Season Brochure
ABOUT THE PIONEER CENTER
The Pioneer Center is northern Nevada’s premier performing arts venue, located in the heart of downtown Reno. Our mission is to cultivate exceptional performing arts experiences in our historic venue and throughout the region because we envision a community that is connected, enriched, and inspired through the power of live performance. Education is fundamental to a thriving community and the Pioneer Center aims to strengthen educational outcomes while inspiring the next generation of creative, compassionate citizens. Pioneer Center Youth Programs [PCYP] is the Pioneer Center’s flagship K-5 educational outreach program, serving well over 1 million Nevada children since 1967.
ABOUT PCYP
PCYP performances are designed to educate, entertain, and enlighten elementary age children and families through interactive presentations. PCYP artists incorporate school subjects into their work and create a curriculum guide for teachers and parents to enhance the learning beyond the show. Performances are designed to enrich the community and provide greater arts access in our region. PCYP programs are available to all public and private elementary schools, public libraries, and community center venues throughout northwestern Nevada. Explore this season’s artists, presentation format options, and affordable prices.
SELECT your programs from the 2024-2025 Artist Roster.
CONSULT
the Artist Availability sheet and your master calendar before scheduling.
FILL OUT
the attached order form, including the desired format and (2) choices of dates.
your order by e-mail to: youth@pioneercenter.com.
100 South Virginia Street Reno, NV 89501
Phone: 775.686.6143
youth@pioneercenter.com
OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS
Thank you to the following organizations:
The Arthur and Mae Orvis Foundation
The Susanne & Gloria Young Foundation
BRUKA THEATRE FOR CHILDREN
BASED IN RENO, NV
AVAILABILITY
October 21, 2024 - June 30, 2025
2024-2025 ARTIST ROSTER
Brüka Theatre has been presenting live theatre in northern Nevada since 1992. Recognized as a leader in the region for its innovative productions, talented artists, and acclaimed Theatre for Children series, Brüka Theatre has produced over 100 shows in their downtown Reno location. Funny and insightful, this theatre troupe creates original, interactive stage works featuring professional actors and a small set of props and costumes.
Back by popular demand, The Paramount & Sometimes Wildly Ridiculous History of Nevada: Legends Edition ! is a whimsical, wild, and abridged journey through our state’s history, featuring facts, figures, and new stories about legends specific to Nevada. Children are invited to participate in the performance, ensuring that every show is unique. This original play returns with new information and the same zany characters.
CASCADA DE FLORES
BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO, CA
AVAILABILITY
April 2-7, 2025
*Bilingual (Spanish) available upon request.
Cascada de Flores tells original, bilingual stories using song, a variety of traditional musical instruments, dance, theater and the sweet characters of traditional Mexican music. Arwen Lawrence and Jorge Liceaga have made music together and engaged with audiences of all ages for 25 years. As both educators and artists, they enjoy passing on what they love about the music that inspires them, with its diversity of rhythms, roots and instrumentation.
Joined by multi-instrumentalist and luthier, Jorge Mijangos, Cascada de Flores presents “ Aquí-les va un cuento: The Treasure of Aquiles ”, a story of creativity about a boy who leaves his town barren of dance, music, and song to set out on an adventure. He learns to sing from a bee, rhythm from a horse, and to dance from a flea. With help from the characters he meets, Aquiles discovers a treasure hidden in his culture and imagination. This program features original music, traditional instruments and percussive dance.
Cascada de Flores is only available during their limited April residency.
FANCIFOOL: KIDS!
BASED IN DAVIS, CA AND RENO, NV
AVAILABILITY
October 21, 2024 - June 30, 2025
F-ROCK CREW
BASED IN SEATTLE, WA AVAILABILITY
May 1-7, 2025
2024-2025 ARTIST ROSTER
Today’s kids are tomorrow’s leaders! Fancifool: KIDS! is an interactive, multi-character children’s theater show featuring dancing, singing, mime, clown, and valuable lessons about the structure and virtues of American Democracy, advanced citizenship, protecting the environment, and standing up to bullies. Let’s use our imagination to think of the world we want to see and what we want to be when we grow up!
Ananda Bena-Weber has performed throughout the United States and abroad. Her touring solo work, Fancifool! , won ‘ Best Variety Show ’ and was a Critic’s Choice pick at the United Solo Theatre Festival in NYC, and a ‘ Best of Festival ’ award winner at The Marsh Theater SF’s International Solo Festival. Ananda is the Associate Artistic Director of Sierra Nevada Ballet (Reno) and teaches for Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet (San Francisco). For 16 years, she was a professor of dance at Marymount Manhattan College and a teaching artist for Dance Theatre of Harlem and Mark Morris Dance Center in New York City.
After an exciting debut last season, F-Rock Crew returns to northern Nevada! Founded over 20 years ago in the Central District of Seattle by Marcus “Fidget” Sharpe, Tim “Chipz” Uomoto, and Remi “Remz” Street, F-Rock Crew has achieved massive success around the world, working with artists and companies such as The Black-Eyed Peas, Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, Usher, 2Chainz, New Edition, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Verizon, Red Bull, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nike. Staying rooted in the community has been F-Rock Crew’s ultimate secret to longevity and success.
F-Rock Crew’s program shares the history of Hip-Hop culture and the origins of each Hip-Hop dance style. Students and teachers will have an opportunity to learn Break-dancing, Popping, and Locking from some of the best dancers in the world! They’ll also learn about the pioneers who invented each move and inspired generations of dancers. This break-dancing based performance includes a positive message for kids, focusing on respect, anti-bullying, arts and culture, and American history. This program is only available during their limited May residency.
HOUSE OF WATERS
BASED IN NEW YORK, NY
AVAILABILITY
March 6 - 12, 2025
*Bilingual (Spanish or Japanese) available upon request.
KANTU INKA
BASED IN CARSON CITY, NV AND CUSCO, PERU
AVAILABILITY
March 17 - June 30, 2025
*Bilingual (Spanish) available upon request.
2024-2025 ARTIST ROSTER
Nominated for “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album” at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards for On Becoming , House of Waters is at the forefront of jazz innovation. With roots in Irish folk music, Max ZT has studied in Senegal and India. Called “the Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer” (NPR), his unorthodox playing style has been a pioneering force in revolutionizing dulcimer techniques. Moto Fukushima is a recognized master of the six-string bass with a background in jazz improvisation, Western classical music and the music of South America. House of Waters has scored an Emmy-winning documentary (ESPN), re-scored three 100+ year old French DadaistEra silent films in partnership with GroundUP Music and Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, and shared the stage with Pandit Ravi Shankar, Victor Wooten, Tinariwen, Snarky Puppy, Karsh Kale, and more. Based in New York City, they have toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, and India.
House of Waters creates an engaging program that incorporates lessons on music history, theory, and geography into their performance while inspiring students to try picking up an instrument themselves one day. This program is only available during their limited March residency.
Carlos Ocampo and Julie Lozada Ocampo unite their musical and teaching experience, performing as Kantu Inka. A professional Andean musician and composer for over 25 years in the Cusco region of Peru, Carlos is proficient on charango, guitar, zampoña, quena, and bombo. Julie plays zampoña and percussion, was Nevada’s State World Language Teacher of the Year in 2014 and is now retired after 30 years as a Spanish teacher (NBCT 2011-2021). Since 2003, Kantu Inka has taught Peruvian culture, history, and geography with Andean instruments to over 30,000 students of all ages in Nevada and California.
Kantu Inka’s bilingual performance programs incorporate world language, fine arts, and social studies. Patrons are encouraged to play instruments, dance to Peruvian rhythms, and interact with the musicians. Julie and Carlos wear colorful clothing of the Andes while explaining the construction and history of the traditional instruments as well as how Peruvian music reflects the three geographical regions of the country.
LARRY WILSON
BASED IN RENO, NV
AVAILABILITY
October 21, 2024 - June 30, 2025
THE NOTE-ABLES
BASED IN RENO, NV
AVAILABILITY
October 21, 2024 - June 30, 2025
*Please note venue accessibility requirements.
*The Note-Ables must meet all ADA wheelchair and accessibility requirements regarding parking, venue navigation, restrooms, and stage/performance space access. No exceptions will be made.
2024-2025 ARTIST ROSTER
Direct from TV, Emmy-nominated performer Larry Wilson was voted “Comedy Magician of the Year” and has headlined in Las Vegas, Reno/Tahoe, Atlantic City, and more! In addition to appearing on network television hundreds of times, including ABC’s The Jimmy Kimmel Show , Larry has blown the minds of guests at Sony, Colgate, Disney, Sunkist, Ford Motor Co., CocaCola, and countless others. Larry returns this season with amazing demonstrations of unbelievable magic that can always be explained by scientific principles.
Larry performs magic tricks using student volunteers in direct, hands-on learning applications. As astounding as these tricks may be, the secrets behind them are often more incredible. Under Larry’s master tutelage, the most bewildering magic will be broken down into easy-to-follow steps that students can re-create at home with common household items like pencils, rubber bands, paper clips, and string.
The Note-Ables is the flagship performing group of Note-Able Music Therapy Services (NMTS), a nonprofit that provides music therapy and adaptive music programs to more than 2,500 people per year. As the only one of its kind in Nevada and one of only a few across the country, the mission of The Note-Ables band is to change the face of disability in our community through music. In 2021 they received the honor of being selected as one of only ten finalists for the Danny Awards, an international music competition for musicians with disabilities. The group traveled to New York City in March 2022 to accept their award and perform at Symphony Space on Broadway.
Children will enjoy an engaging, informative, and interactive live performance by The Note-Ables Band. They will be encouraged to sing and clap along to age-appropriate popular songs, and learn about basic concepts of disability, access, and inclusion. Students will have opportunities to ask band members questions about their lived experiences as people with disabilities. The program will end with a collaborative musical experience.
OCTOBER 2024 - JUNE 2025
..
BRUKA THEATRE FOR CHILDREN
OCTOBER 21, 2024 - JUNE 30, 2025
FANCIFOOL: KIDS!
OCTOBER 21, 2024 - JUNE 30, 2025
LARRY WILSON
OCTOBER 21, 2024 - JUNE 30, 2025
THE NOTE-ABLES
OCTOBER 21, 2024 - JUNE 30, 2025
HOUSE OF WATERS
MARCH 6 - 12, 2025
KANTU INKA
MARCH 17 - JUNE 30, 2025
CASCADA DE FLORES
APRIL 2-7, 2025 F-ROCK CREW
MAY 1 - 7, 2025
PLEASE NOTE: Some artists have limited availability. Book early to ensure the best selections.
TO BOOK A PROGRAM, SEND YOUR COMPLETED ORDER FORM TO YOUTH@PIONEERCENTER.COM
FanciFool Kids! at Downtown Reno Library
PERFORMANCE PRICING OPTIONS
A | $250
Our traditional in-person elementary school assembly format includes 2 back-to-back programs of 30 minutes each performed at the school. The entire student body is divided into 2 groups to ensure all children experience the show in a comfortable space. Each performance includes Q&A time with the performers. Schools have the option to live stream the performances to students working remotely at home. (The school must provide the equipment and facilitate the streaming. Recording the show for later viewing is strictly prohibited.)
B | $250
This family-friendly format is a 60-minute program performed in-person for one audience group. It is most often used on-site in libraries, community and performing arts centers, and small-sized schools. It includes audience Q&A time with the performers at the end. The performance may take place outdoors, pending weather, access to power, and performance surface approval.
C | $375
The artists provide three 30-minute performances to accommodate smaller gatherings. Two of the performances are scheduled back-to-back with a required 30-minute break period between the second and third performance for the health of the performers. All programs include Q&A time with the performers. This option is not available with all artist groups.
F-Rock Crew at the Pioneer Center Reno
Brüka Theatre for Children at Milestones Early Childhood Learning, Reno
Kantu Inka at Florence Drake Elementary, Sparks
PROGRAM ORDER FORM
Please indicate your desired artists, format choice, and two different possibilities of dates and times. Double check the artist availability and your master calendar (note holiday breaks, school testing, conference weeks, etc.) prior to completing the form. After your bookings are confirmed, an invoice will be provided.
EMAIL YOUR COMPLETED ORDER FORM TO YOUTH@PIONEERCENTER.COM
SCHOOL/ORGANIZATION NAME
CONTACT NAME/TITLE
PHONE EMAIL
MAILING ADDRESS
PERFORMANCE VENUE NAME/ADDRESS (IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE)
NOTES:
Brüka Theatre for Children
Cascada de Flores
Fanci-Fool: KIDS!
F-Rock Crew
House of Waters
Kantu Inka
Larry Wilson
The Note-Ables