Providing K-12 educators and students with quality distance
learning opportunities.
The Performing Arts Series
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in cooperation with the Prince William Network, offers arts-based educational programming free to teachers and students across the country through the Performing Arts Series. Programs feature artists and companies who perform at the Kennedy Center and explore the areas of music, dance, theater, and literature.| The Performing Arts Series: | Register to receive: |
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Register Now For Upcoming Programs and Access to Archived Programs
2009-2010 Performing Arts Series
The Suzanne Farrell Ballet: Deconstructing Divertimento
Fri, November 20, 2009
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 Renowned ballerina and Balanchine collaborator Suzanne Farrell, along with her acclaimed ballet company, presents a performance and demonstration titled Deconstructing Divertimento. This program is designed to give students a unique vantage point as the company breaks down the choreographic theme and variations that define the classic 1956 Balanchine tutu ballet, Divertimento No. 15. |
Waiting for Godot
Thu, December 3, 2009
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 Two tramps meet by the roadside, and endlessly wait for someone—or something—named Godot. Samuel Beckett's most popular work masterfully examines the tedium and hope of human existence. Students experience "the closest production we will ever get to the perfect official Godot" (The Irish Times) in a discussion with director Walter Asmus and cast members Stephen Brennan, Barry McGovern, Johnny Murphy, and Alan Stanford, along with video excerpts of the production by Gate Theatre in Dublin. |
Stefon Harris and Blackout
Fri, December 18, 2009
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 During this session, vibraphonist-composer Stefon Harris along with his band Blackout teaches students what to listen for in jazz. Heralded as “one of the most important young artists in jazz” (Los Angeles Times), Harris leads students through a series of listening exercises as the ensemble demonstrates their eclectic sound—a hybrid of acoustic music and progressive sounds. In this program, students develop a heightened awareness for jazz music while learning the art of active listening and how to interpret music. |
Telling Stories: Lois Lowry
Thu, February 4, 2010
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 Two-time Newbery Medalist (Number the Stars and The Giver) Lois Lowry shares her inspiration for writing, the universal themes in her stories that deal with human connections—relationships between people and their impact on the world—and how she translates her ideas to the page. The award-winning author also discusses her versatility as a writer from her futuristic settings to her colorful characters and the stories they tell. |
Ella!
Fri, February 19, 2010
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 Celebrating the life and work of legendary jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, Grammy® winner Dee Dee Bridgewater and Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer pay tribute to the “First Lady of Song” in a program that includes some of the songstress’s best-loved jazz hits. Supported by an ensemble from the Dizzy Gillespie™ All-Star Band, Ms. Bridgewater and Ms. Siegel show how Ella Fitzgerald has influenced singers of today, share film clips of this remarkable vocalist, and perform well-known favorites from Ella Fitzgerald’s repertoire. |
Connections: More Science and Music
Thu, March 4, 2010
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 Endangered species, synapses and neurons, condensation and precipitation—are these terms from a science course or a music class? In this fast-paced, multimedia performance by NSO cellist Yvonne Caruthers with her NSO colleagues Natasha Bogachek, violin, and Stephen Dumaine, tuba, students hear and see how a melody can be played on a laundry hose (or a tuba); how instrument makers are responding to the near-extinction of their favorite trees; and whether a violinist can break a world speed record...don’t miss it! |
Limón Dance Company: The Traitor
Fri, March 26, 2010
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 Limón Dance Company returns to the Kennedy Center with The Traitor, one of modern dance’s most significant works of the 1950s. The Traitor was Limón’s response to the McCarthy hearings and the climate of betrayal that haunted the arts and entertainment fields during this period. Against Gunther Schuller’s musical score of violence, passion, and tenderness, the tragedy of Judas and the theme of betrayal are portrayed in a detailed demonstration and explanation of the dancers’ movements followed by the full-length performance of Limón’s signature piece. |
Shen Wei Dance Arts
Thu, May 6, 2010
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 Choreographer and Kennedy Center artist-in-residence Shen Wei and his dancers take students on a journey in Re- (I, II, III), a triptych inspired by his travels throughout Asia. Filled with dramatic imagery, movement, and traditional as well as recorded music, students experience Asia through the eyes of this visionary artist known for blending modern dance with elements from theater, visual arts, and opera. In this multimedia presentation moderated by Brett Egan, students experience the history and culture of Tibet, Angkor Wat, and Beijing through the choreography of Shen Wei. |
Gospel Across America
Fri, May 21, 2010
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 In a program that celebrates gospel music—from contemporary rising stars to established traditional artists—American gospel artists come together to perform on one stage. The Fisk Jubilee Singers are considered a landmark of Tennessee’s artistic heritage and are instrumental in preserving the musical tradition known today as Negro spirituals. Join the Fisk Jubilee Singers and other gospel artists participating in the Kennedy Center’s Gospel Across America Celebration as they share this rich culture with students during a performance of both contemporary and traditional songs that bring together the past and the present. |