We have had a great FULL week of school. This week we were able to get back to our engineering and design unit. We read another book about the Watts Towers entitled Dream Something Big. The story focused on a neighbors perspective of the builder and the involvement she had in helping Simon build the towers. It was great to have the students focus on a different perspective. They worked in group and used a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two books. We also learned about why Simon used triangles to build the structure of his towers.
We will be going to the Flynn Theater on Thursday, April 14 to see Companhia Urbana de Danca. This is a dance troupe that I was able to see when I was in Brazil. They are amazing and ver powerful. I have a friend that is trying to have them come visit our class prior to the performance. She will pay for the expense. Right now I am working out the logistics with their agent. I am hoping it will all work out. Below is a detailed description of the group. I want to give a big shout out to our PTA for fully funding the trip this year. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful organization that values the arts.
When Companhia Urbana de Dança made its US debut at New York City Center in 2010, the eyes of even the most ‘‘been-there-saw-that’’ critics opened wide with amazement. Destri’s boldly original mix of contemporary Brazilian dance and hip-hop infused both forms with new rigor, meditative one moment, explosive the next. Locating the true heart of hip-hop, Destri strips it of its easy tricks, bringing it back to its original emotional depth, expressive range, and poetic integrity. Founded in Brazil in 2004/2005 by dancer Tiago Sousa and choreographer and artistic director Sonia Destri Lie, Companhia Urbana de Dança is an ensemble of street performers working to foster the human experience through dance. Destri’s experience traveling through Europe for work in theater and film exposed her to hip-hop and b-boy techniques. Highly influenced by Brazilian street forms, she began to integrate these techniques into her already established contemporary movement sensibility. Pulling from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro where many of her company members grew up, Companhia Urbana de Dança aims to transcend cultural boundaries, while showcasing eclectic skill sets. The work of Companhia Urbana de Dança brings its dancers’ identities, testimonials, and attitudes to the stage, and it does that with a “carioca”, Afro-Brazilian accent, which is nevertheless universal. The group is firmly positioned in the most contemporary urban dance scene in Brazil and internationally. It highlights the talents of young black, and poor Brazilians in the modern world, from and affirming and pluralist stance.
I hope you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Tommy
