Tag Archives: Dance

Everybody Dance Now! (Do Now #82)

May 21, 2013, 7:45 am • Posted by Kristin Farr
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Gangnam Style

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #DoNowDance

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Do Now

What's your best dance move? If you don’t have a signature dance move that you consider your own, then make one up! Capture your move in a short video and share the link with us via Vine, Twitter, YouTube, or in the comments section below. Dancers with the most creativity will be featured here on KQED’s Web site, and one grand prize winner will receive a handy messenger bag loaded with KQED goodies. If you can't send a video, tell us what your move would be called or what would it look like?

Introduction

You’ve undoubtedly noticed viral videos flying around the Internet featuring dance sensations, trends, and memes like the Harlem shake phenomenon and riffs off of Gangnam Style. Dance crazes have a long history of sweeping the nation, and platforms like YouTube and Facebook foster a worldwide dancing dialogue. Dance crazes are a significant part of American culture and span history, including wildly varying moves, ranging from the 1920’s Charleston to contemporary twerking.

You’ve probably tried some of these dances, but have you made up your own personal dance move? It’s time to show off! Celebrate the arrival of summer by showing off your best move, or making up a new one! Capture your move in a short video and share the link with us via Vine, Twitter, YouTube, or in the comments section below.l Don’t forget to give your dance a name and tag #DoNowDance. Everybody dance now!

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Filed under: Do Now, Do Now: Art and Popular Culture
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In the Studio with Kwesi Anku, Kwaku Manu, and Selasi Morgan

January 24, 2013, 12:29 pm • Posted by Kristin Farr
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DSC_0297Kwesi Anku, Kwaku Manu, and Selasi Morgan are performing artists who teach at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond, CA and are members of the Bay Area's West African Music & Dance Ensemble. Originally from Ghana, they came to the states to study dance with their professor at UC Berkeley, Dr. CK Ladzekpo. They stayed in the Bay Area to spread their love of music and dance, and to offer students in Richmond an opportunity to express themselves and to use music and dance as a tool for positive change in their community.

In the latest videos from KQED Arts Eduction, Kwesi and Kwaku discuss the history of Ghana, including its independence from colonizers in 1957. They also introduce the Ghanaian version of the ABC song, the language behind their dance moves, and simple drumming rhythms that can be learned by any budding performer.

Learn more about the East Bay Center for Performing Arts at EastBayCenter.org.

Filed under: Arts
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In the Studio with Rashidi Omari

November 7, 2012, 8:49 pm • Posted by Kristin Farr
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Rashidi Omari is a performance artist, writer and educator at Destiny Arts Center, a violence prevention and arts education organization in Oakland. Growing up, hip-hop was an outlet that helped Rashidi deal with life's challenges, and he works to provide today's Bay Area youth with the same creative opportunities. We stopped by his dance studio to learn more about this dynamic Oakland artist, and find what hip-hop means to him and his students.

After introducing Rashidi to your students, check out these two videos where he teaches us how to beatbox and breakdance. Follow along and add your own b-boy flavor.

Keep up with Rashidi Omari on his Web site, www.RashidiOmari.com.

Filed under: Art School, Arts
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Music & Dance at the East Bay Center for Performing Arts

July 27, 2012, 2:12 pm • Posted by Kristin Farr
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This summer, KQED Education held a music and dance workshop for educators in partnership with the East Bay Center for Performing Arts in Richmond, a state-of-the-art space with multiple rehearsal rooms, a theater, and a rich history of dedication to youth performers and teaching artists. Focusing on KQED media about musicians such as Walter Kitundu and Stephen Kent, a band called Toychestra and dance company Diamano Coura, we explored Spark's performing arts resources, and built media collections for use in the classroom. We also discovered new arts videos for teachers in PBS Learning Media.
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Filed under: Arts, Community Voices, What's New in Arts!
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Home is Where the Art Is

January 9, 2012, 12:35 pm • Posted by Kristin Farr
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photo by jay8085 on Flickr

How do artists interpret personal histories and cultural traditions to create a point of inquiry into current events and contemporary life? How do you create common experiences for all students in a diverse classroom? Is it possible to sail a Spanish galleon made of manila folders to Hog Island? These questions and more will be discussed at an upcoming KQED Arts Education workshop hosted in partnership with Teaching Artists Organized in Oakland.

Educators are invited to join us on January 21 for a day of art, dance and discovery. We'll explore the work of local artists including Ala Ebtekar and Michael Arcega (check out his his manila folder Spanish galleon in the video below).

We'll also develop collaborative lesson plans and learn a few Bhangra dance moves. Bhangra is an Indian folk dance, and many young dance teams are keeping the tradition alive in the Bay Area with the yearly Dhol di Awaz competition.

Read more about this exciting workshop and sign up on the Teaching Artists Organized website. There is a fee but scholarships are available from KQED. Send an email to ArtsEd@KQED.org to learn more.

Filed under: Arts, What's New in Arts!
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