Residency and Assembly
History, geography, social studies, music and math are all incorporated into my Multi-Cultural Folk Dance Celebration. I propose coming as an artist-in-residence for a two or three week period, during which time I teach any number of students, from one class to multiple classes. Each class learns a different folk dance representing a country or culture, while also learning about history, geography, music and fashion. All classes, in addition, learn one common dance. The project climaxes with an assembly program for the school, parents and community, where each class performs its own dance, in full costume, and has the oppommity to see the accomplishments of all the other classes. The students introduce each dance segment with a description of the country of origin and the history of the dance. The children, in this way, experience both the process of learning by participation and the thrill of performance.
Dances include: Chinese Ribbon Dance, Lion Dance of Kenya, Russian Trepak, Highland Fling, Classical Japanese Fan Dance, Japanese Taiko Drumming, Cicerennella, Italian Folk Dance, Australian Aboriginal Dance, Mexican Clap Dance, French Minuet, Indian Katak-style Dance, Mongolian Dance, Dominican Republic’s Merengue, Highlife of Ghana, Colonial dances and others. All residencies can be adapted to the needs of each school.
New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards: 1.1,1.2,1.3,1.4, 2.5, 6.2, 7.1
Experience
In 2014, Joanna Pang Atkins was honored as Outstanding Arts Educator of the Year by Morris Arts of New Jersey. Joanna has been a lifelong performer, as an actress and dancer, on television, in movies, musical theater as well as the ballet. She has toured the world in dance companies and experienced firsthand the multitude of dance and music cultures in many countries. Her professional teaching background is in dance, ranging from ballet to jazz to folk. She teaches all ages, from kindergarten through adult. Her special rapport with children has had her teaching them on TV and as far afield as California studios, a school in Budapest, and right at home in New Jersey. Joanna’s biography has been published in Who’s Who in the World and Who’s Who of American Women.
Contact
For more information, resume and references please contact:
Joanna Pang Atkins
973-325-2045 phone Email: PangAtkins@aol.com
973-325-9668 fax www.JoannaPangAtkins.com
Joanna Pang Atkins - Teaching Artist
