Thanks to the gracious support of school families, Cultural Arts at Haynes which is sponsored by HOP, is an exciting component of excellence in support of the curriculum. We are delighted to announce a program of several all-school performances and grade-level programs. Our goal for the all-school performances is to expose our students to a diversity of Fine Arts experiences including theater, music, writing, visual arts, and dance. In addition to the all-school programs, Cultural Arts underwrites the individual grade-level programs that enhance the study of different cultures and provide support for the Festivals.
Haynes students are getting into bookbuilding with artist Erin Sweeney, who lives and works in New Hampshire. Sweeney recently completed her MFA in Book Arts and Printmaking at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and her current work combines fibers, text, and the book form. She is interested in all forms of building, be it conceptual or physical. Her current work revolves around the concepts and processes of building community. Making handmade objects, manipulating space, and utilizing printmaking processes in non-traditional ways are all a part of Sweeney’s vocabulary.
While Sweeney continues to show work nationally, she is an instructor, teaching book arts workshops at her Lovely In The Home Press, in Peterborough, NH. This Spring Ms. Sweeney has accepted the invitation of the Cultural Arts Program at Haynes for a teaching residency. She will be working with the third, fourth, and fifth grades to make Instant Biographies, a simple, slipcase book containing the illustrated life stories of the students in each class.
In their world of Active Boards, iPads and Kindles, Haynes third, fourth, and fifth graders will have the opportunity to expand on their study of the biography by developing their own autobiographies, illustrating their stories, and learning the art of bookmaking, and ending with their own "handheld devices" made entirely of ink and paper! Each student will have a complete slipcase book that contains the stories of all classmates from 2010.
These closed workshops will take place during the week of May 24th for all three grade levels mentioned above.
Poetry is lovely to read and challenging to write, but it cries out to be performed! David Zucker invites both teachers and students to join him in its re-awakening. In this lively and spirited journey into the world of poetry, children will hear poems that express a wide range of emotions and images. When children experience poetry in performances, they become involved in both the dramatization and context of the poetry. David presents poems that make us laugh, cry, think, and wonder. His poems tell stories, stir memories, share feelings and send messages. The presentation of a poem by memory is a self-esteem builder, and students see the process of memorization as a tool for effective dramatization of poetry.
For feedback on the performance of our Chinese guests, be sure to ask teachers and students for their assessments. As for the performance of our own wonderful students at Haynes, our guests from Beijing have traveled extensively and were astonished at the superb and respectful behavior of our Haynes audience! Congratulations to students, teachers and families for an extraordinary show of grace to our guests.
Classical Moves introduces the crucial relationship between ballet and classical music in a rare opportunity for personal contact with a distinguished company of dancers. Interactive demonstrations look inside the creative process to help students understand ballet as a distinctive art form. The program features ten Boston Ballet dancers, a ballet master, a pianist, an emcee, and fully staged choreographed segments. The performance breaks down the barriers that hinder a full appreciation of classical art forms and culminates with costumed performances of a range of short ballet works.
School children take a journey down the Hudson River as they follow Peter Lourie's canoe trek down the entire length of the river - from its source at Lake Tear of the Clouds in the Adirondack Mountains all the way to New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. Covering 315 miles in three weeks, he witnessed the river as it changed from a mountain stream to a three-mile-wide tidal estuary. In this Hudson River presentation, he brings his canoe, paddles, camping gear, and slides to share the adventure with children and to explain how he came to write three books from this one trip. In a full hour, he gives an overview of the Hudson as seen from the peace and quiet of a canoe. With 140 full-color slides, he takes students to the river's source on Mt. Marcy; down through the Hudson's dramatic headwaters, forty miles of Class 3 and 4+ whitewater; around gargantuan power dams that block the river; through the seven locks of the Champlain Canal; into the powerful estuary and the tides below Albany; and through the spectacular Highlands - all the way to the sea and the high-tech city at the river's mouth. This presentation of story-telling and slide-viewing covers the geography, ecology, history, culture and literature of the river-including the haunting story of Captain Kidd burying gold in the Hudson Highlands!
Drum Circle is a highly interactive group of people who play drums and percussion instruments together to create in-the-moment music. Through the experience of rhythm and sound, we experience what it means to beat as one heart: we become a vibrant community. With playful and accessible rhythm activities, games, traditional ensemble pieces, songs and most importantly improvisation, DRUM TO THE BEAT is just plain FUN!
Valerie Tutson will join the first grade with Tales from Ghana. Ms. Tutson graduated from Brown University with a Masters Degree in Theatre Arts and a degree in a self-designed major-Storytelling As A Communications Art. She draws her stories from around the world with an emphasis on African traditions. Her repertoire corresponds with the First Grade curriculum.
Our first grade will be learning about things Japanese this Spring, and thanks to Behind the Mask Theatre, all Haynes students will be able to enjoy a performance of Cat Mountain, which is adapted from a book by Francoise Richard and inspired by a Japanese folk tale.
Do bands play when you walk into a room. Do trumpets announce your arrival?
Take a trip back in time to the dawn of civilization, to an ancient world of gods, goddesses, prophecies and heroes. In this masterful production, our students will accompany Perseus through personal trials and glorious quests. We welcome parents and guests to enjoy this lavish production featuring beautiful, hand-crafted marionettes, scrolling sets, exotic music. The ancient world is brought to life with the puppeteers in full view, so that the audience can witness firsthand the mechanics of puppet manipulation.
