Snowflake

Soul street dance

Growing Up with The Arts

By Brian Bemel, Artistic Director for Performances To Grow On

As a child growing up in Los Angeles, I have vivid memories of attending all kinds of performing arts events with my family. My parents schlepped us to everything from pop concerts, to theatre, to ballet, to classical music and magic. As a kid these performances were often thrilling and every once in awhile, boring, but these early experiences laid the foundation for my work with Performances To Grow On. Our organizations mission is to present audiences of all ages performances encompassing a variety of artistic and cultural traditions that are educational, imaginative and engaging. Our name says it bestPerformances To Grow On. No matter what your age, we believe in the power of live performance to expand boundaries, connect with others and to foster self-discovery.

Unfortunately many children today dont get the opportunity to experience the power and magic of the arts. While my school experiences were filled with the richness of music and art, schools today are often dominated by the pressure to perform on tests. As songwriter Tom Chapin laments in his song, Not on the Test

The School Board is faced with no child left behind With rules but no funding, they're caught in a bind. So music and art and the things you love best Are not in your school 'cause they're not on the test.

Performances To Grow On offers schools a variety of performances they can attend during the school day to enrich their curriculum. All tickets are $8.50 for groups of 10 or more. For more information, phone 805-646-8907

Next Seasons Educational Offerings include:

Nov. 21.- Snowflake @ the Kavli at 10/Gr.2-12

. Using the magic of illusion, Snowflake floats in mid-air, breathes life into toys, creates imaginative music, and dances The Nutcracker on skis. This is one of my all time favorite productions, it is a piece that shouldnt be missed. Long after the production, your students will be talking about this incredible performance—Brian Bemel

Dec. 1-charlotte diamond/Kavli @ 10/Gr. Pre K-2

Charlotte Diamond, Canadas first lady of childrens music, entertains with a unique musical program that motivates and educates. Watching this award winning singer and songwriter children will jump at the chance to sing I am a Pizza, Octopus, and Hug Bug along with Charlotte. Her string of awards includes four Parents Choice Awards, three American Library Association Awards and Juno Awards.

Dec. 2 @ 10 am-Charlotte at Oceanview Pavilion, Port Hueneme/ Gr. Pre K-2

Dec. 3 @ 10 am-Charlotte at Center for Spiritual Living, Ventura/ Gr. Pre K-2

Feb. 5-Soul Street at the Oceanview Pavilion @ 10 am/Gr. 2-8

Feb. 6-Soul Street @ the Scherr @ 10 am/ Gr. 2-8

A new company from Houston, TX (former members of Fly Dance Company) Youthful, masculine, high-energy breakin, poppin n lockin, Brazilian copoeira and more eclectic hip-hop moves and music for all ages!

Feb.202 the Fred Kavli- Junie B Jones@ 10 and noon/ Gr. K-4

Hurray, Hurray! Junie B. Jones is finally graduating from kindergarten and is ready for first grade, at last! But getting used to the whole new group of friends, a new teacher, and new glasses is challenging, even for irrepressible Junie B. Follow her adventures as she writes everything down in her "top-seecret personal beeswax" journal. A new musical based on the books by Barbara Park.

March 5-Cuentos from the Pushcart Players, Oceanview Pavilion @ 10 am/Gr. K-4

Cuentos Del Arbol or Tree Tales is a delightful bi-lingual musical drawn from Spanish and Latin American folklore. Because the play is presented in a bi-lingual format, it provides literacy enhancement in both language and the arts. The stories within the piece offer pride in the cultural heritage of Spain and Latin America. The centerpiece of all the stories is a tree (Un Arbol) that has sheltered, shielded and nurtured countless characters that have passed her way over the years. The trees caretaker, Arbolita, shares four of these stories with Tomas, a storyteller, who is looking for tales for his collection.

March 6- Peter and the Wolf from the Pushcart Players/Scherr Forum @ 10 am/Gr. K-4

"Peter and the Wolf" is an adaptation of the traditional Russian folktale set to music by Sergei Prokofiev. While providing a charming introduction to the world of music and musical instruments, this enchanting tale is all about the adventure of growing up. Danger becomes reality and creative innovation becomes essential as young Peter meets the challenge of survival in the outside world.

March 10 @ 10 and noon@ the Fred Kavli Theatre Mufaros Daughter/Dallas Childrens Theatre/Gr. 1-7

Based on the book by John Steptoe, a Caldecott winning book Adapted for the stage by Karen Abbott

When a great African king desires a wife, only the most worthy and beautiful maidens in the land are invited to meet him. Mufaro's pride and joy, his two daughters of very different dispositions, travel across a river and half a day's journey to go before the king. With traditional chanting and African song, come celebrate goodness, generosity and love. This wonderful folktale celebrates virtue and kindness of the heart. Its ethical lesson is simple yet powerful: as you sow so shall you reap, or as a hungry beggar in the play says, pretty is as pretty does. Times Magazine called the Dallas Childrens Theatre one of the five best family theatre companies in America. Best for grades 1-7

March 20 @ 10 am @ the Fred Kavli Theatre- Rainbow Fish/ Gr. K-3/

With her lovely coloring and shimmering scales, the Rainbow Fish is used to being the most beautiful creature in the ocean. So when the other fish ask her for some silver scales, she refuses. How can she sacrifice the one thing that makes her so unique?

Will some good advice from the wise old Octopus persuade the Rainbow Fish to share her gifts with those around her? ArtsPower has turned Marcus Pfisters bestselling book into a delightful and touching musical about the value of sharing true friendship with others.

Based on THE RAINBOW FISH by Marcus Pfister. Published by North-South Books.

March 30-Gary Krinsky, Toying with Science/Gr. 1-6

Toying with Science is a fast-paced, varied and dynamic program. Commissioned and developed with the Museum of Science in Boston, this performance explores among other things, the scientific principles of gravity, leverage, fulcrums and simple machines. Combining circus skills, mime, original music, and audience involvement, Garry and his audience investigate basic scientific information and delve into the imaginations of scientists who explore our world.

April 6 @ the Fred Kavli at 10 am- Cultural Bridges and Ancient Civilizations: Ragmala/ classical dance from India with Wadaiko Ensemble Tokara from Japan/ Gr. 2-12

Six dancers and four drummers come together in a unique collaboration of rhythm and dance to take your students on an unforgettable journey of sight and sound. The thundering percussion and stunning physicality of Wadaiko Ensemble Tokara in performance conversation with the beauty and grace of the Ragamala Indian Dance Company. Funded by the National Dance Project.

May 14@ 10 am- Roger Day at the Center For Spiritual Living., Ventura/Gr. Pre. K-3

May 15/Roger Day/Scherr Forum@ 10 am/ Gr. preK -3

A charismatic and joyful performer Roger Day has been writing and performing smart, interactive music that encourages kids to SING LOUD, JUMP HIGH and DREAM BIG. A two-time Parents Choice Award recipient and an approved Dove Family Foundation artist, Roger plays over 200 concerts every year from The Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, New York to The Halton Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina. He's been a featured artist at The Target Children's Book Festivals in Chicago, Detroit and Boston; the International Children's Festival in Edmonton, Alberta. Roger is a slam dunk kids singer with engaging songs and lots of participation!

Family Productions

It is worrisome to me that family programming is so dominated by television images with costumed characters performing to pre-recorded music and dialogue. These performances are more like gigantic tv screens with very little real connection between the performers and the audience. Sadly, television and movies are taking over live performances and the content is often a dumbed-down version of this years most popular tv show.

Performances To Grow On offers family audiences experiences in the arts that are uplifting and unique. Our season is always eclectic with theatre, dance, music and storytelling as part of the mix and our audiences tell us that are enriched by these experiences. One parent said, Were always excited and moved by the Ventura Childrens Series because like childhood itself, the series is all about possibilities. We find that so buoyant, so hopeful.

This years family series at the Scherr Forum Theatre is as follows:

Mark Nizer, Juggler Extraordinaire

- Friday, October 17, 2008 @ 7pm (Scherr Forum Theatre)

Since winning the International Juggling Championships, Mark has taken his one man show to thousands of venues around the world, including The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, 3 times. His inventions of new juggling tricks and juggling technologies, combined with his unique wit, have set him apart from his peers. Imagine 4 lasers being juggled at 1000 rpms, with the spinning laser beams dancing just above the audiences heads. Original comedy, world class juggling, movement, music and technology have made Marks performance one of the most popular theatrical events in the entertainment market today.

Amber Brown Is Not A Crayon from ArtsPower

- Saturday, November 1, 2008 @ 7pm (Scherr Forum Theatre)

Told in a uniquely funny and forthright style, this story of a feisty young girl who refuses to let her problems get the better of her will touch and entertain audiences everywhere. Youll laugh and cry with Amber as she learns some valuable lessons about the virtues of patience and the meaning of friendship.

Pecos Bill/ Oregon Shadow Theatre - Saturday, January 17, 2009 @ 7pm (Scherr Forum Theatre)

The Oregon Shadow Theatre received the Citation of Excellence in Puppetry from Unima USA (the oscar of American puppetry created by the late Jim Henson) for Pecos Bill, A Tall Tale. In the folklore of the American West, Pecos Bill has been called the creator of the Rio Grande, the lasso, the rodeo and the first cowboy songs. The OST production Pecos Bill, A Tall Tale follows Bill from his childhood (raised by coyotes), through his adventures (fighting mythical beasts, riding a cyclone, falling in love with a woman who rides catfish!) to the inevitable settling of the West. Movement of the shadow figures and visual effects combine with sounds of hammered dulcimer, harmonica and various sound effects devices to create a delightful rendition of the tall tale of Pecos Bill.

Soul Street Dance Company

- Saturday, February 7, 2009 @ 7pm (Scherr Forum Theatre)

A new company from Houston, TX (former members of Fly Dance Company). Youthful, masculine, high-energy breakin, poppin n lockin, Brazilian copoeria and more eclectic hip-hop moves and music for all ages!

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

from ArtsPower

- Saturday, March 28, 2009 @ 7pm - (Scherr Forum Theatre)

A quest for romance and adventure turns into a journey of self-discovery when Claudia Kincaid and her brother Jamie decide to run away from home. Their final destination the Metropolitan Museum of Art will introduce them to an intriguing mystery and to the most unusual friend either of them has ever made. ArtsPower has created an enchanting new drama that follows Claudia and her brother up the stone steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and right into the middle of an adventure sure to captivate audiences of all ages. This original ArtsPower production, based upon the book by E.L. Konigsburg, is being presented to celebrate the 40th anniversary of E.L. Konigsburgs Newbery Medal-winning classic.

Roger Day and his Joyful Songs

- Saturday, May 16, 2009 @ 7pm (Scherr Forum Theatre)

From his first job as a camp counselor to his current jam-packed concert and recording schedule, Roger Day has been writing and performing smart, interactive music that encourages kids to SING LOUD, JUMP HIGH and DREAM BIG. A two-time Parents Choice Award recipient and an approved Dove Family Foundation artist. Roger plays over 200 concerts every year from The Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, NY to The Halton Theatre in Charlotte, NC. Hes been a featured artist at The Target Childrens Book Festivals in Chicago, Detroit and Boston and the International Childrens Festival in Edmonton, Alberta.

The family series is $60 for chlidren and $80 for adults for all 6 performances. Phone subscriber services at 805-449-2775. Tickets bought individually are $14 for children and $20 for adults plus a box office surcharge.

Whenever troubled times arise, I often question the importance of the arts and my job, but I always fall back on my basic belief that we need the arts more than ever to help us heal, to continue to build bridges of understanding among people and to bring joy into our lives. . I believe more than ever that we must strive to keep the arts alive in our schools and community. When we fight for the arts, we ultimately fight for ourselves and the values of beauty, creativity and freedom. My childhood was filled with the wonder of the performing arts and we hope our events will also offer meaningful experiences for families and students. To learn more about our programs, visit our website at www.ptgo.org