Budget cuts are forcing eductional institutions to make very difficult decisions in an effort to function with lower revenue streams.  However, the public is adamant that cuts be made that instruction itself not be compromised.

On this same evening, nine students from Lynwood High School were recognized by the School Board for community service through dance. They asked that I attend and speak to our partnership over the last two years.

Due to the public manifestation outside, the halls of the Lynwood Unified School District Board of Education were overflowing with concerned  community members.

The board meeting began with general protocols, and then two presentations about the budget crisis.

Then, the pledge of allegiance was performed by sign language and an elementary school group presented a brief dance titled “Still I Rise” before local science fair winners were honored.

Then, it was out turn to recognize the Lynwood High School dance program and the community generated scholarships for Lynwood High School students who graduate high school and go on to either minor or major in dance in college. The colleges where these young dancers are headed include: Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Los Angeles, and Cerritos College. They set an outstanding example of college preparation in the arts and community service through dance. They were honored by the board of education, their prinicpal, and the community at large. The scholarship idea came from their dance teacher, Erick Medal, who raised funds for college bound LHS graduates through charging a small admissions fee for their well attended fall and spring concerts. An outstanding example of local community economic reinvestment.

Here we all are with the board members, student awardees, Mr. Medal and myself. It was a wonderful example of grass roots support for work well done.

After the meeting the local newspaper interviewed the youth, Mr. Medal, and myself. I emphasized the details of our two year partnership, and the need for maintaining arts education infrastructure at the K-12 and university levels to permit such fruitful collaborations in the future.

Parents approached me from different Lynwood Unified Schools complaining of the proposed cuts to the only band teacher at a locl middle school etcetera. Apparently, very few choices exist for local youth to cultivate their creative talents. Its amazing how much can be achieved when diverse dedicated stakeholders with common aims work together. So much more needs to be done, but right now, we celebrate the achievements of the young people, teachers, and AB Scholars who have made a difference!

In the morning I observed Kristina Martinez who is teaching a beginning level at Washington Preparatory High School with Guiding Teacher Da Tell. Its a wonderfu challenge for Martinez, an experienced dance educator who is accustomed to teaching intermediate and advanced students at the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts.

The class I observed focused on the pas de bourree in house, jazz, and ballet. The group is going to focus on house dancig and the theme “flashdance” for the spring concert.

As you can see, Ms. Tell’s dance space is an exciting and colorful place to be. This is also apparent in the caring classroom environment which the students claim as their own.

Today was the last class session for Julie Han who has been working with Thomas Turner at George Washington Carver Middle School. The students in Mr. Turner’s class will be going off track this Wednesday. Today, Ms. Han lead a discussion about drawn collages made by the students and printed portraits of the students as transitional objects honoring their learning in the residency on photography. Thanks go to the determination and hard work of both Ms. Han, Mr. Turner, and the Carver MS students.

Today I was able to visit the hard working dancers at Lynwood High School under the guidance of Ms. Jessica Anderson-Gwin and Mr. Erick Medal. When I arrived the group was recording journal entries about music for their choreographic process and upcoming concerts at Lynwood High School and UCLA. The group was working seamlessly and diligently on their choreography. Ms. Anderson-Gwin ended rehearsal with a bit of job preparation: performance contracts! Just like professional working dancers and dance companies employ. She explained that the expectations she had for their class attendance, rehearsals, and performances. The students take their work seriously and will rise to the occasion. Tomorrow I will meet them again at the Lynwood Unified School District Board meeting where the dance department will be honored by the city.

Then, I was off to teach the PE:Dance interns with Teach LA/Teach Compton. No rest for the weary!

I also was very lucky to attend a Poetry Off the Page workshop with Kennedy Center artist Glenis Gale Redmond. She argued that all arts education needs to begin first with INSPIRATION and then with the devices, techniques, and tools of our craft. For her, this meant inspiration FIRST, and poetic devices SECOND. This useful suggestion pertains to arts education in general.  The inspiration opens the door to the heart that allow us to teach and learn. We use the standards and techniques to bring maturity and depth to our work, but the inspiration guides the overall creative process.

She also emphasized that everyone has a voice, but we can help young artists find the threads that connect their voices to others. Inspired by Mary Oliver she explained that poetry has three lives: reading, writing, and speaking. We bring depth to language with similes, metaphors, and rhythm. Language, or the desire to find the threads in our thinking and connect to others, is a visual process. We need imagery to communicate. Writers paint with colorful words.

She led us through three different activities: 1) adding texture and layers with similes and metaphors, brainstorming boxes, and praise poems. We listened and experienced her writing (AMAZING!), and then she guided us through compositions of our own using her techniques and tools. She made me feel like writing was an important creative act and that we all were powerful writers in the making.

This is what I wrote during her exercises:

(Similes and metaphors)

“Caring wraps around charcoal memories like the black embroidered dress my mother carried across the waters to a new country. Fury hardened the metal corners of her suitcase as she floated across the turquoise ocean. Mortality circles – ivory bones welded into boxes and buried shoulder to shoulder. Silent grandparents she left behind.”

Praise poem with brainstorm box:

“I am one inch of dragon sunrise, one foot of poplar tree, three feet of star sapphire immigrant, 1.5 feet of pure unadulterated leopard love. Together that makes 5 feet six inches of jasmine.”

I want to bring back some of Redmond’s literary fire and passion for creation, and the CCSESA toolkits for the scholars on Friday. I have had difficulty sleeping lately so I’ve have been feeling run down and tired. Ms. Redmond’s workshops refilled my own spirit from top to bottom and I was completely rejuvenated. Thats what the creative process should do. Magic!

School site planning continues at George Washington Carver Middle School. Mr. Thomas Turner and Ms. Rachel Pash discussing the Arts Bridge residency and digital documentation technologies. Mr. Turner is working with AB Scholar Julie Han focusing on photography, collage, and identity.

Mr. Eric Stephens and Principal Wesley meeting to discuss project planning for 2009 and be introduced to our blogging practices. Mr. Stephens and Ms. Pash are working with AB Scholar Lizzy Grandsaert on Visual Art and Peer Mediation. Amy Shimshon-Santo met with GWC staff to introduce them to blogging strategies for reflective teaching and promoting the wonderful work being done at their school.

Ms. Neftali Gutierrez, UCLA Anthropology Major (gneftali@ucla.edu) spoke about the work that VIPS does in high schools and gave the scholars advice about college preparation and the application process. We discussed the content and politics of a-g requirements. See below.

A-G requirements
A = History / Social Science  (2 yrs)
B = English (4 yr)
C = Mathematics (3 yr.)
D = Laboratory Science (2 yr)
F = Visual and Performing Arts  (1 yr. in the same discipline)
G = Preparatory Electives  (1 yr. -  could also be elective class in any a-g area)

She let us know that in addition to meeting the GPA requirement, a-g requirements it is favorable to include the following experiences in your statement of purpose. These include:
•    Taking Community College Courses
•    Programs that are connected to the university in some way
•    Summer Programs

ArtsBridge is helping schools provide high quality sequential instruction in the arts. However, residencies alone can not meet the a-g requirements. In K-8 classrooms we are making sure that students are introduced to the VAPA content. In high school we must work along with our school partners to help them build their own local resources to include at least one year of instruction in the arts course offerings. Otherwise, students will not be able to achieve the f requirement for college preparation. Ironically, including the f requirement sets a precedent for schools to include the arts as a part of their college preparatory programs. Unfortunately, until all schools follow this guideline the requirement is one more area (in addition to AP courses) that students are often being denied. Education is needed not only among students, but among staff, administration, and counselors to make sure that two semesters of VAPA are made available to students, and that the counselors update and report these courses to the state so they can be included on the schools available a-g requirements.

Many of our students begin their higher education experience in community college, or state colleges, in addition to UCs. VIPS prepares students for admission to UCLA, and another program, the Center for Community College Partnerships, works closely with community college transfer students. In addition, at UCLA Arts, we have the capable efforts of our own Kavin Buck and Laura Young recruiting for our school.

Gutierrez explains that good options for our high school students include:
•    Community Colleges (Recommends finding a contact at SMC, Cerritos, El Camino, Pasadena City)
•    Cal State Universities (2.5 + GPA)
•    UC (3.0 GPA)
•    Private Colleges

Thanks again to Neftali Gutierrez, Jonli Tunstall, and VIPS for their valuable support!

aa192sl_w09_syll1

Course Syllabus for AA 102SL (Fall 2008):

aa102sl_syll_f08