Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 2:25 PM until 3:10 PM there are a series of 45 minute sessions that are called Interludes.  Each content area will offer several sessions that are open to any participant.  This is the opportunity to cross disciplines.  A list of these sessions will be included in the program book.  The sessions will also be listed on this website under Workshops in each content area and are listed below.  Additionally during this time period, clinicians who are not teaching an Interlude session will remain in their classroom.  Participants may speak with clinicians in any content area during this time. This is a good opportunity to connect with clinicians in order to comment on presentations from class or to ask questions. This one-on-one session is called Connections.  Everyone will be in either an Interlude workshop or Connections session with a clinician during this 45 minute period each day.

INTERLUDE WORKSHOP SESSIONS

The following Interlude sessions are available to all Academy participants and will be offered on both Monday and Wednesday afternoon from 2:25 PM to 3:10 PM unless otherwise indicated.


Janet Barrett
Bach and the Beetles: A Contrapuntal Interlude with Movement, Music and Poetry

Come prepared to move, perform, and listen as we experience the rich connections between a Newberry Award winning poet’s work and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Jeff Bush
It’s Carnival Time!

Come join the parade! This hands-on session for everyone (no musical experience necessary) is an exercise based on a form of Brazilian percussion music called Batucada, particularly popular during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Through a variety of exercises, participants will not only discover one form of Brazilian music, but also to promote creativity, elements of music and numerous educational concepts.  You’ll learn a little about the culture and get an opportunity to march around in our own little Carnival!

Michael Chandler
Strategies for Developing Part-Singing in the Elementary Choir

Come experience three joyful choral selections that each represent a different way to facilitate beginning part-singing while reinforcing music skills and concepts with the elementary choir.

Robert Colby
“A Mother’s Heart:” Adapting a Text for Theatrical Performance.

Working with characters and a theme that have appeared in short stories, poems, and ballads all over the world and across several centuries, participants will adapt the text as a play and perform several versions of it, all in 45 minutes! 

Joel G. Fink
Truly Humour-ous Characters.

Joel G. Fink will explore the use of the four humours in the creation of characters. The theory of the humours as the basis for personality-types dates back to at least the 2nd century A.D. Even today, however, it is a useful tool for analyzing and creating characters on-stage.

Cecile Johnson
Sing a Story~ Read a Song

Learn to use children’s literature books with music connections to enhance and extend your lessons in a meaningful and purposeful way.

Elana Lagerquist
Building Character: Finding the Drama within the Language Arts

Elana Lagerquist will facilitate an interactive literacy through theatre lesson that explores the integration of the performing arts and the language arts curricula. By using the theatre techniques of tableaux and improvisation, participants will create characters to playfully develop oral language and writing skills.

Libby Marcus
Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Method: A Useful Process for Responding to Student Work

Libby will take participants through this step-by-step group process for responding to artistic work that is supportive of student-artists and wonderful for developing the critical eye in young audiences. (Monday Only)

Libby Marcus
Sure Fire Warm-ups & Icebreakers: Activities for Building a Safe Space to Create

Libby Marcus will guide participants through a series of her favorite tried and true theater games that develop confidence, trust and good feelings in any group setting. (Wednesday Only)

Tawnya Pettiford-Wates
Impulse: Connecting through Sound, Movement & Gesture

It is only through letting go that we can truly get "in-touch" with our impluse. It is impulse wherein lies our artistic genius. Participants will explore some simple and fun exercises that demonstrate the power and magic of transition as it connects to impluse as well as learning how we get in our own way by controlling or blocking our creative impulse.

Davis Robinson
Music for a Change

Some fun ways to use music in the classroom or rehearsal hall to recharge the batteries, break up tensions, and get new ideas percolating. Use of recorded music as well as simple rhythmic and vocal exercises will be introduced.