The Suzanne Farrell Ballet: Deconstructing Divertimento*

Friday, October 1
Grades 9-12
Renowned ballerina and Balanchine protégée 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 and the pas de deux from the neoclassic ballet, Agon.

Click here to download the study guide for this program

Telling Stories: Richard Peck

Friday, October 15
Grades 7-12
Creative writing students Justin Allen and Brianna Cole from Woodbridge Senior High School in Prince William County, Virginia, join moderator Maria Salvadore as they explore with Richard Peck several of his recent books, influences on his work, and the craft of writing, as well as solicit Peck's advice for aspiring writers.

Ella!*

Friday, November 5
Grades 7-12
Celebrating the life and work of legendary jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, Grammy® nominee Roberta Gambarini 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. Gambarini 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.

Click here to download the study guide for this program

Tambuco Percussion Ensemble

Friday, November 19
Grades 7-12
One of the finest percussion quartets of today, Tambuco Percussion performs a wide assortment of music styles, ranging from structured percussion music to ethnic drum music and avant-garde sound interpretation. Using percussion instruments from bongos to vibraphones, this talented ensemble demonstrates the unique sounds of their instruments, discusses the culture and traditions of Mexico as expressed through music, and performs original compositions inspired by the popular and folk music idioms of Mexico.

Telling Stories: Linda Sue Park

Friday, December 3
Grades 4-8
Linda Sue Park discusses her recent books and provides a look at what inspired them. Ms. Park also talks about her diverse interests that include perfecting her craft, a desire to explore her heritage, and her passion for baseball. Ms. Park also reads from her recent novels as well as her collection of sijo and discusses this little-known Korean form of poetry.

Poets and Presidents

Friday, January 21
Grades 6-9
President John F. Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy believed strongly in the power of words and the value of poetry for their children. In The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children, Caroline Kennedy has gathered together poems about nature, heroism, adventure, and imagination by celebrated poets Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Nikki Grimes, and Carl Sandburg; poems her parents loved and read to her during her childhood. As part of the Kennedy Center's The Presidency of John F. Kennedy: A 50th Anniversary Celebration, several well-known poets of today read and discuss their poems and show how these important themes are continued in their work today.

From Page to Stage: Locomotion

Friday, February 4
Grades 6-12
Have you ever wondered how all the elements of a theater production come together to form the final product? Join award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson as she talks with moderator Maria Salvadore about the creation and adaptation of her book, Locomotion, for the stage. This new production, a Kennedy Center co-commission with Orlando Repertory Theater, is an inspiring story of the journey of an eleven-year-old African American boy as he moves from tragedy to hope, losing one family and gaining another. Additionally, through specially created Webisodes available online only, the actors and technical artists discuss their role in the creative process providing insight into the this process from start to finish.

Musical Theater: Stephen Schwartz

Friday, March 4
Grades 9-12
In this never-before-seen interview, Academy Award®, Grammy® and Tony® winner Stephen Schwartz talks with Michael Kerker, director of Musical Theater at ASCAP, about his Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical, Wicked, "the most complete—and completely satisfying—new musical in a long time" (USA Today). Stephen Schwartz also discusses his other musicals, including Godspell, Pippin, and the Baker's Wife and students hear a few of his well-known songs performed live.

Fondly Do We Hope...Fervently Do We Pray

Friday, April 1
Grades 9-12
The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company presents the most ambitious project in the company's 25-year history with Fondly Do We Hope...Fervently Do We Pray, which investigates pivotal moments in Abraham Lincoln's life. Combining imagery, narration, and song with movement, this dance theater work examines a handful of key moments from Lincoln's remarkable life while challenging and celebrating the lasting contributions of this great president.

maximum INDIA

Friday, April 15
Grades 6-9
The music and dance of India provide students with a window to the vibrant culture and traditions of one of the world's largest countries. As part of the Kennedy Center's maximum INDIA festival, Ragamala Dance introduces students to Bharatanatyam, a traditional dance form from south India. Combining virtuosity and aesthetic beauty, the dancers, accompanied by live music, demonstrate how basic body positions, rhythms, gestures, and facial expressions are woven into each piece. Acclaimed sitar and cello duo, Shubhendra Rao and Saskia Rao-de Haas, perform their own compositions blending European and Indian styles and also perform along with Ragamala Dance. Rao-de Haas will show how she adapted the western instrument to create the 'Indian cello'—the only such instrument in existence.

Jazz: Eldar

Friday, May 20
Grades 6-12
A 2008 Grammy®-nominated jazz artist at age 21, Eldar is described as "one of the finest jazz pianists of his generation" (CMJ Magazine). Having already produced five albums and performed in Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and some of the most notable jazz venues around the world, Eldar is known for his extraordinary technique, musicality, and virtuosity. With his trio, Eldar guides students in how to listen to jazz and performs some of his original compositions.

Marvin Hamlisch

Friday, November 5
ASCAP Director of Musical Theater Michael Kerker sits down for an intimate interview with the multi-award-winning NSO Principal Pops Conductor Marvin Hamlisch. The dynamic composer shares candid stories about his life and work in film that include hits such as The Way We Were, Sophie's Choice, and, most recently, The Informant along with his stage credits that include the ground-breaking Chorus Line and They're Playing Our Song. In this special evening, join Liz Callaway, Kevin Earley, and Karen Ziemba with pianist Alex Rybeck performing the composer's best.

Jerry Herman*

Friday, December 3
Join Broadway legend Jerry Herman for an evening filled with personal stories and songs as the accomplished lyricist looks back on his career. In an intimate interview moderated by ASCAP's Director of Musical Theater, Michael Kerker, Herman discusses the creation of his award-winning musicals, including Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Mack and Mabel, and La Cage Aux Folles, and shares a lifetime of stories filled with wit and charm. Broadway artists Debbie Gravitte, Jason Graae, and Ron Raines, along with longtime collaborator Donald Pippin, round out the program with performances of "Shalom," "It Only Takes a Moment," "Wherever He Ain't," and "If He Walked Into My Life," from Herman's songbook.

A Tribute to Frank Loesser

Friday, February 4
Over the course of his career, Frank Loesser wrote more than 700 songs and 5 Broadway musicals and contributed music and lyrics to dozens of films, leaving behind classics like "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Luck Be a Lady." Celebrate Frank Loesser's 100th Birthday with ASCAP's Michael Kerker and Jo Sullivan Loesser as they commemorate the work of the late composer who created such gems for the stage as How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Guys and Dolls. Musical guests Susan Egan, Noah Racey, Ron Raines, and pianist Donald Pippin perform the best of Frank Loesser with a special tribute by his daughter and Broadway star Emily Loesser along with her mother Jo Sullivan Loesser.

A Tribute to Cy Coleman*

Friday, March 4
Come celebrate the life and sounds of legendary composer Cy Coleman, the genius behind Tony Award®-winning musicals The Will Rogers Follies and Sweet Charity and classic songs such as "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "If My Friends Could See Me Now." Join Tony®-winning lyricist David Zippel, ASCAP's Michael Kerker, and the musical talent of Judith Blazer, Jason Graae, Billy Stritch, Lillias White, and Christopher Marlowe as they commemorate the life and creativity of Coleman in a night filled with sweet melodies and memories.