Virtual Theater Experiences
Thanks to our wonderful theater partners, PS has several virtual theater experiences. You can view these anytime on our website!
American Voices
What is American music? Learn more about many unique voices and styles in this Young People’s Concert Experience recommended for grades 3-6. Enjoy a concert video featuring performances by Minnesota Orchestra musicians and commentary from host Sarah Hicks, along with opportunities to respond to the music through drawing and dance. There are also instrument demonstrations, information about the featured music and composers, and multisensory activities from Twin Cities partners exploring the “American Voices” theme.
#ConcertsForKids: Ragamala Dance Company
Celebrated as one of the diaspora’s leading Bharatanatyam (South Indian classical dance) ensembles, Ragamala Dance Company is led by the dynamic intergenerational partnership of mother-and-daughters Ranee Ramaswamy, Aparna Ramaswamy (Co-Artistic Directors) and Ashwini Ramaswamy (Choreographic Associate). Hailed by The New York Times as “soulful, imaginative, and rhythmically contagious,“ Ragamala’s aesthetic is deeply influenced by their cultural hybridity, embodying their experiences as Indian-American women living within two cultures. In this #ConcertsForKids experience, get an inside look as the Ramaswamys rehearse and explain how their approach to merging the tradition of an Indian dance form with their immigrant voices has created something unique and important in our complex world.
Sound Off: Movement Music from Minnesota
What is American music? Learn more about many unique voices and styles in this Young People’s Concert Experience recommended for grades 3-6. Enjoy a concert video featuring performances by Minnesota Orchestra musicians and commentary from host Sarah Hicks, along with opportunities to respond to the music through drawing and dance. There are also instrument demonstrations, information about the featured music and composers, and multisensory activities from Twin Cities partners exploring the “American Voices” theme.
Doctor Atomic by The Metropolitan Opera
On July 16, 1945, an atomic bomb was tested for the first time in the deserts of New Mexico; within a few short weeks, the entire world would have to confront what this monstrous invention meant for humanity. Yet in Doctor Atomic, composer John Adams takes the audience back to the days immediately before the bomb’s first test to explore a more intimate side of this momentous event. The opera’s music is an excellent example of Adams’s signature “minimalist” style, while the libretto spotlights the complex feelings and conflicted loyalties of the Manhattan Project physicists—a small group of people tasked with developing the most destructive weapon the world had ever seen.
Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater
Alvin Ailey said, “I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.” While we are unable to join you in the theater and in the classroom, we hope that the Ailey spirit continues to reach you and your family to bring joy during this uncertain time. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in performance at Lincoln Center: this program includes Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, Ronald K. Brown’s Grace, Robert Battle’s Takademe, and Alvin Ailey’s Revelations.
Cirque du Soleil 60-minute special: Alegría, Kooza, KÀ
World renowned circus Cirque du Soleil invites you for a new 60-minute special featuring awe-inspiring moments from Alegría, Kooza and KÀ.
TOU SAIK LEE:
Solidarity Process
Join Cedar Artist Collective member Tou SaiK Lee as he unveils the Solidarity Process, three curated collaborations between artists from Black and Asian backgrounds. This is a continuation of We Believe in Unity: Black and Asian Solidarity, a program that premiered on The Cedar Public Access Channel on July 2nd.
For the Solidarity Process, dancers Averie Mitchell-Brown and Karen Yang choreographed a set of powerful moves that flow, migrate and shift perceptions for harmony. Twin Cities Bboys Lue “Finisher” Thao, Storm McKee, Ian “Slinky” Smith and Vong Lor came together to display compelling movements for the movement. Urban music artists Cydi Livin’ Wabi Sabi and SoloStar combine elements of language arts, melody, and storytelling to captivate us through their a cappella inspiration.
These performances create a counter-narrative to how media can divide communities with negative stereotypes and how different cultures can build bridges together to see commonality. A response to what “solidarity” can look like, this program continues to push the narrative of racial justice by unifying diverse voices through creativity.
Online Arts
Dance and Motion
Watch our introduction video first, and it will let you know when to watch the others!
Middle School: Room with a View
High School: The Tempest Replica Excerpt, Honor Thy Mother, The Book of Secrets
Chim Lạc (Lost Bird)
When Liên (Monique Bạch Hạc Nguyen) suddenly dies, her granddaughter Thi (Lady Midnight) is confronted with the shame of never fully knowing her, due to their language barrier. But Thi is given a second chance when a magical bird transports her back in time to Bến Tre, Viet Nam, where her grandma grew up. This modern shadow puppet opera was written by Oanh Vu and was brought to life by the music of Charlie McCarron, the puppetry of Andrew Young and Oanh Vu, and puppeteers liping vong and Ty Chapman.
CONTRA TIEMPO: joyUS justUS
“joyUS justUS” is a participatory Urban Latin Dance Theater experience that takes on joy as the ultimate expression of resistance. Whenever humans have survived immense hardship and injustice, prevailing with their humanity intact, the presence of joy or, the knowingness and celebration of our true beauty and power has always been at the root. “joyUS justUS” reclaims the dominant deficit based narrative of people of color in this country as being underprivileged, voiceless, powerless, and victimized, and flips it on its head by embodying stories of joy collected from communities of color in South Los Angeles. The stories shared in this work are personal truths about the power of hope, faith, and family, the strength of the villages that have raised our children and the wealth that lives in our collective histories of struggle and resistance.
Where students connect to their purpose
Theater Experiences create a springboard for discussion, inviting risk-taking and possibility. Project Success students attend alongside family and friends, which can lead to more positive family and peer relationships – shown to have a positive impact on student achievement.
The latest from Project Success
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From Ninth Grade to Senior Year
At South High School, Project Success facilitator Heidi Hafermann reflects on four years of relationships, growth, and the lasting connections that help students build confidence and imagine what’s possible for their futures.
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A Golden Start at Sanford
With 142 students auditioning for Willy Wonka Jr., Sanford’s musical season is off to an exciting start, full of courage, second chances, and opportunities to grow.
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The Institute is back
From culinary classes and bike repair to drawing and technology, students are discovering new interests, building skills, and finding community at the PS Institute.
