Archive for the ‘Theater’ Category

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What a Week!

October 9, 2012

Some weeks are crazy

Last week was filled with adventures! I started the week in Washington D.C. at the Arts Education Advisory Group (AEAG) meeting. They are part of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASSA) which is made up of the state arts commissions including the Maine Arts Commission. Every year the AEAG plans a professional development institute (PDI) for the arts in education associates at the state arts commissions which includes Meagan Mattingly. I am the representative to AEAG for my national professional organization called State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education (SEADAE) which is comprised of the arts education specialists from the Departments of Education. I had a chance to be with AEAG at the opening of their PDI. It was wonderful to meet people who are committed to arts education in each state. Not to mention they are interesting, knowledgeable, creative, and FUN! The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) are affiliated with the AEAG and NASSA since funding is provided by the NEA. Consequently, there were a handful of staff from the NEA who are responsible for arts education who attended as well. In attendance was Ayanna N. Hudson, the NEA Director of Arts Education. She agreed to write a blog post for meartsed that will explain the programs/funding that is available for teachers, schools and communities. This will provide an overview to help you learn what is available. One of the evening highlights was the opportunity to see the performance of the DC Youth Slam Team. They were INCREDIBLE!

Next my travels took me to Reston, VA where SEADAE met with the chairs of the National Arts Standards writing teams and the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards leadership team. The writing teams are moving along with their work in spite of the little funding that has been provided. The most recent draft of the framework was shared by Co-Chairs, Marcia McCaffrey and NH DOE arts specialist and Lynn Tuttle, AZ arts specialist and president of SEADAE. The writing teams have taken the first draft with the components including Disciplines, Essential Questions, Enduring Understandings, Artistic Processes, Cornerstone Assessments, and re-arranged the direction of the document to make it  more user friendly. The work was shown to us on the website where the document will be housed so we could also see the work that has been done on the site. It will include a “quick view” button for finding stuff in a hurry, the use of tagging and keywords, and links to other works. All of this will be important aspects since it will be a web based document. You can view some of the ideas that are being considered at this link.

We had a discussion on what to call the final document so if you have any suggestions please email them and I can pass them along. The document will be arranged by grade level, PreK-8 but the high school format is still under discussion. You can read more about the format by clicking here.

At this point the expected date for the release of the “framework” will be in December. The first draft of the standards document which includes Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts will be within a few months after that, perhaps in March. Most likely the cornerstone assessments will be included when the standards draft comes out at grades 2, 5, and 8. The format will require feedback on the standards and the “userness” of the website.

Nancy Rubino from the College Board reported on recent research that looks at the Common Core State Standards for ELA and Math (CCSS) and the National Standards for the Arts. The research looks at the overlapping components of the CCSS and the arts frameworks and where the arts references are present in the CCSS. For example the research includes tells us that there are 26 ELA standards that have references to reading a work of drama. Looking closely at “college level learning” in the arts has been included in the research. The research will be released as soon as the final framework is determined and I am sure you will find it helpful. The College Board has done other research which I have mentioned in past blog posts and you can find links to this valuable information on the right side of the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards wiki.

The end of the day included the live stream from the meeting to provide an overview of the event. If you weren’t available or couldn’t get on since the system was full I understand that it will be archived on the site in the near future.

I flew back to Maine early on Thursday morning and headed to Point Lookout in Northport where the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI) teacher leaders and leadership team met that night and all day Friday. We worked on the Depository for arts education resources in Maine located at MaineLearning.net and continued plans for the Mega-regional workshops to be held throughout the 2012-13 school year. On Friday the teacher leaders from phase 2 presented their workshops so they could gather feedback on their sessions to determine if they’d like to tweak anything before taking their session on the road for the regional workshops. The regional workshop sessions will be posted on the Department arts assessment page in the next two weeks so you can see what is available. The energy and expertise of their topics was inspirational and truly amazing. I was reminded of how fortunate we are in Maine to have such outstanding arts educators who are willing to share information and expand their horizons to become teacher leaders in the arts. I am sure when the Cornerstone Assessments are released from the national standards work that Maine will be ready to take on the task of reviewing them to provide feedback that will inform the nation.

Needless to say when the week ended on Friday evening I was exhausted! However, I am extremely proud of the work that arts educators are doing throughout the state and urge you to continue to read and stay abreast of the opportunities that are offered. If you have questions or comments on any of this please feel free to email me at argy.nestor@maine.gov or post a comment at the bottom of this post.

MAAI arts educators fall workshop

Posted in assessment, Communication, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, funding source, Leadership, Media Arts, Music, Opportunity, Research, Standards, Technology, Theater, Visual Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Arts-N-Kids

October 5, 2012

Karen Hartnagle on the radio

I’ve had the chance in the past to visit Karen Hartnagle’s Arts Can Help Everyone Excel (ACHEVE) programs in schools while watching professional dancers in action with students. The dance program consists of in-school dance classes held once a week in six schools for all students in a grade level. Karen is the Program Arts Coordinator at Community Health and Counseling Services. Along with the Dance ACHEVE Karen is also responsible for ACHEVE Family Arts Night and ACHEVE Arts ‘N Kids. Family Arts Night provides the opportunity for parents and their (grand) child an opportunity to spend time together creating art and having fun! This program takes place at the Maine Discovery Museum and is taught by a certified art teacher.

The third part of the ACHEVE program. Arts ‘N’ Kids, is an after school musical theatre program, enhancing the art programming in two of her schools that also have dance programs. In her work Karen had noticed that low self-esteem was an obstacle in keeping kids healthy. She comes from a place of “finding something good and reinforcing it” as a pathway to healthy kids. The Arts-N-Kids program includes dancing, singing, and acting all wrapped up in one. It is not about competing with each other but about each student doing their individual best. All kids are engaged in their learning. The theme for this years Dance and Arts ‘N Kids programs is Health.

Arts-N-Kids offers 6 week programs during the school year for the Brewer Community School and the George B. Weatherbee School in Hampden. Recently Karen was on the United Way of Eastern Maine Presents weekly radio program sharing the philosophy of the program and the value of arts education for all students.

Karen is a great resource and is leading the way in providing dance opportunities for students during the school day with this unique model. If you’d like more information listen to the recorded link above and contact Karen at 922-4639 or email her at hartdance@aol.com or go to www.chcs-me.org.

Posted in Communication, Community, Dance, Music, Theater | Tagged , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Northeast Educational Theatre Festival

October 1, 2012

Hundreds of students will gather for a GREAT opportunity!

The Northeast Educational Theatre Festival, will be held November 30- December 1, at University of Southern Maine and Gorham High School.  The Northeast Educational Theatre Festival is sponsored by the Maine chapter of the Educational Theatre Association (ME EdTA), an organization that provides support and activities for high school theatre students and teachers.

Three hundred or more students from across New England will gather in Gorham for two days of workshops, performances and opportunities to perform for adjudication before a panel of professional judges. This year’s theme, “Once More with Sparkles; the Magic of Theatre”, focuses on the technical side of theatre.

The featured guest and keynote speaker is David Sumner, a scenic designer from NYC who has worked on productions around the world ranging from Broadway to the Olympics in Beijing. The festival is open to all students from high schools across New England, with information and registration forms available at www.northeastedta.org/Festival.html. For this great opportunity for students and teachers the deadline for discounted registration is October 26.

The Maine EdTA Board includes educators and professionals from the local theatre community committed to sharing a love of theatre with high school students, including:

  • Rick Osann, Bonny Eagle HS, Chapter Director
  • Keith Anctil, Westbrook MS & Cheverus HS, Treasurer
  • Pam Mutty, Brunswick HS, Board Member
  • Eileen Avery, Gorham HS, Board Member
  • Dan Burson, Portland Stage Co., Board Member
  • Michael Levine, Acorn Studios, Board Member

Last year’s Northeast Festival, including Heather Silva, teacher at Bonny Eagle HS, along with four BEHS students: Allison Fitzpatrick, Kim Larrabee, Meghan Wuorio & Taylor Morin

Thank you to Rick Osann for providing the information for this blog post!

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Marvin Hamlisch

August 15, 2012

Friend of Arts Education

Photo taken from the New York Times

We are aware of the contributions Mr. Hamlisch made to our world of music, the theater, and film. But did you know in more recent years, Mr. Hamlisch became an ambassador for music, traveling the country and performing and giving talks at schools and that he was critical of the cuts in arts education? We certainly have lost an incredible person!

“I don’t think the American government gets it,” he said during an interview at the Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, Calif. “I don’t think they understand it’s as important as math and science. It rounds you out as a person. I think it gives you a love of certain things. You don’t have to become the next great composer. It’s just nice to have heard certain things or to have seen certain things. It’s part of being a human being.”

To read the entire story please click here.

Posted in Creativity, Music, Theater | Leave a Comment »

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Another Arts Teachers’ Story: Rebecca Wright

July 11, 2012

Featuring one teacher’s journey as an educator

This is the 16th in a series of blog posts telling arts teachers’ stories. This series contains a set of questions to provide the opportunity for you to read educators stories and to learn from others.

Rebecca Wright just completed her 27th year in public education with the last 26 in Ellsworth, RSU 24. She is unique not because she teaches grades 9-12 at Ellsworth High School (EHS) but that she teaches Theatre, Vocal Music, and Dance and each year her student load varies due to her content expertise. On a trimester system at EHS next year she will teach 7 sections of public speaking, a new requirement for Freshmen. Her primary classes are in Introductory Theatre, Dance, and Vocal Music and Advanced sections in all those areas as well. Rebecca also teaches two different sections of Stagecraft; Costumes and Sets, and Concert Choir. The team Rebecca works with is awaiting final approval for instituting a Visual/Performing Arts Academy. Rebecca is a teacher leader with the first phase of the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative.

What do you like best about being an arts educator?

It is ever changing and it is what students can be passionate about. They come to my class and say “I’ve waited all day for this!” I love how it changes or improves their lives forever and they will come back years later to describe how the visual/performing arts classes have helped them, supported their goals, or become a lifelong pursuit.

Tell me what you think are three keys to ANY successful arts ed program?

  1. Community and Administrative Support
  2. Dedication and a thick skin:)
  3. Students first!

What specific way(s) do your assessment practices tie into the success of your program?

Formative, formative, formative. Students are constantly assessed and encouraged daily without being aware of it. Formative assessment is vital to their individual improvement. My emphasis is on individual progress not on comparison to anyone else in class. Everyone can and will improve and graded assessments are based on their self-assessment, peer assessment and my assessment.

What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?

The arts assessment initiative has been one of the best professional experiences of my career. The week spent last summer with people of like philosophy and mind was exhilarating and inspiring. The wealth of knowledge and ideas was a treasure trove to draw from and Ann Marie from MLTI changed my outlook on technology forever!

What are you most proud of in your career?

I have been blessed to have had many highlights in my career. Seven state championship show choir titles, two national titles at Disney, many successful festivals and sold out performances. I am most proud however, of the many students who have chosen to pursue careers and lives in the arts. It has been so rewarding to see them go on spreading the love of music, theatre and dance around the country. Many are teaching and directing at schools around the state, some are dancing in New York City, some are on television and in the movies spanning the nation from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles. Some participate in community theatre and church choirs. They keep me in the loop of their lives and I could not be more proud.

What gets in the way of being a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?

The things that most interfere with being a better teacher are the increasing demands placed upon the teaching profession in general, red tape and paperwork, and also the constant repetition of having to educate administration about the unique and different needs of the Visual/Performing Arts Dept. I have had many supportive administrators but it has taken determination on the part of myself and my colleagues to gain that support and understanding of our programs.

Apple or PC?

Apple because we have “one to one” for our students.

What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?

I constantly hear from colleagues across the state “It must be nice!”, “You have all kinds of money to work with.”, “Ellsworth has all kinds of advantages”. What I remind them is that it took 26 years to build what we have and we started with nothing more than an aging cafetorium stage and a handful of kids. There have been years full of “blood, sweat and tears” poured into our program not just on my part but on the part of all those students, parents, and volunteers during all those years. Circumstances were often against us but a passion for the importance of performing arts for students carried us through.

Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?

The visual/performing arts are more important than ever to students and our culture.
Don’t give up and don’t expect everyone to be as excited as you are. Always remember who it makes the difference for-students. Be willing to compromise and be flexible and be willing to look at your situation from all sides. It is hard to argue with a program that is always focussed on what is truly best for students.

If you were given a $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?

After paying for my twins education, one is going to SVA in Manhattan for Animation and one is going to USM as Musical Theatre major (go figure:), I would probably finally start the “Wright School for the Performing Arts”. We have joked about it for years, buying The Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth and renovating it to be used as a year round performing arts school and performance center.

Thanks Rebecca for telling your story!

Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, Leadership, Music, Opportunity, Professional Development, Standards, Technology, Theater, YAHOO | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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Mentos and Coke Does Portland!

June 29, 2012

Eepybird.com

For several years I have wanted to see Eepybird do their “thing” with the Mentos and Coke. That is Diet Coke to be exact. Well, last night in Portland I had the chance, finally! They performed in Monument Square in front of an audience of all ages. Many of the young attendees were in the front and yes, they got wet. Eepybird kicked off the first four day Performing Arts Festival. There are almost 80 peformers during the event.

Fritz Grobe and Steven Voltz use over 100 bottles of soda and over 600 Mentos candies. It takes three hours to set up for the event which takes about 3 minutes to complete, start to finish. You can go to the article from the Bangor Daily News and watch a video that shows the performance.

The show was fun and just like I imagined!

 

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Maine Student Acting Competition

May 13, 2012

Middle school students, acting opportunity

The 2012 Maine Student Acting Competition was held at Troy Howard Middle
School on Saturday, April 28. There were seven schools competing with 80
students: Bangor, Searsport, Pittsfield, Belfast, Lincolnville, Camden,
and Riley School. It was a great success! If any middle school in Maine is
interested in learning more information about how to compete in the 2013
Maine Student Acting Competition, please contact Jason Bannister at
338-3320 x101.

Group Musical: 1st place-Belfast, 2nd place-Bangor, 3rd place-Searsport

Group Acting: 1st place-Bangor, 2nd place-Belfast, 3rd place-Pittsfield

Overall Team: 1st place-Belfast, 2nd place-Lincolnville, 3rd place-Riley

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Another Arts Teachers’ Story: MaryEllen Schaper

April 24, 2012

Featuring one teacher’s journey as an arts educator

Representative David Webster, MaryEllen, Maine Alliance Chair Elizabeth Watson

This is the sixth in a series of blog posts telling arts teachers’ stories. This series will contain a set of questions to provide the opportunity for you to read educators stories and to learn from others.

MaryEllen Schaper teaches dance, physical education, adapted physical education and dance. She co-directs the Bonny Eagle Middle School Drama Club, and directs and choreographs the spring musicals for Bonny Eagle High School in SAD/RSU 6. She is responsible for about 260 students in class, and about 100 more for both drama clubs. MaryEllen is in her 36th year of teaching.

MaryEllen was on the team who developed the first set of Maine Learning Results in 1997 and she served again on the writing team for the Visual and Performing Arts 2007 Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction. MaryEllen was recognized by the Maine Alliance for Arts Education this year for her many years of commitment to arts education as the recipient of the 2012 Bill Bonyun Artist/Educator Award.

What do you like best being an arts educator?

I like moving all day. I love teaching others how to use their bodies as the medium for creative expression. Sometimes as they’re working I see a “moment” that I will never see again, and I feel so honored!

Tell me what you think are three keys to ANY successful arts ed program?

  1. Skilled and knowledgeable teachers who understand and can interface the creative process, child development, and the corresponding pedagogy.
  2. Excitement about your art form and excitement about your students and their work is vital, as well as respect for the students to push them to their full potential.
  3. Community interest and support certainly help!

What specific way(s) do your assessment practices tie into the success of your program?

Primarily that my students are part of the assessment creation and implementation. I provide them with essential questions, and they decide how to answer them. We develop a rubric for good, better, and best work. The students rate themselves on their work habits and their products with justification, knowing that if I don’t agree (which is very seldom…they’re remarkably accurate!), I win. 🙂  Until the final day they can edit their work so that they turn in their best. If they want to put in the extra time to continue to refine their work (which doesn’t happen often, but it does happen), they can until the end of the quarter. This gives me more time with individual students as the students are doing  the “heavy lifting”, not me.

What have been the benefits in becoming involved in the arts assessment initiative?

Having a cohort of people to work with who are interested  in improving learning in the arts through better assessment practices. Sharing best practices and the learning that goes along with that is so valuable. It’s wonderful knowing that I have a group ready and willing to improve as an arts educator.

What are you most proud of in your career?

That I have been able to introduce students to dance and theatre, and see them “run with it” not only as students, but often into adulthood.

What gets in the way of being a better teacher or doing a better job as a teacher?

I wish I still could teach with the freedom I could 30 years ago. Kids really were the center then, and I was more able to take the time to mine their skills and creativity in a way that isn’t possible in the same manner now. Today everything is so scrutinized for unimportant things before it can even leave the launch pad, that it’s much more difficult to take the calculated creative risks that I once felt empowered and supported to take.

Apple or PC?

Apple

What have you accomplished through hard work and determination that might otherwise appear at first glance to be due to “luck” or circumstances?

Teaching dance to as many students K-college as I have, and making sure that dance education is always invited to the table at the local and state levels for as many years as I have has always been an ongoing accomplishment through hard work and determination. Dance isn’t valued on the same plane as other art forms. It’s cultural worth has declined precipitously in the last few generations. It presumes certain things about the dancer’s body image or sexuality that makes many uncomfortable. And no one seems to “understand” modern and post modern dance! There’s no “luck” or “circumstance” against those odds. It takes stubborn passion and the willingness to often quite literally go it alone so that my students have the opportunity to learn the joy of using their bodies as the tool to make art, and grow from that experience.

Look into your crystal ball: what advice would you give to teachers?

Be passionate about what you do and those you’re doing it for. Be willing to fight for that passion. There will be politics, budgets, ignorance, and sometimes isolation in your work, but focus on your purpose. Take your work with your students seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. Have a sense of humor. Make sure your life has balance. Did I mention a sense of humor?

If you were given a $500,000.00 to do with whatever you please, what would it be?

$500,000 before or after taxes? (Sorry I’m writing this on Tax Day!). A half million dollars would be good seed money for an endowment to keep the arts in my school district for a long time (there are currently proposed cuts), or for an arts scholarship. It could also feed or house a lot of people, or help a lot of animals. I could help out my family. It would also make my retirement much more comfortable than it looks now. I would like to think that it would be one of the more altruistic things I’ve mentioned.

Thank you MaryEllen for taking the time to tell your story (and for always using your sense of humor in your work and play)!

Posted in assessment, Communication, Community, Creativity, Curriculum and Instruction, Dance, Food for thought, Theater, VPA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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Bates Dance Festival

April 21, 2012

Theater performance – April 27 & 28 at 8:00 pm

Bates College and Bates Dance Festival collaborating to present “red, black & GREEN: a blues”. A hybrid performance of hip hop theater, poetry, movement, music and visuals that brings together big ideas and moving personal stories to jumpstart a conversation about environmental justice and social ecology.

Marc Bamuthi Joseph is the conceiver/director and performer and has assembled a small cast of contemporary music/dance/theater greats. For more information click here.

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Show Choir Performances

April 9, 2012

Saturday, March 31, 2012

The excitement was intense and impressive at the annual Maine State Vocal Jazz Festival held at Ellsworth High School.

Connie Carter attended and said the following:

“What an amazing showcase of talent, energy, commitment, collaboration, and just plain incredible entertainment!  It was so exciting to see Ellsworth High School overflowing with people who suipport the arts.  There was enough creative energy there
on Saturday to meet Maine’s energy needs for a year! Clearly the arts have a voice in Maine!”

And Ed Brazee’s observations:

“I loved every minute of the state competition for Show Choirs and Jazz Choirs last Saturday at Ellsworth High School. It was particularly gratifying to see high school students from across Maine collaborating and enjoying each others’
presentations. Were they competive? Of course, but they were also appreciative and supportive of each other’s efforts. Very impressive!”

The Ellsworth High School Show Choir won the Division I State Championship at the event for the sixth time in the choir’s history and the third year in a row. They also received a “Gold Award” rating of 1 and received the “Outstanding Choreography” Award for the third year running as well. Special recognition for 1 rating performances in the solo category went to Tyler Small, Tyler Beardsley, Kassidy Jordan, Tim Follette, Blake Pattengale, Marissa Boynton, Lauren Barkhouse, Savannah Jackson, and show-stopping Melissa Wells. The choir presented “I Know Where I’ve Been: Twenty Years of EHS Show Choir” . The evening final performance may be found on You Tube. On Tuesday, April 10th, the Show Choir leaves for Orlando, Florida where they will be competing in Disney Festival and performing on the Waterside Stage in Downtown Disney. Congratulations and Good Luck!

Ellsworth High School Show Choir

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