Philadanco: The Philadelphia Dance Company
White Bird Education Project 2019

Greetings Teachers and Administrators:

Reservations official open on Thursday, February 21st at 4:00pm, for White Bird's annual free education performance of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Wednesday, April 24th, 11am-noon. White Bird is offering this FREE EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIP during the school day exclusively to Portland Public School teachers and students. The trip is for grades 6-12 grade students whose teachers commit to teaching the curriculum associated with the performance (see below). Admission and round-trip transportation are completely sponsored. Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The show usually sells out within a few days so please plan accordingly with attention to the outlines requirements and deadlines.

About the Company

Across the nation and around the world, PHILADANCO is celebrated for its innovation, creativity and preservation of predominantly African-American traditions in dance.

Founded in 1970, PHILADANCO has a legacy of breaking barriers and building bridges across cultural divides, consistently performing for audiences representing an amalgamation of people from diverse communities. PHILADANCO is recognized for its artistic integrity, superbly trained dancers and electrifying performances. Inherent in its mission is a commitment to empowering youth with crucial leadership and development skills that facilitate achievement and success in the world of dance and everyday life.

Curriculum Requirements & Themes

CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS:

This year's exciting curriculum guide dives deep into Philandanco, a Philadelphia-based dance company that is celebrated for its innovation, creativity and preservation of African American traditions in dance. Students will be guided through the history of Philadelphia and the impact of founder/artistic director Joan Myers Brown who saw the need to establish Philadanco in 1970 to provide opportunities for Black dancers impacted by systemic racism in dance.

In order to gain access to this educational performance, teachers will need to commit to:

1. attending a two-hour professional development session on THURSDAY, MARCH 14TH from 4:30-6:30PM (location TBA). The PD session will in introduce the curriculum materials and provide a hands-on approach for your lesson planning;

2. integrating the curriculum guide into your classroom work for at least FIVE hours prior to the performance. In order to gain access to the educational performance, teachers will need to commit to:

   
   CURRICULAR THEMES:

African American Dance in the U.S. & Philadelphia
African Diaspora
Southern Migration
Religious Freedom
Bessie Smith, Marian Anderson, Billie Holiday, Judith Jamison

Cultural Formation
Race & Politics
Sociology & Social Issues
Embodiment & Expression through Art

Mentorship
Personal and Professional Goals
Personal Expression
Identity Development
Intersectionality