Recent Workshops

If you want to learn when new workshops are offered, please contact us.

Click here to see our Summer, 2008 offerings.

We offered this workshop earlier in 2008:

DIAE MUSIC WORKSHOP
SOL Y CANTO, LATIN MUSIC CONCERT #6470
February, 2008

Sol y Canto, long known for its brilliant vocals and upbeat Latin rhythms, has embraced the world of music for young audiences, often touring with their musical twins. This concert offers the opportunity to learn first-hand background and aesthetics of this lively music while also spending a little hands-on time with Brian and Rosi Amador before the concert at the Baby Grand. This single day workshop also applies to the DIAE Central and South American Cluster.

We offered these workshops earlier in 2007:

February 2007: Exploring Black Dance featuring a live performance of Philadanco

The explosive movement and technical prowess of Philadanco’s Philadelphia based company is unmatched in the region. Founded by Joan Myers Brown, PHILADANCO has grown from a grass roots community based performing arts group to one of America’s foremost dance ensembles. Philadanco founded the International Conference of Black Dance Companies and International Association of Blacks in Dance which addresses the special needs of the African American dance community in a supportive environment, and produces an annual conference. PHILADANCO is founded on the principle of nurturing emerging dancers and choreographers. The company has toured nationally and internationally, including at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the American Dance Festival. In 2000, the company received permanent residency status at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. Philadanco is continually honored as a part of the National Dance Project and was one of 31 national organizations to receive a Phillip Morris New Work Fund Award.

January 2007: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong

The workshop and performance focused on the musical heritage of jazz great Loius Armstrong. One of the greatest of all Jazz inventors, from his unique vocal style to the virtuosity and melodic invention of his trumpet solos. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and nimble, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. Only Charlie Parker comes close to having as much influence on the history of Jazz as Louis Armstrong did. Like almost all early Jazz musicians, Louis was from New Orleans. He was sent to reform school when he was twelve after firing a gun in the air on New Year's Eve. At that school he learned to play cornet. He developed his skills under the tutelage of King Oliver and traveled with Oliver to Chicago and made his first records with him. But, quite soon, the best trumpeter in the new, improvised style wasn't this "King" but the brash, swaggering kid with charisma: Louis himself.

We offered these workshops in 2006:

October 2006: Spoken Word and Poetry with Delaware's Twin Poets, Albert Mills and Nnamdi Chudwvocha

Spoken-word artists Albert Mills and Nnamdi Chukwvocha intertwine their talents as poets and spoken word artists. As members of the ’99 Philadelphia National Poetry Slam Team and the 2000 New Jersey squad, the Twins propelled both teams into the semifinals. They have traveled extensively spreading their “jaw-droppin’ verse” from Ghana to Ireland and at venues such as The Painted Bride, in Philadelphia. The twins have appeared on HBO's "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam" and Mills and Chukwvocha have been named the State of Delaware Mentors of the Year! The dreadlocked twins are fixtures in Riverside - a public housing community in Wilmington. Performing and running workshops for youth functions to further their goals of developing leadership and engendering pride and self respect. "Poetry is an extension of our work with kids," Al says. "We wouldn't be the Twin Poets if we weren't working with kids. The Twin Poets have published written collections of poetry. Rebirth Press released the first entitled Selected Poems in 1996. Selected Poems 2nd Edition was released in 1997; their book Essays Of Existence was published in 2002.

September, 2006: Cultural Mask Making

Many African religions and their ceremonial practices made use of masks to call important spirit presences into earthly settings. As a cultural practice, elements of Carnival, including mask making, masquerade and the lively use of rhythm and movement, are folded together in a syncretic demonstration of Eurpoean and African Cultures. This blending of Afro-Centric and Euro-Centric traditions in contemporary Carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations cleverly transforms traditional aspects of animistic spirit representation and redirects those to emphasize aspects of current political and social commentary. This workshop will explore several mask making traditions and will provide insights into ways to create masks with students using the Carnival as a jumping off point.

We offered these workshops in the Fall of 2005:

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICAN CULTURE
This cluster focused on Central and South American culture including music, dance, and visual art. Four DIAE workshops are required. Workshops for this cluster include: Music of Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Haiti presented by Masters of Caribbean Music including: legendary calypsonian The Mighty Sparrow from Trinidad, the GRAMMY-nominated jíbaro ensemble Ecos de Borinquen from Puerto Rico, and Ti-coca et Wanga-Nègès performing rarely heard Haitian twoubadou music; other workshops may include Katari presenting music from the Andes led by Marco Hernandez who with ethnomusicologists, uncovered connections between Chilean trade from the 16th century and rhythms and dance movements found in Oaxaca, Mexico; Cuban Jazz; and a cultural mask making workshop and a visual arts workshop that will explore artifacts of South and Central America at the Walters Museum and/or the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archeology and Anthropology.

AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE
This cluster will focus on African and African American culture including dance, drama, music, and visual art. Four DIAE workshops are required. Workshops in this cluster include: Masters of Caribbean Music featuring Music of Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Haiti including: The Mighty Sparrow from Trinidad, the GRAMMY-nominated jíbaro ensemble Ecos de Borinquen from Puerto Rico, and Ti-coca et Wanga-Nègès performing rarely heard Haitian twoubadou music; the powerful drama A Soul Is My Witness that vividly highlights key events and personalities of the Civil Rights Movement from 1955-1968; the renowned jazz trumpeter Marcus Belgrave who played with Ray Charles, Mingus, Dolphy and Max Roach and is known for his technical virtuosity, soulful tone, and renditions of Louis Armstrong’s classic solos including swing and scat singing styles; other workshops may feature Katari, a musical trio impassioned by Latin American folk music that plays Afro-Latino music mixing African drums and Latin American flutes; a mask making Workshop; and a trip to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology to experience performing and visual arts that express African and African American culture.

 Exploring The Roots of Jazz
The approach used in this workshop makes it viable for both the classroom teacher and the music specialist. Guided listening and hands-on activities will be used to explore a variety of musical concepts that are fundamental to jazz styling. These concepts can be traced to a musical heritage from the African continent and the transfer of language and musical traditions to the new world. These traditions were sustained in the work songs and religious celebrations of African Americans.

Cultural Threads in Mask Making Traditions
Many African religions and ceremonial practices made use of masks to bring an important spirit presence into an earthly setting. As a cultural practice, elements of Carnival, including mask making, masquerade and the lively uses of rhythm and movement, are folded together in a syncretic demonstration of European and African cultures. This blending of superstition and political beliefs embraces aspects of the African mask traditions, animistic spirit representation and other cultural beliefs. This workshop will explore several mask making traditions and will provide insights into the pre-Lenten traditions that were adapted from early Roman and Greek harvest celebrations.

Masters of Caribbean Music
This workshop is based on and includes a performance of music from Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Haiti presented by Masters of Caribbean Music to October 29, 2005. The pre-performance workshop will provide hands on activities that explore the unique aspects of the musical styles that that will be presented and study guide material that provides insights into the cultures that coalesced to create the music that will be experienced. The performance will include legendary calypsonian The Mighty Sparrow from Trinidad, the GRAMMY-nominated jíbaro ensemble Ecos de Borinquen from Puerto Rico, and Ti-coca et Wanga-Nègès from Port-au-Prince, performing rarely heard Haitian twoubadou music. This workshop provides a well-rounded opportunity to explore and then experience the rich heritage of Caribbean communities and three distinct Caribbean musical traditions that reflect the complex multi-cultural histories and cultures of the region. This workshop may be taken separately or as part of the DIAE Central and South American Culture or African/African American Culture clusters.

A Soul is My Witness
This workshop and performance vividly highlights the key events and personalities of the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 to 1968. This period changed the United States of America in ways that are still felt everyday throughout this Nation. A Soul Is My Witness is a story told through dialogue and song, of what America was versus what we aspire to be. Workshop will be followed by performance presenting Marcus Belgrave, Detroit’s internationally recognized jazz trumpet great. He toured and recorded with the Ray Charles Band in the 50’s and then spearheaded the modern jazz movement in New York, working and recording in the bands of innovators such as Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy and Max Roach. Belgrave is known for his technical virtuosity, soulful tones and his renditions of Louis Armstrong’s classic solos including Swing and scat signing styles. This workshop provides an opportunity to explore jazz from the 1950s through the present. This workshop may be taken separately, or as part of the DIAE African and African American Culture cluster.

If you have any questions/comments, please contact us.