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Step Afrika! Performance

Submitted by: Loogee Claude, Communications Intern, DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative

June 7, 2019

Watching the Performance & A Brief History

Filing into Catholic University of America’s Hartke Theatre, chatty middle schoolers sat down in their seats for the Step Afrika! show on Wednesday, June 5th. As the noise died down along with the lights, students settled in for a performance that no one could have expected. Field trip groups were treated to a performance 25 years in the making, as Step Afrika celebrated over two decades of shows.

Hartke Theatre’s signage

Step Afrika was founded in 1994 as the first professional dance company dedicated to stepping. Over the years, they’ve performed their blend of black fraternity and sorority dances and traditional African dances across the country and the world. They headlined President Obama’s Black History Month Reception in 2016, and now hold a permanent spot as part of the National Museum of African-American History & Culture’s interactive stepping exhibit.

The Umngane (oom-gah-nay) dance

For these middle schoolers, performers stepped out on stage in outfits ranging from sparkling baseball hats to gumboots in a show of great energy and technique. Their dance numbers combined the traditional with the modern in a truly entertaining experience. Step Afrika’s biggest tricks and flips—and any trending dance moves—received roaring applause from the students, who continued to bob their heads and clap throughout the entire show. The energy continued after the show ended as students left the theater laughing and smiling, some even trying some steps of their own. Step Afrika brought animation, humor, and history to the Hartke Theatre and it made for a truly enjoyable field trip experience.

A big thank you to Step Afrika for holding such a wonderful performance!

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Field Trip Friday: National Building Museum

Submitted by: Laia Nalian, DC Collaborative Communications and Marketing Intern January 22, 2019

Visiting The Museum

Happy #FieldTripFriday! Kindergarteners from Simon Elementary School visited the National Building Museum and participated in their My House, My Home program. Students learned about the process, tools and materials used to build houses and took a tour through the museum’s ongoing House & Home exhibition. Finally, the students got the opportunity to build and design their own homes! 

Students constructing their own homes. 

The students learned about different types of homes, from the materials to the process of building them, and were encouraged to connect what they learned to their own communities. It was interesting to see the students’ individuality in constructing their homes! 

Thank you to the National Building Museum for hosting these programs! 

Quick Links

National Building Museum: House & Home Exhibition 

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Field Trip Friday: National Museum of Women in the Arts

Submitted by: Laia Nalian, DC Collaborative Communications and Marketing Intern January 17, 2019 

Visiting The Museum

It’s #FieldTripFriday! 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders from Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School visited the National Museum of Women in the Arts and partook in their Thinking Routine Thursday program. Adrienne Gayoso and Ashley Harris, two educators at the museum, welcomed us in the lobby before splitting up the group into two.

Ashley Harris leads a discussion on Remedios Varo’s ‘La Llamada (The Call)’, 1961. 

Acid Rain, Chakaia Booker (2001)

Both groups saw two portraits from different time periods, an abstract sculpture, and a fantastical painting. 

Using Harvard Project Zero’s Thinking Routines helps children engage with  the art and sharpen their critical thinking skills, such as with Amy Sherald’s ‘They Call Me Redbone but I’d Rather Be Strawberry Shortcake, 2009. 

At the end of the trip, students were encouraged to reflect on what they saw and wrote their thoughts and any other take-aways on post-it notes. Many students were surprised by Booker’s tire sculpture, and commented on how art can be made out of anything. Others commented on the different types of art in the museum, especially since they tend to be “the same style”, according to one student.  

As an intern, it was my first time visiting the museum. I was so inspired by the way the children interacted with the art and the space! Thank you to the National Museum of Women in the Arts for this opportunity! 

Some of the children’s reflections on a wall in the museum’s mezzanine. 

Quick Links

National Museum of Women in the Arts official website

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AHFES Feature: Takoma Education Campus Attends The Washington Ballet

Text submitted by: DC Collaborative Team Photos submitted by: Judith Castillo, Takoma Education Campus Kindergarten Educator

On December 5th the DC Collaborative sent 650 PreK-6th graders from every ward Washington, DC, to The Nutcracker presented by The Washington Ballet. Each year the DC Collaborative partners with The Washington Ballet to send students across the city to this performance.

Program Description and Student Guide

The Nutcracker Presented by: The Washington Ballet Holiday Magic! DC's annual favorite. This celebrated production is set in historic Georgetown with George Washington among other historical figures. Join us again with family and friends or start a new holiday tradition with your loved ones. The magnificent opulence of the Warner Theatre provides the perfect setting for this splendid production. Date: 12/5/18 Time: 11:00AM Length of Event: 2 hours Location: The Warner Theatre, 513 13th St NW, Washington, DC 20004 Discipline: Theatre, Dance Curriculum Connections: Diversity, DCPS Framework for Arts Learning, History/Geography Grades: PreK - 6th

View the Student Guide!

Photos from Takoma Education Campus

Judith Castillo, a Kindergarten Teacher from Takoma Education Campus sent in photos of her field trip! All schools wishing to be feature in the DC Collaborative’s Story Bank Blog should submit photos and/or student quotes to [email protected].

Hear from the Students!

Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS 4th graders submitted student surveys. Hear what the students had to say!

When asked ‘What will you share with friends and family?’ students wrote:

“It was so cool. The african american ballerina was the best!” - Ava, 4th grade

“... It was amazing and I loved it!” - Soren, 4th grade

“I would share the cool costumes and the moves.” -Zoe, 4th grade

When asked, ‘What surprised you about the performance?’ students wrote:

“I thought it was cool how it was set in Washington, DC. Also, the set was really elaborate! I was mesmerized by the set.” -Sarah Lydia, 4th grade

“One thing that surprised me was that their were kids on the stage.” -Hudson, 4th grade

[ti-aspetto]

"Bir de yarine duyduğun depderin özlem"

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Field Trip Friday: Vox Media

Submitted by Cindy Nguyen, Development and Communications Intern July 17, 2018

Pulitzer Center representative introducing Vox Media

Visiting Vox Media

It’s #FieldTripFriday! 6th and 7th graders from Johnson Middle School along with teacher Candrisse Watkins visited Vox Media for a workshop and tour of the office. Vox Media, Inc is a modern media company that utilizes online platforms and digital forms of storytelling for reporting on news and stories. The students had an in-class workshop at their school the week before to prep them for the visit. Hannah, who works with Pulitzer Center, introduced us to the lobby area, and then to Eliza Barclay, who gave the students a rundown on her job as a senior editor. After some questions from the students, Eliza took us on a tour of the Vox Media office. 

Beginning the tour! Photos of Vox Media employees on the right wall.

Touring the office of article editors and sound editors.

The most exciting part was seeing all of the editors and producers in action, working at their desk, and having meetings. The students were excited to talk to Griffin, who works in sound production. They got to hear him explain how he works with audio to use podcasts. They also met Alex, who does research on sports news. When he asked the students to share their own favorite sports teams, they were really excited to answer and learn more. Eliza made sure to lead the tour in a way that was not only interactive, but a learning experience that opened the students’ eyes to the possibility of pursuing a career in journalism and media.

After seeing both levels of the office, the students went back down to the lobby area to hear from Christina Animashaun and Gina Barton, both of whom are content creators at Vox Media.

Christina, a graphic designer, led a workshop that demonstrated the steps to reporting news through a visual design perspective. She shared some of her own design work, including a recent image she made for Vox’s article on the mental health of Asian Americans.

Pictured: Christina Animashaun

Gina presented to the students a video she created for Vox on Youtube - How poaching is changing the face of African elephants - and asked for their opinions on the content of the video, and what aspects of the video made it compelling. The students got to hear about how Gina pitches dozens of ideas to her senior editor before they choose one and provide her the resources to make her idea happen.

Pictured: Gina Barton. Source: How poaching is changing the face of African elephants (Vox Media)

Since the students will be brainstorming to create their own news stories in a later in-class workshop, Eliza encouraged the students to revisit what they learned today, and named four factors that are important in crafting compelling stories: Tension. Impact. Imagination. Perspective.

Even as an intern joining in on the tour, I felt inspired to look more into digital storytelling after hearing from Vox representatives and how passionate they are about the work they do. Thank you to the Pulitzer Center and Vox Media for hosting these journalism workshops!

The tour is over!

Quick Links

Content produced by Christina Animashaun and Gina Barton

Hiding my mental illness from my Asian family almost killed me

How poaching is changing the face of African elephants

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Field Trip Friday: Step Afrika!

Submitted by Cindy Nguyen, Development and Communications Intern July 17, 2018

-Greg McGruder, National Geographic Society, Storybank 8/17/15

It’s Field Trip Friday! Through AHFES, 150 middle school students from D.C. schools attended Step Afrika!’s performance of “The Migration” at Hartke Theater. Let’s learn more about the show!

About Step Afrika!

Step Afrika! is the first professional dance company which has embraced the tradition of stepping, a form of dance in which the body is the instrument. Through a combination of clapping, stepping, and spoken word, it can be characterized by its strong sense of synchronization, rhythm, and marching beat. This song and dance ritual has its roots in African foot dances, but became a common practice in the early 20th century through African American fraternities and sororities. Stepping has since become a highly regarded art form. Between June 8 - June 17, Step Afrika! brought their season to a close in Washington, DC with 9 performances of The Migration at Hartke Theater.

Projected on the screens are pictures of Jacob Lawrence

The Artist

Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was an American painter and educator, and known for his portrayal of African-African life and historical narratives. The “Migration Series”, which served as a visual backdrop for Step Afrika’s performance, consists of 60 sequential paintings on cardboard. In this series, Lawrence depicts the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North between World War I and World War II. In the permanent exhibition of the series, text also accompanies the panels and gives historical context to Lawrence’s visual depictions. His work can be characterized by his use of vivid color themes and dynamic shapes. You can find the odd-numbered paintings of series right here in D.C. in the permanent collection of The Phillips Collection - the even-numbered paintings are with the MoMA in New York.

Panel No.3 (Source: MoMA)

Students waiting for the performance to begin

A performance with “lightning-fast claps, intricate footwork, percussive chants, and perfect synchronicity”, Step Afrika! brought Lawrence’s paintings to life in an energetic and electrifying interpretation - the dancers seemed to never stop moving. Students cheered for every solo performance, clapped along with the dancers, and drummed along when the onstage drummer called for it. The most exciting part was how the performers encouraged participation from the audience, often signaling cues to clap to the beat. The entire visual of the show tied nicely together, with the performers’ costumes often matching the transitioning paintings projected in the backdrop.

Projected on the screens are parts of Panel No. 3

As an intern who got to attend this field trip along with the middle school students, I was so glad to be representing the DC Collaborative which helped get them here to experience this amazing show. When combined with the upbeat stepping and chanting, I felt that the performers were doing something so powerful that really resonated and connected with their audience - that the migration of African Americans in the 20th century is an important part of history that these students should not only read about from textbooks, but also see, hear, and feel. The synthesis of both Jacob Lawrence’s paintings and Step Afrika!’s performance communicated the history in a way that was not only breathtaking, but did so in a way that did not need words.

Panel No. 1 (Source: The Phillips Collection)

Did you get to attend Step Afrika’s performance of The Migration? Tell us by sharing on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, and remember to tag us @dccollaborative!

Quick Links

Why the live arts matter: Ben Cameron (TED Talk)

Step Afrika! dance inspired by The Phillips’ Collection’s ‘Migration Series (The Washington Post)

A Living, Breathing, Stepping ‘Exhibition’ of Jacob Lawrence (NY Times)

The Migration Series (The Phillips Collection)

The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence (Step Afrika!)

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A Lifelong Friendship in the Arts and Humanities

Submitted by Cindy Nguyen, Development and Communications Intern July 16, 2018

Then and now: Cameron Gray and Erin Fenzel

Every year, DC Collaborative serves thousands of students in the hope that we can encourage them to embrace and pursue the arts and humanities. We were delighted to discover the story of Cameron Gray and Erin Fenzel, two students who have demonstrated exactly that!

At the age of 4, they started school together at Peabody Elementary School. They had attended one of our AHFES field trips, where a picture of them painting together (above) eventually made it onto the cover of the 2007-2008 issue from Catalogue for Philanthropy. Amazingly, Cameron and Erin do recall that special field trip, mentioning “an art teacher that made it fun” and that “it was in an art room in the library”.

When asked about their exposure to the arts and humanities throughout school, Erin describes a wide variety: weekly visits to the National Building Museum for lessons on urban planning and architecture, class field trips to multiple museums, and working with artists directly. 

Fast forward 14 years later. After going through middle school and high school together, they recently graduated this year from School Without Walls, which is ranked the #1 Top Performing High School in the District and #51 in the country. Their pursuit of education doesn’t end there. This fall, Cameron is headed to Syracuse University in New York to study Film, while Erin will go to Saint Joseph's University in Pennsylvania to study International Relations. Cameron is excited to hone her craft, ever since being inspired by women filmmakers in D.C. and through media projects. Her ultimate goal is one day being a director of a feature film. Through the support of art scholarships and a commitment to the army, Erin hopes to work in the state department long-term. 

The DC Collaborative team is so proud of where these two students are going and we wish them the best for their futures. We’d like to give a special thanks to their parents and Catalogue for Philanthropy for sharing an update on their story and of their wonderful friendship to us! If you know of any students have participated in our program and where they are now, please reach out to us at [email protected] - we’d love to follow up with them.