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ARTISTS "On the Road" 2007-2008 ROSTER:

Arioso String Quartet

Performances recommended for grades: K-12
Workshops recommended for grades: 3-12
Arioso String Quartet offers an exceptional opportunity to introduce students to a diverse repertoire of music presented by talented, seasoned professionals from The Florida Orchestra. From Bach to Scott Joplin, Gershwin or big band favorites, students have the rare experience of superior quality music and an opportunity to explore their own creative abilities in the local school setting.
Available: Mondays & Tuesdays, year-round
Run time: 45-minute performance/2-hour workshop
Capacity: 350 performance maximum
15 students per artist for workshops
Fee: $800.00 (based on a 3-hour time block)

"Mr. Beck was energetic, professional and inspiring. He commanded the audience and encouraged the students to go further into their craft." Teacher, Clearwater High School

"You are the funniest person I know! Please pick me as your example student next time; I just can't wait to see you again next year!" Student, Bishop Larkin Catholic School

Ian Beck

You Can Cartoon!
Recommended for grades: 6-12
You can do almost anything with cartoons, and this workshop will show you how. Learn to create characters and infuse them with emotions, movements and attitudes! Find new ways to tell stories, express ideas or just improve on a new skill… all with your pencil! Great geometry lesson too!
Available: Mondays & Wednesdays, year-round
Run time: 60-90 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

The Art of Cartooning and Animation
Recommended for grades: 9-12
Expand your visual arts abilities by turning your cartoon images or stories into animation. From basic cartooning exercises to the development of a storyboard, you will learn the structure of simple animation. Computer imaging and illustration programs can be demonstrated for the more advanced artist. Workshops are built to suit your students' needs.
Available: Wednesdays, year-round
Run time: 60-90 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

Mime & Movement
Recommended for grades: 6-12
The body is the actor's most valuable tool and must be treated with care. Learn how to warm up correctly and prepare for stage roles. Discover how to "physicalize" character and story through
movement and mime. From simple motions to full-force slapstick, explore them all and put your body to good use.
Available: Mondays & Wednesdays, year-round
Run time: 60-90 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

Clowning Around & Mime
Recommended for grades: 1-5
You won't be just clowning around when mime artist Ian Beck arrives at your school! This high-energy workshop focuses on MIME and CLOWNING and how they relate to your students' imagination, focus, concentration and creativity. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced theater student, Mr. Beck's insight and skills will be beneficial to all who work with him.
Available: Mondays & Wednesdays, year-round
Run time: 60 minutes (performance or workshop)
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

"This inspires creativity and encourages risk! Great actors and great thinkers need BOTH!" Teacher, Seven Springs Middle School

Ian Beck, Nicole Haumesser or
Jared O'Roark

Improvisation 101
Recommended for grades: 3-8
Imagination and freedom are two of a young performer's most valuable tools. Guided group exercises and theatrical games using the basic skills of improvisation teach students to explore their own creativity. This workshop's performance aspect will allow each student to find his/her comfort level on the stage.
Available: Mondays & Thursdays, year-round
Run time: 60 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

You SAID WHAT?!? Improvisation
Recommended for grades: 9-12
Create a group dynamic, learn about scene building and storytelling, explore creativity in a safe environment and let your students discover the humor that is just waiting to be released through improv. This is a great class for drama, performance and creative writing students.
Available: Mondays & Thursdays, year-round
Run time: 60-90 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

Thespian Workshops
Recommended for grades: 10-12
Drama teachers, let us assist you in preparing your students for your Thespian Festival Competition. Many of our Institute staff has served as judges at the Regional and Florida State Thespian Conferences. We know first-hand what gets the judges' attention and how to achieve a superior mark.
Available: Mondays, Thursdays & Fridays, year-round
Run time: 60-90 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

D'Vora Cannell

Deaf Awareness Now

Words On Your Hands
Recommended for grades: K-5
Have you ever seen a poem? Can you draw a story in the air? How would you sing a song with a friend who can't hear? This fun workshop will teach poems, stories and songs in American Sign Language using age-appropriate vocabulary to develop self-confidence, artistic expression and conceptual understanding.
Available: Weekdays, year-round
Run time: 90 minutes
Capacity: 35 students
Maximum sessions per day: 4
Fee: $150 first session/$70 for each additional session
Day Residency: $300.00 for four sessions

Show What They're Saying!
Recommended for grades: 6-8
Use the combined strengths of American Sign Language and the time-honored craft of pantomime to translate your favorite songs, stories, or even those teacher-required poems into a class act that will make you a standout in any crowd! Build self-esteem and artistic expression.
Available: Weekdays, year-round
Run time: 90 minutes
Capacity: 35 students
Maximum sessions per day: 4
Fee: $150 first session/$70 for each additional session

Handle with Care
Recommended for grades: 9-12
See your class project in poetry, story or song transformed into a visual work of art! Complete your project before this workshop, and learn to bring it to life in American Sign Language. Videotape the translation and learn to perform your classroom project in this rich and expressive language. This workshop develops teamwork, self-confidence, cultural awareness, theatrical performance and physical expression.
Available: Weekdays, year-round
Run time: 90 minutes
Capacity: 35 students
Maximum sessions per day: 4
Fee: $150 first session/$70 for each additional session

"Excellent children interaction, great rapport and control. There are so many ways to integrate into the classroom, including science units on sound and movement as well as math units on patterns" Teacher, Skycrest Elementary

Jennifer Diedrich

Classical Fun Music Time
Recommended for grades: K-1
Classical masterpieces can easily be recognized and enjoyed by adding lyrics and complementary movement. Dancing, singing, playing instruments and other enjoyable activities provide ideal pre-instrument training. Children's songs are taught in English, Spanish, German and Chinese. Each session features live accompaniments by the instructor.
Available: Mondays, Thursdays & Fridays year-round
Run time: 45-60 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$60.00 for each additional session
Day Residency: $300.00  for four sessions

Classical Fun Music Basics
Recommended for grades: 2-4
Students will become acquainted with the basics of music theory, form, history and instruments of the orchestra through active listening to classical, jazz and modern styles in both recorded and live format. Concepts of melody, rhythm, tempo and style are explored through games and creative input. Each session features live student/teacher performances.
Available: Mondays, Thursdays & Fridays, year-round
Run time: 45-60 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$60.00 for each additional session

Dundu Dolé

Performances recommended for grades: K-12
Workshops recommended for grades: 3-12

Dundu Dolé Urban African Ballet Company, clad in authentic costumes, takes your students on a journey complete with the power of African drums, stories, dance and song while exposing them to the roots of many uniquely American styles. Price is determined by venue size and number of performers, which can range from a company of ten to a full company of twenty-five. Workshops are built to suit your student and curriculum needs and interests. Combination workshops include African and African-American folklore, drumming, crafts, dancing and singing, or you may simplify your workshop to encompass only one area.

Available: Weekdays, year-round
Run time: 45-90 minutes (performance or workshop)
Capacity: No performance limit, 50 students per workshop
Fee: $800.00 for one performance/$400.00 for each additional performance
$500.00 for one workshop/$200.00 for each additional workshop

The Hundred Dresses
adapted by Bill Williams from the book by Eleanor Estes
Recommended for grades: 2-6
Wanda Petronski, the new girl in room 13, wears the same faded blue dress to school every day, but insists that she has 100 bright, shiny new ones at home. As Wanda’s story unfolds, her classmates learn the secret of the 100 dresses and with it, a lesson in tolerance, in taking responsibility and in living with the consequences of their actions. An enduring favorite, based on the Newbery Honor Book by Eleanor Estes, The Hundred Dresses explores the costs of bullying for both the bully and the victim.
Based on the book THE HUNDRED DRESSES by Eleanor Estes and illustrated by Louis Slobodkin. Copyright 1944 by Harcourt, Inc. Copyright renewed by Eleanor Estes and Louis Slobodkin. Performed by permission of Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.
Available: Weekdays, October 2007-December 2007
Run time: 60 minutes (performance or workshop)
Maximum sessions per day: 4
Performance Fee: $1000.00
Workshop fee: $25.00
*a $25.00 transportation fee applies to counties beyond Pinellas

Woodland Tales
Originally adapted for the stage by the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble
Recommended for grades: pre K -3
How did the turkey get his gobble? Why are the rabbit’s ears so long? How did the frog lose his teeth? For hundreds of years, Native American children have delighted in stories of how animals came to be as they are. Like Kipling's Just So Stories, the Native American legends in Woodland Tales combine humor and wisdom to enchant the youngest among us. Lively storytelling performed in the round combined with interactive audience participation make this a perfect first time theater experience.

Available: Weekdays, December 2007 - February 2008
Run time: 60 minutes (performance or workshop)
Maximum sessions per day: 4
Performance Fee: $350.00
Workshop fee: $25.00
*a $25.00 transportation fee applies to counties beyond Pinellas

Battledrum

Book and lyrics by Doug Cooney; music by Lee Ahlin
A new musical commissioned by Eckerd Theater Company
Recommended for grades: 5 and up

BATTLEDRUM tells the story of Rufus, a Confederate orphan adopted by a troop of Union soldiers, who eventually becomes their drummer boy. Based on a wealth of compelling stories of real-life children who fought the Civil War, BATTLEDRUM explores a complex period in American history through the eyes of young people. A sweeping tale, indelibly etched through compelling characters, daring adventure, raucous comedy, stirring music, and, of course, drums.

Available: Weekdays, March 2008 - May 2008
Run time: 60 minutes (performance or workshop)
Maximum sessions per day: 4
Performance Fee: $1000.00
Workshop fee: $25.00
*a $25.00 transportation fee applies to counties beyond Pinellas

Blue Feliu

Latin Moves!
Recommended for grades: K-5
Have you ever played el pon pon hit a piñata? Have you ever heard the beats and sounds of Latin music and danced? Do you know what the dances mean or what stories they tell? In this workshop, you will be taken on a magical journey of the imagination and senses as you travel to the Latin islands without leaving your classroom. Through stories, crafts and movement, Blue Feliu teaches about her rich heritage and the many facets of the Latin world.
Available: Mondays, year-round
Run time: 60 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

SALSA, Anyone?
Recommended for grades: 6-12
Take your classroom on a trip to the tropical paradises of Puerto Rico, Cuba and Santo Domingo as you move to the mystical beat of Latin drums. Feel the rhythm and energy as you and your students experience this high-energy art form. More than a dance class, you will explore longstanding Latin traditions such as the purpose of a quinceanera. Great addition to any dance or cultural studies curriculum!
Available: Mondays, year-round
Run time: 60-90 minute
Capacity: 30 students
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

"This workshop was a great treat for my dance classes. The cultural information was great and styles of Latin Dance were both challenging and fun."
Teacher, River Ridge Middle School

"Our students truly enjoyed this delightful program. The stories were full of energy and the enthusiasm of the class was amazing." Teachers, Palm Harbor Montessori

StellaStitches Story S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-r-s
Recommended for grades: 1-5
Storytelling promotes literacy and improves skills that facilitate learning across most areas of study. In this program, we'll jump inside the story with grade-appropriate storytelling and theater games designed to ignite your students' imaginative thinking. We'll map out story elements, bring original characters to life, and explore their worlds. In the process, language development, communication skills and teamwork are enhanced. This engaging workshop provides a spotlight in which each student may shine.
Available: Weekdays, year-round
Run time: 60 minutes (performance or workshop)
Capacity: 30 students
Maximum sessions per day: 4
Fee: $100.00 for one session/$50.00 for each additional session
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

Everyday Heroes
Recommended for grades: 6-8
Is there a hero in each of us? How about your friend, your neighbor, your grandma or your teacher? Is there someone in your life that has made a positive difference to you or to the world? Learn how to tell that story through research and interviewing as well as developing storytelling, writing and presentation skills. This is a great tool for CHARACTER COUNTS CURRICULUM. This is a short-term residency program that requires 6 visits.
Available: Weekdays, year-round
Run time: 60-90 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Maximum sessions per day: 4
Fee: $1500.00 for up to four sessions per day/6 visits

"The students were actively involved and interested in the performance. The puppets and sets are colorful and inviting and this fits great into our science and character studies."
Teacher, McMullen Booth Elementary

Nicole Haumesser & Emily Harris

The One & Only Owen
Recommended for grades: Pre-K-3
From the imagination of Teaching Artist Nicole Haumesser comes a delightful musical tale about a young earthworm, Owen, and his struggle to find his place in the hustle and bustle of daily garden life. Students learn about finding their unique talents through singing along to the performance, exploring storytelling through puppetry, discovering how to create characters from the world around them and learning how to make puppets come to life on stage.

Available: Tuesdays & Thursdays, year-round
Run time: 45 minutes performance/discussion
Capacity: 200 students for performance
Fee: $300.00 for one performance/$500.00 for two performances 

"The students truly enjoyed learning about different instruments that aren't commonly seen every day"
Teacher, Countryside Christian Academy

Alfredo Montes

Sounds of the Caribbean
Recommended for grades: 6-12
Have you ever tried playing a Latin beat or just heard wonderful island music and not been able to stop tapping your feet? Take your students on a tropical journey of sounds and rhythms without ever leaving your classroom! Professional musician Alfredo Montes leads this audio adventure through Cuba, Puerto Rico and other Latin-influenced islands just south of our shores. Congas, bongos, Tamboras, tambourines, claves, bells, drums and many other amazing instruments are waiting to be discovered and explored. Book this high-energy workshop that is sure to keep your students talking.

Jared O'Roark

Poetry, Rhymes and Wordplay
Recommended for Grades: 1-5
Spoken Word and Beat Poetry Recommended for Grades: 6-12
These workshops focus on building both comfort and confidence as students learn to bring their words or poems to life. Students discover the various styles of poetry and become immersed in the spoken word. Guided writing and drama activities will literally put the poems the students create on their feet. There will be much to learn as the students watch each other act out their own personal haikus and limericks for the audience! All sessions are adapted for grade and curriculum needs.

REVolutions Dance Company

Performances recommended for grades: K-12
Workshops recommended for grades: 3-12
REVolutions Dance is a professional dance company comprised of dancers both with and without physical disabilities. Its goal is to promote diversity and to entertain its audiences with exciting, thought-provoking performances that capitalize on the abilities that ALL people have. With performance, discussion, audience participation and Q & A, this is a truly inspiring and educational experience for your students. Presentations can be tailored to fit your needs and curriculum.

Alexandra Treiber

Mideastern Dance/Danse Orientale
Recommended for grades: 3-12
Learn the fundamentals and beautiful movements of this ancient dance known by many names but in the Mideast called Raqs Sharqi (Dance of the East). Gain a better understanding of other cultures from India to Arabia and Africa while exploring their music and dance as well as their influence on Western civilization. Presentation includes historical background of Mideastern dance, its origins and music, a dance class and demonstration.

Available: Weekdays, year-round
Run time: 60-90 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Day Residency:  $250.00 for four sessions

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Sarah Fady, CMP (Certified Music Practitioner)

MEET THE DULCIMER
The hammered dulcimer is an ancient instrument that originated in the Middle East. While the dulcimer is commonly known as a folk instrument, and for its use with Medieval and Renaissance music, it is also uniquely suited for calming the senses and creating a soothing environment. Learn about the history of the hammered dulcimer and allow your students to experience the resonant sound of this uncommon stringed instrument. Available: weekdays, year-round
Recommended for grades: K-8, including students with special needs
Capacity: 30 students

Fee: $100 for one session, $50 for each additional session

Steve Turner

FUN ON THE DRUM
Drumming sparks joy in an individual, and that joyous SPARK can ignite a creative FLAME. Learn about teamwork and community in a fun, safe and truly interactive environment. Best of all, everyone gets to play a drum! We will learn traditional songs, how to make up our own rhythms, and how drumming together can teach us to believe in ourselves and create something larger than the group around us. We will sing, dance, smile and laugh together as we build a musical foundation that can last a lifetime.

Available: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Recommended for grades: 1-8
Capacity: 100 students
Fee: $250 for one session/ $500 for a full school day

Bookings & Payments

REQUESTS ARE ACCEPTED VIA FAX OR MAIL

Complete the booking request form.

Print form or call (727) 712-2706 to have a copy faxed.

Checks & money orders payable to Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc.

(727) 791-7449

Attention: Artists On The Road Coordinator

• Requests for bookings are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. You will be contacted within five business days to determine the date and time.
• Each artist has appropriate grade levels listed. Please adhere to these recommendations.
• Please adhere to listed capacities.
• Up to four events/sessions per artist, per day can be booked unless otherwise noted.
• Prices are based on same day, same location bookings.
• An invoice will be sent to you after your booking date has been determined.
• Payment must be received prior to presentation/workshop.
• The teacher requesting the booking will be the contact person and will be responsible for assuring that payment is made.
• The artist will call the contact person one to two weeks prior to the event date. If the artist does not call, please contact the Artists "On The Road" Coordinator at (727) 712-2714.
• We require that all host organizations maintain a minimum of one adult per 30 children in the workshop or performance area.
• All events subject to change.
• If you have specific questions about an Artists "On The Road" professional, please call the Artists "On The Road" Coordinator at (727) 712-2714.
• A $25.00 fee will be assessed to schools outside a 25-mile radius (one-way travel) from Ruth Eckerd Hall.