CREATIVE CONNECTIONS

2019/2020 Artist-In-Residence Shana Tucker with students at Artspace Charter School.

Wortham Center meets students and families where they are

In an ongoing commitment to the arts, the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is offering free virtual educational programs in 2021 — inviting individuals, students, classes and families to get up and move in dance workshops, experience the timeless magic of Shakespeare in hands-on activities or interpret visual works of art through music.

“Artists are creative problem solvers, and almost immediately they set out to explore new ways of connection as soon as the pandemic hit,” said Jared McEntire, community engagement director at the Wortham Center. “And different performers have approached these virtual workshops in different ways, adapting existing programming or tapping into new ways of teaching in the virtual format.”

Throughout the past year, he continued, “we’ve all learned that connectivity is key to weathering the pandemic — connections with our neighbors, our community, our families.” Not only is the Wortham Center dedicated to bridging the gap and making connections in this difficult year, but it also recognizes the need for creative outlets and educational stimulation. “Artists need to create, and we all can benefit from their creativity.”

Black Box Dance Theatre, the Wortham Center’s 2020/2021 Artist-in-Residence, is offering several options to get children, families and communities up and moving during the winter and spring months, including its “Get Up and Move!” workshops, for grades K-12, which invites classrooms or groups of students to learn core curriculum through dance standards in subjects — ELA, math, history, science and P.E. — to encourage learning and retention.

“For many of us, our first step into reading and writing was done through song — singing the alphabet,” McEntire said. “Learning through song and dance happens so often in early development, but as we get older, we tend to forget that we’re all performers. Something as simple as a melody to teach us the alphabet is how most of us first grasped grammar and speech.”

And for dancers and nondancers of all ages, Black Box has created “Rovin’ Ronnie’s Human Yard Art,” which gives individuals and groups the opportunity to host in-person performance parties from their driveways, neighborhood or other outdoor community location. In this workshop, Black Box founding member Ronald West leads engaging, uplifting dance sequences from the back of a truck — getting people moving, excited and connecting with one another in a socially distanced, screen-free way.

“Michelle [Pearson, artistic director of Black Box Dance Theatre], sent me an email with the subject ‘Roving Ronnie,’ and I was like, ‘Michelle, what is Roving Ronnie?’” West recalled, laughing. “I’d already been doing this for a while — showing up at organizations and other spaces and getting people up and moving. So, in the pandemic, it just made sense to meet people where they are — which, right now, is at home — and get them to come outside, be safe, be smart and move around, rather than feeling the despair of sitting in front of the computer again, day in and day out.”

Longstanding student and teacher favorite Aquila Theatre Company is also offering their skills this winter and spring, working with teachers to aid with Shakespeare lesson plans that fit within the time frame of a single class. The tools shared will offer an approach to reading Shakespeare that can carry over into the rest of the unit as students explore the timeless tale of “Macbeth” with their teachers, with offerings for grades 5-12.

“A major benefit of virtual programs is that we can serve families and classrooms on their own schedules,” McEntire said. “The pandemic has complicated access to education and education through the arts — but these virtual programs allow teachers and parents to access this enriching material at any time. And with many parents doubling as teachers at home during the pandemic, these programs for children and parents are fun ways to learn together at home.”

And in two virtual workshops, talented musician and former Wortham Center Artist-in-Residence Shana Tucker captures the creativity of children through musical interpretation of visual art, and also inspires and coaches fellow performers to host their own livestreamed concerts.

“Virtual programming is no replacement for face-to-face experiences,” McEntire added, “but we can find positives in the ease of access. It’s never been simpler to attend a workshop, learn new skills and expand our horizons — all by just visiting a website.”

The 2021 free virtual programs are made possible through the Wortham Center’s Youth Education Scholarship Fund, with additional support from the Asheville Area Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest and Shakespeare in American Communities. For more information on these and other classes, visit worthamarts.org.