Music and Dance have been called universal languages but they are actually deeply rooted within a cultural context. Since the dawn of history, people around the world dance and make music as well as musical instruments from objects found in their environment. So why not start now! This residency empowers students and teachers alike to invite music and dance into their lives as they learn to make, name and play their very own musical instruments and create and their own dance moves and choreographies. Then join these together in a community music and dance jam!

Mathematics in motion create emotions!

Acoustical principals rooted in science and math guide our musical instrument creations just as they guide our dance choreographies and our musical compositions. Students switch between constructing and decorating their own musical instruments from up-cycled materials found at home, on nature walks or in the typical classroom to learning cultural dances, body percussion and exploring their own individual dance moves. All combine to build their final compositions and dance choreographies

Students are empowered by creating their own homemade musical instruments and exploring a wide range of movements. This residency offers students a chance to work towards a goal, follow instructions, add personal touches, and ultimately gain tremendous satisfaction in completing a task.

Students are able to explore cultural and geographical areas and peoples they have studied in class, or investigate their own cultural DNA. In this way, together, the classroom is able to truly celebrate their diversity and find commonalities and unity while at the same time they have fun creating some unique sounds and movements. Students are empowered to find the many "voices" in the instruments they have built and explore the many rhythms available in their bodies to sharing the color of their emotions through movement! The combination is pure magic!

This residency is taught by two teaching artists: Veronica Medina Cano a Spanish flamenco dancer from Barcelona, Spain and Julia Banzi, one of a very few female flamenco guitarists worldwide. Veronica is a captivating Spanish dancer who holds degrees in Spanish & Flamenco dance from the Conservatory of Barcelona. Her performance is characterized by injecting traditional moves with bold theatrical flair! Dr. Julia is a rare bird, a female flamenco guitarist who lived in Spain for many years. She holds a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology (a specialist of Music Cultures of the World) from the University of California, Santa Barbara is fluent in Spanish, conversant in French and can mumble in Arabic. This residency may also be offered in Spanish. Por supuesto!