.us/pdr/artfulteach.html

Tickets are still available for BeijingDance/LDTX!

Who is BeijingDance/LDTX?

The birth of BeijingDance/LDTX (Lei Dong Tian Xia, translated as Thunder Rumbles Under Heaven) in 2005 not only caught widespread international attention, but also captured the imagination of many artists in China. BeijingDance/LDTX was born out of a controversial and exciting time of rapid cultural change in China, becoming China’s first professional dance company founded independently from government.


Founded by veteran choreographers and a new generation of dancers in China, BeijingDance/LDTX is a platform for contemporary creations. Under the artistic direction of Willy Tsao, China’s foremost figure in modern dance and deputy artistic director Li Hanzhong, the company boasts an ensemble of technically exquisite dancers and a diverse repertoire. BeijingDance/LDTX serves as both a leader and a catalyst for the modern and contemporary dance and dance appreciation movement. By presenting new choreographers and providing platforms for developing artists, BeijingDance/LDTX pioneers China’s most cutting-edge choreography.


What are people saying about BeijingDance/LDTX?

"The company doesn't merely dance splendidly, it dances ferociously."
LA Times

Not only was the dance movement rich and profound, the music and artistic design also stood out as innovative and challenging."
The People's Daily News

"Throughout the performance, the audience appeared spellbound by the movement on stage. It wasn't until the performance was over that the spell was broken, with the audience yielding at the feet of the company."

El Norte


Matinee performances held Wednesday, April 6 and Thursday, April 7, 2011

Reserve tickets for your school by calling Ordway Education at 651.282.3115
Recommended for grades 6-12

Let us know!
How is Chinese history taught in your school?
How can BeijingDance/LDTX’s performance be integrated into your school’s curriculum?